railway operators in japan 7 southern kanto regionoverview of region tokyo bay stretches south from...

Japan Railway & Transport Review 33 • December 2002

Railw

a y Operators

50

Railway Operators

Copyright © 2002 EJRCF. All rights reserved.

Railway Operators in Japan 7

Southern Kanto RegionShuichi Takashima

Overview of Region

Tokyo Bay stretches south from Tokyo.There are bedroom communities on bothsides of the Bay, as well as in theneighbouring prefectures of Kanagawa tothe southwest and Chiba to the southeast.Kanagawa is far more developed thanChiba, with a population density of 3488per km2 in an area of about 2400 km2.Yokohama, the prefectural capital, quicklybecame the nation’s most important portafter Japan opened its doors to foreigntrade in the 19th century. Yokohama is alarge city with its own centre of gravity,but it has also developed into a majorbedroom community for Tokyo. The city’spopulation of about 3.5 million makes itthe largest municipality in the country.The bayside area slightly south of today’sYokohama Station was developed first,

and roads and railways were improvedand constructed at a rapid rate when theeconomy expanded after WWII. As aresult, new housing spread through muchof the prefecture and many residents nowcommute from Kanagawa to Tokyo on adaily basis.Across the Bay in Chiba Prefecture,bedroom communities and coastalindustrial zones began developing in the1950s. At about 5200 km2, the prefectureis larger than Kanagawa but it has a lowerpopulation density of 1148 per km2. Manycommuters live in Chiba City, theprefectural capital in the northern part ofthe prefecture. The southern BosoPeninsula is sparsely populated. Sometrains from the extremity of the peninsulaoffer direct connections to Tokyo but notmany commuters travel that far.The two prefectures face each other acrossTokyo Bay. Ferries take people across and

motor vehicles can take a short cut underand over the Bay via the 15.1-km TokyoBay Aqua Line combined bridge andtunnel opened in 1997. However, all railtraffic must take the long way around theBay through Tokyo.

Overview of Rail Network

The configuration of Kanto’s rail networkis basically major lines radiating fromTokyo to suburban satellite cities, andsecondary lines linking different parts ofthe radial lines.In Kanagawa Prefecture, the mostimportant of these radial lines run fromTokyo to Yokohama fairly close to the Bay.This rail corridor is heavily used—just theJR East tracks alone make up three lines.Keihin Electric Express Railway (Keikyu)also operates in this corridor with tracks

JR Lines

AAAAA Tokaido Shinkansen

BBBBB Ito Line

CCCCC Tokaido main line

DDDDD Yokosuka Line

EEEEE Negishi Line

FFFFF Yokohama Line

GGGGG Nambu Line

HHHHH Sagami Line

IIIII Tsurumi Line

JJJJJ Uchibo Line

KKKKK Kururi Line

LLLLL Sotobo Line

Private Lines

11111 Izukyu Corporation

22222 Izu-Hakone Railway

33333 Kominato Railway

44444 Isumi Railway

55555 Odakyu Electric Railway

66666 Tokyu Corporation

77777 Keihin Electric Express Railway

88888 Sagami Railway

99999 Enoshima Electric Railway

00000 Hakone Tozan Railway

----- Shonan Monorail

===== Yokohama New Transit(Seaside Line)

Railway Lines in Southern Kanto Region

SakuragichoSakuragichoSakuragicho

KamakuraKamakuraKamakuraKanazawa-hakkeiKanazawa-hakkeiKanazawa-hakkei

JR Lines

Shinkansen line

Other private lines

Ohara

Kisarazu

Kazusa-kameyama

Kazusa-nakano

Awa-kamogawaAwa-kamogawaAwa-kamogawa

Goi

Chiba

TokyoShinjuku

ShinagawaShinagawaShinagawa

KawasakiKawasakiKawasaki

Omiya

ShibuyaShibuyaShibuya

YokohamaYokohamaYokohama

ChigasakiChigasakiChigasaki

Shin SugitaShin SugitaShin Sugita

OfunaFujisawaFujisawaFujisawa

Daiyuzan

Gora

Ebina

Hashimoto

Chuo Chuo RinkanRinkanChuo Rinkan

Hachioji

Tama Center

Sagami-onoSagami-onoSagami-ono

Tachikawa

OdawaraOdawaraOdawara

AtamiAtamiAtami

Shuzenji

Mishima

Izukyu- Izukyu- shimodashimodaIzukyu- shimoda

Ito

Katase- Katase- enoshimaenoshimaKatase- enoshima

Shin ZushiShin Zushi

MisakiguchiMisakiguchiMisakiguchi

KurihamaKurihamaKurihamaUragaUragaUraga

YokosukaYokosukaYokosuka

Japan Railway & Transport Review 33 • December 2002 51Copyright © 2002 EJRCF. All rights reserved.

running parallel to the JR lines. Thenorthern end of Keikyu’s line begins atSengakuji near Shinagawa in south Tokyoand passes through Yokohama toterminate on the Miura Peninsula insouthern Kanagawa Prefecture. TheTokyu Corporation (Tokyu), operates theToyoko Line from its Shibuya terminal insouth Tokyo to Yokohama, serving moreinland areas than the other lines.Some other lines from Tokyo, such as theOdakyu Electric Railway, run through themiddle of Kanagawa Prefecture. It beginsat Shinjuku and runs southwest, bisectingthe prefecture. Another line, the Den’enToshi Line operated by Tokyu, begins atShibuya and terminates at Chuo Rinkanin central Kanagawa.The Tokaido Shinkansen (operated by JRCentral) also runs through the interior ofthe prefecture with stations at ShinYokohama and Odawara. An increasingnumber of commuters are takingshinkansen trains, expanding Tokyo’scommuting zone as far as ShizuokaPrefecture in the west.As mentioned above, the radial lines arelinked by other lines. The postwareconomic period was a time of massivehousing projects, with residential districtsspreading rapidly westwards from centralKanagawa Prefecture. New lines werebuilt and existing ones improved to servethis burgeoning population.The Hakone–Izu region—one of Tokyo’smost popular tourist destinations—islocated at the southwestern tip ofKanagawa Prefecture and the eastern partof neighbouring Shizuoka Prefecture;trains to these areas are also used fortourism. Limited expresses offer frequentservices from Tokyo, and other localrailways have been constructed to servethe tourist business.Other radial lines stretch from Tokyo intoChiba Prefecture, following the coast ofthe Boso Peninsula, and spur lines havealso been built. However, there are farfewer workers and students commuting

to Tokyo compared to Kanagawa and thesouthern part of the peninsula has onlylocal rail services.

Suburban Rail Links to Tokyo

JR EastThe 589.5-km Tokaido main line fromTokyo Station to Kobe (Hyogo Prefecture)is the most important rail link in thesouthern Kanto region. JR East operatesthe 104.6-km section from Tokyo Stationto Atami. The JR East section connectswith other heavily used lines someoperated by JR East and others by privaterailways. Commercial districts andsuburbs have spread further and furtherwest along these lines and it is not unusualfor commuters to travel more than 50 kmto Tokyo.JR East’s 23.9-km Yokosuka Line betweenOfuna and Kurihama is considered abranch of the Tokaido main line. BeforeWWII, it was used mainly to transportsupplies for the navy at Yokosuka Port.After the war, it took on a new role,carrying workers and students. Evenbefore the war, trains from Yokosukaoffered direct services to Tokyo on theTokaido main line, but increasing trafficled to the construction of a parallel line,and since 1980 all trains on the YokosukaLine have been using the new track. Thisexplains why the track between Ofuna andTokyo is considered part of the Tokaidomain line despite the separate tracks; the70.4-km section between Tokyo Stationand Kurihama is generally called theYokosuka Line. There are also some directconnections beyond Tokyo Station on theSobu Line to Chiba Prefecture with a fewservices ending at the tip of the BosoPeninsula.The Tokyo–Yokohama section of theTokaido corridor also accommodates theKeihin Tohoku Line, another JR Eastservice. Although the line has its owntrack, it is also considered part the Tokaido

main line. Local trains stop at manystations not served by express services onthe Tokaido main line. Although themajority of passengers on the KeihinTohoku Line are not travelling longdistances, most trains offer throughservices to Omiya in Saitama Prefecture,north of Tokyo. When running south, theyswitch from the Tokaido main line to thecoastal Negishi Line at Yokohama andthen link up with the Tokaido main lineagain at Ofuna.

Keihin Electric Express Railway(Keikyu)Keikyu’s main line runs from Shinagawathrough Yokohama to the MiuraPeninsula in southeast KanagawaPrefecture. The line has a few short spurl ines. The 22.2-km Shinagawa–Yokohama section runs parallel to (andcompetes with) the other JR East tracks.On the Miura Peninsula, it competes withJR East’s Yokosuka Line. Keikyu’s northernterminus at Sengakuji is fairly close toTokyo’s inner city and Keikyu beganoffering through services to the inner cityon the Asakusa Line subway tracksbelonging to the Tokyo MetropolitanGovernment (TMG) in 1968.Keikyu was the first electric railway in theKanto region and began operations usingelectric trams in 1899. Services were slowbut incremental improvements to bothinfrastructure and rolling stock kept theline competitive with the parallel Tokaidomain line. Today, the fastest rapid limitedexpress takes around 17 minutes fromShinagawa to Yokohama, almost exactlythe same as trains on JR East’s Tokaidomain line.One of Keikyu’s spur lines offers accessto Tokyo International Airport (HanedaAirport) in southeast Tokyo. Thecompeting Tokyo Monorail opened in1964, and became the most importantcarrier for airport users (for more details,see JRTR 30, pp. 42–53). AlthoughKeikyu’s early Kuko Line offered services


Railway Operators


Passenger Volume and Density by Railway Company

1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

Keihin Electric Express Railway No. of Passengers (1,000) 445,254 439,131 437,835 435,876 430,112 417,105 406,480 406,520 408,261 410,747

Passenger Density* 207,321 205,933 205,041 205,153 202,500 198,903 193,437 191,459 189,170 191,654

Tokyu Corporation Volume 974,068 967,526 961,094 955,162 956,429 950,779 946,807 935,990 935,069 946,854

Density 244,452 243,036 240,346 238,296 237,026 266,621 235,851 235,288 235,734 237,930

Odakyu Electric Railway Volume 711,702 711,277 710,575 707,285 703,946 697,141 686,933 683,038 672,179 667,221

Density 253,197 250,890 249,044 247,559 244,061 242,839 236,962 235,773 235,827 237,360

Sagami Railway Volume 246,947 247,182 247,957 248,147 251,412 245,785 241,931 240,579 238,166 233,129

Density 230,735 233,275 234,952 235,774 239,619 235,868 232,788 232,082 212,256 206,754

Yokohama City Transport (subway) Volume 93,881 94,083 113,293 115,519 116,883 119,633 123,564 125,685 137,082 150,454

Density 74,606 74,733 71,634 75,037 77,244 80,256 83,485 86,090 84,121 86,953

Enoshima Electric Railway Volume 16,351 15,868 15,682 15,258 15,169 14,631 14,399 13,958 13,815 13,762

Density 17,023 16,348 16,065 15,549 15,367 14,775 14,344 13,913 13,693 13,584

Hakone Tozan Railway Volume 10,291 9,981 9,834 9,550 9,577 9,463 9,111 8,817 8,536 8,443

Density 13,592 13,189 13,125 12,851 12,910 12,796 14,045 12,087 11,538 11,442

Shonan Monorail Volume 10,772 11,298 11,346 11,165 11,073 11,107 10,939 10,848 10,663 10,429

Density 15,250 15,951 16,184 15,878 15,729 18,664 15,499 15,358 15,043 14,740

Yokohama New Transit Volume 14,553 15,046 19,077 18,238 17,487 17,477 17,038 18,621 17,583 16,761

Density 17,101 17,720 23,265 22,174 20,753 20,790 20,250 21,515 19,990 19,152

Izu-Hakone Railway Daiyuzan Line Volume 9,371 9,467 9,247 9,162 9,179 9,229 8,889 8,851 8,729 8,561

Density 15,305 15,566 13,125 14,934 14,886 15,118 14,460 14,434 14,189 14,017

Izu-Hakone Railway Sunzu Line Volume 15,318 15,287 14,603 14,399 14,345 14,263 13,513 13,278 12,822 12,365

Density 18,642 18,565 17,766 17,467 17,008 17,041 16,328 16,113 15,591 14,995

Izukyu Corporation Volume 10,014 9,509 8,929 8,620 7,982 7,985 7,338 7,000 6,759 6,289

Density 12,855 12,426 11,428 11,087 10,056 10,073 9,225 8,828 8,485 7,899

Kominato Railway Volume 3,367 3,404 3,412 3,320 3,228 3,069 2,792 2,559 2,352 2,216

Density 2,716 2,804 2,812 2,747 2,642 2,502 2,308 2,124 1,953 1,851

Isumi Railway Volume 1,006 962 924 898 869 804 768 714 676 630

Density 1,179 1,150 1,076 1,045 1,018 936 894 830 825 794

* Passenger Density = Daily passenger-km/route-km* Sources: Tetsudo tokei nempo (Railway Annual Statistics), Ministry of Transport Railway Bureau and Tetsudo yoran (Railway Directory), Ministry of Land, Infrastructure

and Transport Railway Bureau

Size and Financial Status of non-JR Private Railways in Southern Kanto

* Sources: Tetsudo tokei nempo (Railway Annual Statistics), Ministry of Transport Railway Bureau, 2001

1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999

JR East Tokaido Line No. of Passengers (1,000) 1,335,510 1,366,118 1,371,247 1,359,795 1,336,102 1,385,604 1,377,878 1,378,788 1,386,827(Tokyo–Hiratsuka, 81.6 km)JR East Yokosuka Line No. of Passengers (1,000) 72,915 73,830 73,786 72,658 72,322 72,279 70,401 69,545 68,479(Ofuna–Kurigahama, 23.9 km)JR East Negishi Line No. of Passengers (1,000) 208,443 213,049 220,765 224,066 223,587 224,110 223,313 224,766 224,281(Yokohama–Ofuna, 22.1 km)JR East Yokohama Line No. of Passengers (1,000) 228,029 239,903 243,381 246,002 250,460 254,848 257,522 258,183 261,789(Higashi Kanagawa–Hachioji, 42.6 km)JR East Nambu Line No. of Passengers (1,000) 229,863 236,204 242,713 244,290 243,716 244,383 240,662 238,255 238,582(All lines, 39.6 km)JR East Sagami Line No. of Passengers (1,000) 23,943 26,880 28,269 28,903 29,756 30,332 30,964 30,717 30,049(Chigasaki–Hashimoto, 33.3 km)JR East Tsurumi Line No. of Passengers (1,000) 16,771 17,190 17,940 17,459 16,823 16,137 16,065 15,729 15,421(All lines, 9.7 km)

Number of Capital Operating Revenues Operating Expenses Operating Profits/Losses OrdinaryHeadquaters Route-km Employees (¥million) (¥million) (¥million) (¥million) Profits/ Losses

Railway Non-railway Railway Non-railway Railway Non-railway (¥million)

Keihin Electric Express Railway Tokyo 87.0 2,390 31,999 72,112 79,373 57,810 75,311 14,302 4,062 6,845Tokyu Coporation Tokyo 102.1 3,105 107,543 127,990 164,509 95,628 150,538 32,362 13,971 18,444Odakyu Electric Railway Tokyo 120.5 3,519 60,360 110,337 63,859 86,024 49,099 24,313 14,760 21,509Sagami Railway Kanagawa 35.9 1,138 31,162 34,265 113,025 27,800 104,732 6,465 8,293 6,330Yokohama City Transport Kanagawa 40.4 951 483,034 28,309 27,982 29,623 31,192 -1,313 -3,210 -18,249Enoshima Electric Railway Kanagawa 10.0 156 300 2,385 5,806 1,989 6,040 396 -234 -55Hakone Tozan Railway Kanagawa 15.0 167 2,000 2,802 9,087 2,701 8,351 101 735 530Shonan Monorail Kanagawa 6.6 104 8,000 1,715 223 1,504 138 211 84 261Yokohama New Transit Kanagawa 10.6 133 7,600 3,439 102 3,384 91 55 11 -597Izu Hakone Railway Shizuoka 29.4 96 640 3,375 16,284 3,071 16,625 303 -341 -472Izukyu Corporation Shizuoka 45.7 187 4,348 5,660 4,129 5,263 3,146 397 983 325Kominato Railway Chiba 39.1 86 203 743 4,477 741 3,739 2 738 275Isumi Railway Chiba 26.8 34 269 132 3 264 2 -132 1 -119


to Haneda Kuko (Haneda Airport) Station,the name was a misnomer because theline did not even terminate on airportproperty. The situation was corrected in1998 when a major construction projectto extend the line underground into theairport terminal was completed. Keikyu’sfares were lower than those of TokyoMonorail and the latter’s passenger sharedeclined. However, after JR East bought70% of the shares in the Tokyo MonorailCompany in February 2002, it increasedthe competition by introducing discountfares for passengers transferring to andfrom the Monorail from JR East lines.

Tokyu Corporation (Tokyu)Tokyu began developing its network insouthwest Tokyo in the 1920s. It was thefirst railway company in Tokyo to adoptthe typical Japanese business modelpioneered in Osaka and subsequentlyembraced by many private railways inJ a p a n . T h e m o d e l p r o m o t e ddevelopment of housing projects alongnew sections of track. Today, Tokyu is ahuge group of more than 400 businesseswi th in teres t s in t ranspor ta t ion,development, distribution and othersectors. Rail operations are just one partof the group’s many activities, althoughthey are its key business. The Tokyurailway network consists of 100.7 km oflines; the two major ones are the ToyokoLine (Shibuya–Sakuragicho in Yokohama)and the Den’en Toshi Line (Shibuya–Chuo Rinkan).The Toyoko Line was opened in stagesfrom 1926 to 1932. At that time, thecompany started developing housingprojects along the track, and today’spopulation densities are near saturationlevels. Over the years, infrastructure androlling stock have been improved to boostcapacity, and one section of track wasrecently quadrupled.Part of the Den’en Toshi Line openedbefore WWII. From 1966, the line wasextended fur ther into Kanagawa

Prefecture, opening up sparsely populatedhilly areas. The company subdivided lots,constructed retail outlets and encouragedconstruction of schools along the track.In many cases, it has near monopolycontrol over other nearby transportationmodes , hous ing deve lopmen t s ,distribution and commercial facilities.This has created an almost captive marketfor Tokyu and its affiliates. The line alsooffers through services from Shibuya to theHanzomon subway line operated by theTeito Rapid Transit Authority (TRTA).The few spur lines in Tokyu’s networkwere all opened before WWII. Theyoffered an early taste of rapid transitservices, but today most fall far belownormal standards with slow trains andminimal capacity. Some sections havebeen improved in recent years and arediscussed later in this article.

Odakyu Electric Railway(Odakyu)Odakyu ’s 120 .5 -km ne twork i scomposed of three lines: the OdawaraLine from Shinjuku through the interiorof Kanagawa Prefecture to Odawara Cityin the southwest; the Enoshima Line,which branches from the Odawara Lineat Sagami-ono between Shinjuku andOdawara and runs south to Fujisawa andKatase-enoshima on the Pacific coast;and the Tama Line, which branches fromthe Odawara Line at Shin Yurigaoka andruns to Tama New Town, a relatively newhousing project in western Tokyo. TheOdawara Line opened first in 1927,followed by the Enoshima Line in 1929.Except in the area close to Shinjuku, thefirst track was laid through sparselypopulated country areas, but populationdensities rose quickly after the mid-1950swhen large apartment complexes werebuilt for Tokyo commuters. The TamaLine was built as part of a strategy todevelop suburban housing. Thec o m p a n y a l s o e n c o u r a g e d t h eestablishment of universities near its

stations to boost student commuters whofollow the reverse traffic patterns ofcommuting workers, thereby keepingtrains full in both directions (see JRTR 32pp. 42–53).Odakyu has energetically promoted travelto the popular destinations of Hakone andEnoshima at two of its termini. RomanceCar limited expresses with special rollingstock make frequent runs, attractingrevenue through express surcharges.

Changing Commuter Patterns

More long-distance commutingJapan enjoyed good economic growth inthe latter 1980s, leading to furtherexpansion around Greater Tokyo. Newhousing sprang up in suburban areas even50 km from central Tokyo, making one-way commuting for 1 or 2 hours quitecommon.In 1986, the year before Japanese NationalRailways (JNR) was privatized anddivided, it introduced Series 211 EMUsfor long-distance services on the Tokaidomain line as a way to ‘cram in’ morepassengers. Following the interior of carsfor short runs, the new cars had more seatsalong the sidewalls, creating a widercentral corridor and reducing the dwelltime for passengers to get on and off. Ofcourse, the cars offered less seating duringoff-peak times too, prompting complaints.But JNR had decided its most importanttask was to make commuting easier andit ran the new rolling stock at 3-minuteheadways during the morning rush hour,using sets with up to 15 cars. This designhas become standard for commuter trainsand the more-recent JR East’s Series E217and Series E231 EMUs feature four doorsper side instead of three.Longer commuting times led to less-crowded first-class cars because somecommuters were willing to pay an extrasurcharge. In some cases, two first-classcars were coupled to trains on the Tokaido


Railway Operators


main line and Yokosuka Line. However,ridership continued to rise until even first-class had no vacant seats at the mostcongested times. Therefore, in 1990, JREast began manufacturing double-deckercars to increase seating space. Thedouble-decker cars cannot be used forcrowded second-class cars but they arepopular with passengers.JR East also satisf ied demand forcommuter seating by introducing linercommuter trains with fully reservedseating obtained by purchasing a linersurcharge ticket. Liners were introducedin 1984 for some services to Saitama andChiba prefectures, and the Shonan Linerbegan running on the Tokaido main lineto Tokyo Station in 1986. The ShonanShinjuku Liner began direct runs fromKanagawa Prefecture to Shinjuku in 1988,and commuter liners began running onthe Yokosuka Line in 1990.Interestingly, these trains do not stop atYokohama Station. Yokohama and Tokyostations are only about 29 km (under 30minutes) apart, and the liner schedules aredesigned for commuters travelling todestinations beyond Yokohama Station.This has created new commuting patternsand shortened travel times for long-distance runs.Tickets are sold on a first-come-first-servedbasis. However, the liner services are sopopular that it is not uncommon forpeople to line up at the station the nightbefore monthly liner tickets are issued in

order to buy a 1-month supply.JR East’s liners proved so popular thatprivate railways decided to introducesimilar services. Keikyu now operates full-reserved seating trains called Keikyu Wingduring weekday evening rush hours. Theschedule is designed for passengers livingfar from Tokyo so the trains do not evenstop at Yokohama Station. For its part,Odakyu runs some Homeway trains fromS h i n j u k u f o r h o m e w a r d - b o u n dcommuters. The trains run every 30minutes during the evening rush and arevery popular.

Private railways boost carryingcapacityDuring the economic-growth period in the1960s and 1970s, the numbers of workersand students commuting to Tokyo fromnearby suburbs increased greatly. JNRanswered the need for greater capacity byconstructing new lines and quadruplingexisting ones. Although this constructionboosted costs and pushed JNR’s debt toastronomical levels, it also createdvaluable assets for the new JR companiesto profit from after the privatization anddivision of JNR in 1987.Reducing congestion was also a constantchallenge for private railways with limitedfinancial resources, making it almostimpossible to invest in massive trackprojects. In any case, the private railwaycompanies knew that reducing congestionwould not lead to direct increases in

revenues, explaining why they generallylagged well behind JNR’s efforts to reducecongestion. Even now, projects by privaterailways to quadruple lines and elevatetrack are moving ahead only very slowly.Tokyu is taking congestion-reduction stepsby quadrupling part of its Toyoko Line,which suffers from a maximum congestionrate of 185%. Another Tokyu line targetedfor congestion reduction is the MeguroLine (previously called the Mekama Linerunning between Meguro and Kamata).When the line opened in the 1920s, it wasthe first to offer rapid transit services. Theo l d i n f r a s t r u c t u r e c o u l d o n l yaccommodate four-car train sets, seriouslylimiting capacity. The old line connectedwith the Toyoko Line and terminated closeto the city centre at Meguro Station, butthe track could not properly fulfill its keyfunction as a part of the Tokyu network.Therefore, Tokyu launched a two-prongedapproach. First, in order to permit throughservices from the Toyoko Line to theMekama Line, it changed the basicconfiguration of the Mekama Line sectionadjacent to the quadrupled Toyoko Line.Second, to make commuting moreconvenient by permitting through servicesacross the inner city on two north–southsubway lines, it connected its track atMeguro Station to TRTA’s Namboku Lineand TMG’s Mita Line in 2002. New trainson the rebuilt section of the Meguro Lineuse driver-only operation and thecompany has introduced new technology

Tokyu’s limited express train on Toyoko Line (right) and local train on Meguro Line(left) running parallel on quadruple-track section. The Meguro Line started operationto reduce congestion by improving the infrastructure. (S. Tominaga)

JR East’s Series 209 Keihin Tohoku EMU train running near Yokohama. This sectionhas huge passenger capacity with JR East’s Tokaido main line, Yokosuka Line andKeihin Tohoku Line, running parallel to each other. In addition, the Keikyu main lineruns parallel to JR lines, just on the right. (Author)


like platform doors. Tokyu plans to extendthe new technology to other sections andto introduce express services as too. Ahuge sum—rumoured at ¥280 billion(¥100=$0.80)—was needed to finance theconstruction, but the debt has beenlightened by various public assistance,including classification as a metropolitanimprovement plan eligible for municipalsupport.Some local residents have rallied againstthese types of railway improvement.Odakyu was sued for alleged damagesincurred by the company’s decision toboost carrying capacity by quadruplingsome track sections and elevating track.In 2001, the Tokyo District Court ruledthat Odakyu’s permit from the nationalgovernment to construct elevated trackwas illegal. This has stirred up morecontroversy and construction is currentlyin abeyance. Although one section iscompleted, it is not operational andvarious legal issues must be resolvedbefore Odakyu can finish the project.

JR East rebound and competitionwith private railwaysBefore JNR was privatized, its position inthe urban railway sector was obviouslyweaker than that of the private railways.In an effort to deal with huge deficits, itintroduced one large fare increase afteranother, until JNR fares were far higherthan those of the private railways. Butsince the 1987 privatization and division,the private railways have gradually seentheir advantageous position eroded. Theirinvestments in new infrastructure haveforced them to raise fares, while JR Easthas managed to keep fares stable. Today,fares are very similar, and in some casesJR East’s fares are actually lower. Forexample, a Keikyu single ticket for travelbetween Shinagawa and Yokohama costs¥290 while the same journey on JR Eastcosts ¥280. In addition, unlike JR East’spassengers, Keikyu’s passengers musteither transfer at Shinagawa for inner city

destinations, or take the slow throughservice on the Asakusa subway. In thiscase, JR East clearly holds the advantageboth in terms of convenience and price.JR East has improved the timetablerecently. The opening of JR East’s ShonanShinjuku Line in late 2001 contributedgreatly to efforts to make Tokyo’s railnetwork more convenient. Previously, JREast trains from Kanagawa all had thesame destination—Tokyo Station on theeastern side of the inner city. Passengerstherefore had to transfer if their destinationwas a station on the western side, such asShibuya or Shinjuku. This made littlesense, especially since the western sidehas rapidly developed over the last fewyears. The Shonan Shinjuku ‘Line’ haseliminated the need for an inconvenienttransfer. Trains on the Tokaido main lineand Yokosuka Line can now switch totrack leading to Shibuya, Shinjuku andIkebukuro (another major terminal, northof Shinjuku), then on to through servicesusing the Tohoku main line and TakasakiLines in the north. Actually, the projectdid not involve constructing a new line,but simply making it possible to useexisting track. Travel time from Yokohamato Shibuya and Shinjuku with a JR Eastticket has been greatly reduced, giving theprivate railways a strong competitor.Until recently, express trains on Tokyu’sToyoko Line left Yokohama at 15-minuteintervals for Shibuya, taking 31 or 32minutes. A one-way ticket was ¥260.Travel time for a JR East passenger wasabout the same, but a transfer wasrequired and the fare was ¥380. In thiscase, Tokyu held the advantage.However, the new Shonan Shinjuku Linegave JR East the advantage in terms ofspeed. Tokyu rose to the challenge byintroducing limited express services inMarch 2001, reducing the Yokohama–Shibuya travel time to 27 or 28 minutes,about the same as trains on the ShonanShinjuku Line. Tokyu has launched amassive publicity campaign for its new

special express trains, plastering Shibuyaa n d Yo k o h a m a s t a t i o n s w i t hadvertisements and even advertising in JREast trains.Odakyu, too, is threatened, because theShonan Shinjuku Line cuts into what wasits monopoly market between Shinjukuand Fujisawa, and between Shinjuku andOdawara. Odakyu’s response was tointroduce significant schedule changes inMarch 2002, and to reduce travel timeby introducing new services called‘Shonan Express,’ with fewer station stopsbetween Shinjuku and Fujisawa. EachShonan Express train has 10 cars, to ensuremore seating. The Shinjuku–Fujisawatravel time on Odakyu’s Shonan Expressis a little under 1 hour (ticket price: ¥570),while that on JR East’s Shonan ShinjukuLine is about 50 minutes (¥950).Shonan Shinjuku Line services began onlyrecently and a number of negative factorshave become evident, particularlyinfrequent trains (about every 20 minutes)and no morning or evening rush-hourservices. If JR East addresses these issues,i t wil l become an even strongercompetitor. (JR East will start services fromDecember 2002.)

Kanagawa’s LocalSuburban Networks

So far, I have discussed the radial linesfrom Tokyo. Now I will turn to local linesthat have facilitated commuter travel toTokyo from many parts of KanagawaPrefecture.

JR EastJR East’s Nambu, Yokohama and Sagamilines all link the Tokaido main line withthe Chuo Line. All three lines wereconstructed in the early 20th century byprivate companies, mainly to transportfreight. They were nationalized later, andafter the 1970s rapidly gained importanceas commuter lines. JR East took them overwhen JNR was broken up.


Railway Operators


The Yokohama Line is a good exampleshowing how the focus changed fromfreight to commuter transit. The linebegins at Higashi Kanagawa, one stationnorth of Yokohama Station, and stretches42.6 km to Hachioji in western Tokyo. Itwas established as a private railway byinfluential merchants who wanted totransport raw silk, a major export product,to the port of Yokohama. The line openedin 1908 and was nationalized in 1917.The local population has increasedgreatly since the early 1970s. The lineconnects with the Tokaido, Tokyu andOdakyu radial lines, and as developmentspread toward the south along these lines,the Yokohama Line was recognized as aconvenient way to get to them.Improvements begun in the 1980sinclude: newly built stations; throughservices to the Keihin-tohoku Line; andrapid services. Ridership increased, andthe Yokohama Line became one of thefew JNR lines able to make a profit,according to a study done in the last daysof JNR.The Nambu Line (35.5 km) links Kawasakiwith Tachikawa. The track was laid in the1910s, in order to transport limestone tocement factories near the port of

Yokohama. At this time, Japan wasestablishing one heavy industry afteranother. The line was nationalized in 1943,and after the war it again became animportant route for the transport oflimestone. But at the same time it gainedimportance as a commuter line, carryingworkers and students to and from theirhomes near the stations. Freight operationswere dropped in 1998, and today the lineis used exclusively for transit.The Sagami Line runs parallel to theSagami River, and was constructedbetween 1915 and 1931 in order totransport gravel from the river. The linewas nationalized during WWII. Althoughelectrified in 1991, it still has only a singletrack, reflecting its distance from Tokyo.Trains run at intervals of about 15 to 20minutes, so it is not as convenient as otherlines in the region.The Tsurumi Line and part of the NambuLine were constructed in the Yokohama–Kawasaki industrial zone that sprang upafter WWI. The Tsurumi Line wasconstructed by the private sector to satisfyindustrial demands, and was nationalizedduring WWII. Freight trains still use theline, and passenger trains carry workersto nearby factories. Housing density is

not high near the track, so passenger trainfrequencies are very low, except for themorning and evening commutes. At somestations trains stop only once every twohours or so, during daytime hours.

Sagami RailwaySagami Railway track carries trains fromYokohama Station westerly into theinterior of the prefecture. The 24.6-kmtrack from Yokohama to Ebina was laidto transport gravel and was opened insections between 1926 and 1933.Houses began spreading along the trackduring Japan’s postwar economic boomand around that time, the railway wastedno t ime developing serv ices forcommuting workers and students. Theentire line was double-tracked between1951 and 1974. This was followed byconstruction of a branch, the IzuminoLine, to meet growing demand from newhousing developments. This line openedin 1976. The two lines have a total lengthof only 38.1 km, but transport density ishigh and the company enjoys extremelyefficient operations.Another reason for the company’s growthwas its development of the area aroundYokohama Station’s west exit. The stationwas built a few kilometers from thecommercial centre of the time. SagamiRailway decided to develop the entirearea into a commercial district. Afterbuying up the land in 1952, it constructeda department store and undergroundshopping concourse. The increase inpopulation near its stations, and thedevelopment of a commercial centre atits Yokohama Station terminus, providedthe multiplier effect needed to transformthe west exit of Yokohama into the city’scommercial centre in the 1970s. Withthese successes, the company was listedas a major private railway in 1990.However, there are problems ahead. Likemany other urban railways, the companyserves residential districts that are nolonger expanding, and the population

Sagami Railway’s Series 7000 on Izumino Line. The large apartment complex in the background is typical ofTokyo’s bedroom communities. (Author)


near stations is peaking. In today’s Japan,where the birth rate is low and thepopulation is aging, these factors point toa decline in users. Extensions to theIzumino Line were opened in 1990 and1999 on land where there is a potentialfor new housing, but the railway did notpurchase the land so it would gain littleby promoting development. Anotherproblem is that the company was unableto qualify for subsidies for construction ofthe Izumino Line, and it therefore has avery heavy debt load. The second newsection, l inking Izumi Chuo withOdakyu’s Shonandai (3.1 km), opened in1999, and cost the company about ¥45billion to construct. It is said that it wouldtake more than 50 years to pay off the loanwith fare revenue alone.

Yokohama City Transport subwayYokohama’s municipal subway opened in1972, and was later extended in stages.The line (40.4 km) currently stretches fromAzamino on Tokyu’s Den’en Toshi Linein northern Yokohama to YokohamaStation in the south, then via shopping andresidential districts to Shonandai onOdakyu’s Enoshima Line. The subwayconnects with many railway lines, addingto the rail network.M a n y t r a c k s i d e a r e a s w e r eunderdeveloped when the line firstopened, but new homes and retail outletsare being built at a fairly rapid pace. As aresult, ridership is increasing yearly, unlikethe experience of almost all otherrailways. Even so, the subway operatesin the red, and more than 40% of itsexpenses go to pay just the interest on itsmassive construction loans. Financialobligations cannot be met through farerevenues alone, and this realization hasled to calls for restructuring efforts.

Yokohama New Transit(Seaside Line)The Seaside Line uses an automaticguided transit (AGT) system, and was built

to provide key public transportationservices on reclaimed land in southernYokohama. The company is a public–private partnership, 51% financed by thecity of Yokohama and 49% by Keikyu andother local companies. The 10.6-km lineopened in 1989 and stretches from ShinSugita (on JR’s Negishi Line) to Kanazawa-hakkei (on Keikyu).The AGT technology is typical—small carswith rubber tyres running automaticallywithout a driver on a concrete guideway.In many cities, the AGT support structureis built over roadways and paid for by theroad owner as part of road improvements.In this case, Yokohama City built much ofthe guideway.

Shonan MonorailThe 6.6-km Shonan Monorail was builtto demonstrate the qualities of the Safege

(suspended) monorail system and wasfinanced by a group of companiesa f f i l i a t ed w i t h M i t sub i sh i , t h emanufacturer and Keikyu, the land owner.The line runs from Ofuna to ShonanEnoshima, connecting with the Tokaidomain line at Ofuna. It opened in 1970and is now used mainly by residents fromsurrounding suburbs in this part ofKanagawa Prefecture.

Tourism and Railways

Hakone in southwest Kanagawa is acluster of steep mountains that are popularwith tourists for natural beauty and hotsprings. The neighbouring areas of Atamiand the Izu Peninsula in east ShizuokaPrefecture have also been a favouritetourist destination for centuries with many

Railway Lines in Yokohama Area

Azamino

Nagatsuta

YokohamaYokohamaYokohama

SakuragichoSakuragichoSakuragichoKan'naiKan'naiKan'nai

ShinShinYokohamaYokohamaShinYokohama

Tokyo BayTokyo BayTokyo Bay

Kanazawa-hakkeiKanazawa-hakkeiKanazawa-hakkei

Shin SugitaShin SugitaShin Sugita

Totsuka

Kami Ooka

Ofuna

Shonandai

FutamatagawaFutamatagawaFutamatagawaSagami Railway

Sagami Railway

Shonan Monorail

TokaidoShinkansen

OdakyuEnoshimaLine

Negishi LineYokohamaYokohamaNew TransitNew TransitYokohamaNew Transit

Keikyu main line

Tokaido main lineYokosuka LineKeihin Tohoku Line

Tokyu Toyoko Line

Yokohama Line

Tokyu Den'enToshi Line

Tokaido main line andYokosuka Line

Yokosuka Line

Tokaido main line

JR Conventional lines

Shinkansen

Yokohama City Transport subway

Private lines


Railway Operators


Japanese inns, hotels and recreationalspas. Tokyo dwellers have a number ofoptions to get there by rail—JR’s Tokaidomain line, the Tokaido Shinkansen, andthe Odakyu Line.JR East’s Odoriko limited expresses offerthrough services to Izu. They depart fromTokyo and Shinjuku stations, and passthrough Yokohama on the Tokaido mainline. The shinkansen is the fastest servicebut not all trains stop at Atami orOdawara, the closest place where aconnection must be made. Odakyu runsmany Romance Car limited expressesfrom Shinjuku to Hakone Yumoto wherepassengers transfer to the Hakone TozanRailway (described below). Odakyu’sservices are cheaper than JR East’s, whichmay explain their greater popularity. JREast has recently begun selling Odorikodiscount tickets in an attempt to competewith Odakyu.

Hakone Tozan RailwayHakone Tozan Railway is affiliated withOdakyu. The line begins at Odawara, andsoon climbs the slopes of Mt Hakone. Therailway was established long in 1919.Passengers wishing to see the sights onMt Hakone first disembark at Gora, therailway’s terminus and then take a cablecar and finally a ropeway. Hakone TozanRailway also operates both the cable carand the ropeway.The railway track climbs steep mountainslopes. Although only 15-km long, the

line has 12 tunnels, 31 bridges and threeswitchbacks. The minimum track radiusis 30 m and the maximum gradient is asteep 80 per mill. Trains take about 1 hourto make the laborious climb.Odakyu trains from Shinjuku offer throughconnections to Hakone Yumoto in thefoothills of Mt Hakone. Odakyu trainshave a 1067-mm gauge while the gaugeof Hakone Tozan trains is standard gauge(1435 mm). Consequently tracks betweenOdawara and Hakone Yumoto have athird rail to handle both types of rollingstock.

Izukyu CorporationIzukyu is affiliated with Tokyu. Its45.7-km line between Ito and Izukyu-shimoda opened in 1961, making itpossible to travel the full length of the IzuPeninsula by rail. Before then, only JNR’sIto Line ran beyond Ito, which is situatedat the base of the peninsula.Izukyu carriages are designed especiallyfor tourist travel. The company’s Resort21 series has large panoramic windowswith seats oriented to give good views ofthe sea. JR East’s Odoriko limited-expresstrains from Tokyo offer through serviceson the Izukyu tracks.

Izu-Hakone RailwayIzu-Hakone Railway is affiliated withSeibu Railway. Its 9.6-km Daiyuzan Linebegins at Odawara and serves that area,while its 19.8-km Sunzu Line begins at

Mishima in Shizuoka Prefecture on theTokaido main line and runs south toShuzenji on the west side of the IzuPeninsula. The former line is used by localresidents for their everyday needs, whilethe latter caters more to tourists. JR East’sOdoriko limited expresses offer throughservices on this track too.The company also operates busesthroughout the Hakone area, a pleasurecruise ship, and the cable car system. Atone time, it was locked in a bitter strugglewith the Hakone Tozan Rai lwayCompany, which observers called the ‘MtHakone War.’ This was actually a proxywar between Odakyu and Seibu, andreflected the strong desire of thecompanies to maintain a monopoly overtheir own turf. The past extremism hasfaded considerably.

Enoshima Electric RailwaysAnother famous Kanagawa tourist spot isKamakura on Kanagawa’s Pacific coast.Kamakura was the seat of governmentfrom the 12th to the 14th centuries andits ancient sites draw many tourists. TheShonan area around the nearby EnoshimaIsland was once a favourite place forsummer homes and is now a popular spotfor swimming and surfing.Enoshima Electric Railways is affiliatedwith Odakyu. Its 10.0-km line fromKamakura to Fujisawa opened in stagesbetween 1902 and 1910. In those days,Enoshima was a haunt for people escaping

Hakone Tozan Railway’s Series Kumoha 1000 running through one of Japan’s mostpopular tourist spots. There are many sections with 80 per mill, which is the highestgrade that can be handled without using a rack-and-pinion system. (Y. Kato)

The suspended Shonan Monorail (Safege) was constructed as a technologydemonstration by Mitsubishi. (Y. Kato)


the summer heat. Today, tourists comethroughout the year and many have aspecial place in their hearts for thecompany’s ‘Enoden’ trains. The charmingshort line offers a variety of scenery as itwends its way past rustic houses and thenruns close to the shore. Recently, Tokyo’sbedroom communities have even reachedthis far and many local workers andstudents use the trains to commute.

Rail Network in SouthChiba Prefecture

JR EastJR East’s Uchibo and Sotobo lines beginin Chiba City, the prefectural capital, andthen proceed along the coasts on eachside of the Boso Peninsula to encircle it.Sazanami limited expresses leave Tokyofor Tateyama on the Uchibo Line, whileWakashio limited expresses leave Tokyofor Awa-kamogawa on the Sotobo Line.Local trains to Kisarazu (Uchibo Line) andKazusa-ichinomiya (Sotobo Line) offerrelatively frequent services in the northernpart of the peninsula, but few trains runin the south. Some trains join the SobuLine at Chiba Station, pass through Tokyo,and then provide through services to theYokosuka Line.JR East’s 32.2-km Kururi Line, which isoriented generally east–west across partof the peninsula, only carries local traffic.The line branches from the Uchibo Lineat Kisarazu. It is still a single-track

unelectrified line. The other terminus atKazusa-kameyama i s near Awa-kamogawa (a station on the Sotobo Line)but there is little chance that the line willbe extended there.

Kominato Railway andIsumi RailwayThe line operated by Kominato Railwayjoins the line of Isumi Railway at Kazusa-nakano to extend from one side of thepeninsula to the other. The original planscalled for the two lines to cross thepeninsula, intersecting each other partway. Neither plan was realized, andinstead, the track ends were joined tomake one set of tracks. In any case, thereis little demand for a cross-peninsularoute. The two lines are both single track,and are not electrified.Kominato Railway’s line stretches 39.1 kmfrom Goi to Kazusa-nakano. It opened instages in the 1920s. It connects with JREast’s Uchibo Line at Goi, an advantagefor local residents needing to commuteto Chiba for work or study. The companyis funded by Keisei Electric Railway.

Enoshima Electric Railways’ Series 2000 running along shore. Kamakura andEnoshima are famous tourist destinations for Tokyo dwellers; the popular line isnicknamed ‘Enoden’ by many users. (Author)

Isumi Railway’s 26.8-km line betweenOhara and Kazusa-nakano was built bythe government railways in the 1930s.Later, the line’s deficit was so large thatJNR planned to abandon it. Thisprompted local municipalities andcorporations to finance operations andIsumi took it over in 1988. The line doesnot pass through any large communities,and Ohara, where it connects with theSotobo Line, is located too far from Tokyoor Chiba to attract many users. �

Further ReadingTokyo-ken no tetsudomo seibi (Improvement of

Railway Networks in Metropolitan Tokyo), The

Railway Pictorial, No. 683, Denkisha Kenkyukai,

2000.

Shuto-ken tsukin-densha no genjo (The Situation of

Commuter Trains in Metropolitan Tokyo), Railway

Journal, No. 425, Railway Journal Publications , 2000.

M. Noda, Kanagawa no Tetsudo 1872–1996 (Railways

in Kanagawa 1872–1996), Nihon Keizai Hyoron-sha,

1996.

Kominato Railways’ Series 200 (left) and Isumi Railway’s Series 200 standing side-by-side at Kazusa-nakano Station. The two operators suffer poor profitability due tolow passenger numbers. (Author)

Shuichi Takashima

Mr Takashima is a doctoral student in economic history at the University of Tokyo from where he

graduated in Japanese history in 1999. He is researching modern city formation and transport, with

special interest in the development of railways.

railway operators in japan 7 southern kanto regionoverview of region tokyo bay stretches south from...

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