Voices | FOREIGN AGENDA May 12, 2019
The crush is coming: Make peace with the train
by Christopher Kunody
One false move on the Tokyo transit system can lead to a nasty lesson in survival of the slickest.
World Feb 27, 2019
A hurtling train crashed, derailed and caught fire at Cairo's main station on Wednesday, killing at least 20 people in the latest disaster to strike Egypt's rundown railways. The country's transportation minister resigned hours after the accident. A train engine appeared to have slammed into the ...
World Jan 15, 2019
Czech court jails man who staged train attacks to stoke resistance to Muslim immigrants
A Czech court has jailed a 71-year-old man for causing two passenger trains to derail in 2017 and attempting to blame Muslim immigrants, local media reported on Monday. The Central Bohemian court sentenced Jaromir Balda to four years in jail and ordered him to undergo ...
National Nov 6, 2018
Japanese manufacturer Nippon Sharyo to fix problem blamed in deadly train crash in Taiwan
Taiwan's rail authority said Monday that the Japanese manufacturer of a train that derailed two weeks ago, killing 18 people, has agreed to fix a problem that is at least partially blamed for the crash. The Taiwan Railways Administration said in a statement that since ...
National Sep 5, 2018
Preparedness helped JR West keep passengers safe amid raging Typhoon Jebi
by Magdalena Osumi
As powerful Typhoon Jebi approached western Japan, railway operators in the Kansai area acted quickly to inform customers they would halt services in the hope of ensuring safety.
National Jul 2, 2018
60% of Japanese commuters kept going to their workplace after June Osaka quake, survey shows
An expert says that during a crisis it would be better to turn around and go back home.
National Nov 29, 2017
Tokyo train departs with visually impaired man's guide cane caught between doors
A white guide cane of a visually impaired man walking on a station platform was caught between the doors of a departing train in Tokyo earlier this month and remained unnoticed until it arrived at the next station, officials of railway operator Tokyu Corp. ...
National Oct 3, 2017
A 31-year-old male driver briefly fell asleep at the controls of a commuter train traveling at 120 kilometers per hour (75 mph) in the Tokyo metropolitan area in September, the railway operator said Tuesday. Keikyu Corp. said the case came to light after a female ...
National Sep 25, 2017
Tokyu unveils new tram with beckoning cat livery to mark 110th anniversary of Tamagawa Line
by Daisuke Kikuchi
Tokyu Corp. on Monday unveiled a new tram painted with manekineko (beckoning cat) livery to commemorate the 110th anniversary of the Tamagawa Line and promote use of the Setagaya Line to tourists. Upon its completion in March 1907, the Tamagawa Line connected Dogenzakaue and Sangenjaya ...
National Jul 6, 2017
Tokyo plans new effort to ease commuter hell on rush-hour trains
by Daisuke Kikuchi
Riding packed commuter trains pressed against strangers may be one of the worst parts of living in Tokyo, made worse by groping and long delays from people who commit suicide by jumping onto the tracks. Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike has declared that the Tokyo Metropolitan ...
National / Social Issues May 28, 2017
Scrapping of Hiroshima's Sanko Line highlights transport ills in shrinking Japan
It was just after the Sanko Line marked its 40th anniversary when West Japan Railway Co. informed Kazutoshi Masuda, mayor of Miyoshi, Hiroshima Prefecture, that it would seek a more "sustainable" public transportation system. "I knew it meant that the Sanko Line would be scrapped," ...
National Feb 23, 2017
Hokkaido's latest freight train derailment disrupts commuter service between Sapporo, Hakodate
Another freight train derailment in Hokkaido early Thursday disrupted commuter runs between Sapporo and Hakodate, Japan Freight Railway Co. said. The driver found that one of his two locomotives had derailed between Toya and Usu stations on the JR Muroran Main Line around 4 a.m. ...