National May 22, 2019
Yamanashi governor looks to draw up Mount Fuji railway plan in two years
The governor of Yamanashi Prefecture said Wednesday he will have a railway plan drawn up within two years to connect the bottom and the fifth station of Mount Fuji, the nation's highest mountain. Gov. Kotaro Nagasaki, who was elected in January, said he will set ...
National Mar 15, 2019
Tokyo's biggest train and subway lines to extend operating hours during 2020 Games
The biggest train and subway lines in and around Tokyo will adopt extended operating hours for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, games organizers said Friday. For each day during the games, the major lines, including the Yamanote Line that encircles central Tokyo, will run past 2 ...
Business Nov 28, 2018
Huge maglev shinkansen emergency exit shaft unveiled in Tokyo
Central Japan Railway Co. unveiled a massive emergency exit to the media Wednesday in Tokyo as part of its maglev ultrahigh-speed train line, currently under construction. The exit, located in Tokyo's Shinagawa Ward, will be used for air ventilation and evacuating passengers in emergency situations. JR ...
National Nov 19, 2018
Probe launched as electric wheelchair accidents surge at rail crossings nationwide
Following a surge in the number of fatal accidents involving electric wheelchairs getting stuck at rail crossings, the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NITE) has started an investigation. The move came as the death toll from such rail crossing accidents has reached five so ...
Business Nov 8, 2018
Japan loans Philippines ¥38 billion for Manila railway repairs
Japan and the Philippines signed an agreement Wednesday for up to ¥38 billion ($336 million) in assistance from Tokyo to rehabilitate a mass transit railway in Manila that has fallen into a state of disrepair. Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin and Japanese Ambassador Koji Haneda ...
National Oct 6, 2018
Keisei Electric Railway resumes services after lines halted by fires linked to typhoon-borne salt
Keisei Electric Railway Co. said Saturday it had fully resumed services in the Tokyo metropolitan area after a suspension of over 10 hours the previous day due to an outage believed to have been caused by typhoon-borne salt. Several power cables caught fire, possibly because ...
National Oct 1, 2018
Three reported dead and around 200 hurt as Typhoon Trami hammers Japan
Three people were killed and about 200 were injured by powerful Typhoon Trami, which battered Japan over the weekend, officials said Monday, as the storm's aftermath brought travel chaos to morning commuters in the capital. A 50-year-old truck driver was killed during the storm by ...
Business Sep 3, 2018
Malaysia, Singapore agree to postpone rail project for two years: report
Malaysia has agreed with Singapore to postpone the development of a high-speed rail service by two years, Malaysian media reported, as Southeast Asia's third-largest economy looks to review mega-projects to cut its massive debt. Malaysian business weekly The Edge on Saturday cited sources confirming both ...
Business / Corporate Aug 4, 2018
Struggling railway in Chiba launches 'foul-tasting' snack to boost revenue
A small railway in Choshi, Chiba Prefecture, has turned to a stick-shaped snack with a funny name in an attempt to boost its business, which has been battered by a decline in ridership. Choshi Electric Railway Co., which runs a 6.4-km line in the city, ...
Business / Corporate Jul 27, 2018
Tokyo to offer JR Hokkaido ¥40 billion while ordering the railway operator to improve management
The government will order struggling Hokkaido Railway Co. (JR Hokkaido) to improve its management, while also offering ¥40 billion in financial aid to the firm over two years through March 2021, transport minister Keiichi Ishii said Friday. The railway operator has been mired in a ...
National Jul 27, 2018
Calls for multilingual alert systems grow in Japan as visitors crowd mass transport
As the continuing tourism boom packs public transportation systems nationwide, developing multilingual emergency alerts is becoming a top priority. In public transport emergencies, there are often no emergency announcements in English or other languages, leaving both foreign passengers and the Japanese staff in charge of ...