Domestic travelers dropped during Japan's Bon summer holidays thanks to typhoon
People who traveled in Japan by rail, air and road decreased from a year earlier during the Bon summer holidays due to a heavy storm. The six passenger service companies of the Japan Railways Group said 13.56 million people used bullet and other express trains ...
Can Tokyo's efficient rail system handle Olympic strain?
First, fans planning to attend the Tokyo Olympics will have to find scarce tickets and pay the price. Then there's the quandary of landing a hotel room with rates that are being inflated due to unprecedented demand. And the summer heat and humidity will ...
Stations, airports, expressways congested as travelers leave for summer vacations
With thousands of people heading off for their summer vacations on Saturday, many places, such as railway stations, expressways and airports, were crowded with travelers. The annual Bon holiday season began the same day. Many shinkansen bullet trains reached over 100 percent occupancy in unreserved carriages, ...
Shizuoka throws wrench in the works of Tokyo-Nagoya maglev shinkansen route
The current plan for the Tokyo-Nagoya maglev route, currently under construction, calls for Central Japan Railway Co. to begin operations by around 2027. The route will slash a trip between Nagoya and Shinagawa, which takes about 90 minutes on the fastest bullet trains today, ...
Hitachi to build 165 train cars for British railway operator Abellio U.K.
Hitachi Ltd. said Wednesday it has reached a deal with British railway operator Abellio U.K. to build 165 train cars for £400 million (¥52.8 billion). Abellio U.K. plans to introduce a new fleet of trains made by Hitachi on the Midland Main Line in England, ...
Train disruptions in Hong Kong show how protests are affecting daily life
Fresh train disruptions by Hong Kong protesters Tuesday show how unrest once confined to weekend marches through downtown streets is spreading across the Asian financial hub and affecting daily life. Train services were slowed on the centrally located Island Line and the Kwun Tong Line ...
Malaysia resumes China-backed rail project after bargaining the price down to $10 billion
Malaysia on Thursday restarted a $10 billion, China-backed rail project that is part of Beijing's global infrastructure drive following its suspension last year when a corruption-plagued government was ejected from power. The 640-kilometer (400-mile) line will link northeast Malaysia, near the Thai border, to the ...
Fried slug blamed by JR Kyushu for railway chaos in southern Japan
A slug has been blamed for a power outage that halted dozens of trains and delayed 12,000 passengers in the Kyushu region, operator Kyushu Railway Co. (JR Kyushu) has said. Power failed on a couple of lines serving the area operated by JR Kyushu on ...
A year after stabbing, Japan's shinkansen wrestle with balance between safety and convenience
A year after a knife attack on a bullet train left one passenger dead and two wounded, authorities and railways are trying to take steps — especially visible ones — to prevent similar crimes. Experts are calling to start baggage inspections at train stations, though ...
Japan's labor crunch provides opportunities for more women to take the wheel
From moving companies to taxi and train operators, Japanese firms have been recruiting more female drivers amid a serious labor shortage that is hitting the service sector particularly hard. But taking steps to support female drivers has become a critical challenge for companies, as many ...
No injuries reported after Yokohama Municipal Subway train derails
A Yokohama Municipal Subway Blue Line train departing Shimoiida Station derailed early Thursday morning with about 130 people on board. No injuries were reported. The first train of the day went off the tracks at about 5:25 in the morning shortly after departing Shimoiida Station ...
East Japan Railway Co., or JR East, has announced a plan to test new electric-powered trains using hydrogen fuel cells from fiscal 2021. The railway operator will spend about ¥4 billion on the development of a two-car setup and test runs, aiming to commercialize such ...
