Press Releases(Archive)
FY2012 - FY2003

Efforts Aimed at Alleviating Transportation Problems in Greater

East Japan Railway Company

July 04, 2006

A project examining measures to prevent transportation problems in Greater Tokyo was established on May 12th to combat a series of problems that resulted in the drastic interruption of transportation services in the Tokyo metropolitan area and inconvenienced a large numbers of passengers. In addition to examining the causes of interrupted services, this project also approached the issue from various angles in order to strengthen all ground facilities and rolling stock, establish systems to restore services as swiftly as possible and improve the restored service functions, and upgrade information distribution methods.
The results of these investigations, which continued for approximately 45 days, has led to the establishment of the following measures. We intend to continue our investigations into methods of preventing service interruptions in order to drastically reduce the number of service interruptions that occur in the Greater Tokyo area.

  1. Measures for Swift Implementation

    The measures established to implement and commence recovery work during fiscal 2006 are listed below and come under the heading of Swift Implementation. (Scale of Investment: Approximately ¥7 billion)

    (1) Reinforcement of Response Systems to Facility and Rolling Stock Malfunctions
    In addition to reviewing the current layout and system of recovery sites to respond to facility and rolling stock malfunctions as swiftly as possible, our ability to respond to emergencies has been strengthened through the implementation of various measures, including future increases in the number of electric rescue vehicles fully fitted with the equipment required to implement emergency recovery repairs to electrical systems.

    (2) Reducing the Amount of Time Required to Identify the Location of Problems
    The equipment required to swiftly identify the location of problems when malfunctions occur in the track circuit will be increased and distributed accordingly. In addition, a rolling stock break-down communication system that enables the Rolling Stock Center and other locations to monitor problems with trains in real-time will be installed on the Shonan-Shinjuku Line in addition to the Yamanote Line, on which it is already installed.

    (3) Speedier Arrangement of Transportation in the Event of Service Interruptions
    We are proceeding with measures to increase the number of training facilities for dispatchers and station staff with regard to ATOS (Autonomous Decentralized Transport Operation Control System), and with measures to increase the number of terminals that enable amendments to be made smoothly to commands that have been issued during service interruptions.

    (4) Increases in the Number of Parts Available for Rolling Stock
    We will increase the number of spare parts that have a direct effect on transportation services during malfunctions in order to speed up recovery work.

    (5) Reinforcement of Information Distribution for Passengers
    We will install emergency information displays near the ticket gates to all metropolitan terminal stations for the purpose of providing easy-to-understand information in diagram format, instead of the text formats that have been used to date. Details on substitute transportation services will also be provided on these displays.
    We will also upgrade and increase the number of broadcasting facilities available in stations and set up a system in which passengers can be directly informed of interruptions via broadcasts at each station, as well as reinforce the maintenance inspections of all train broadcasting facilities.

    (6) Issuance of Service Delay Certificates via the Internet
    We will establish a system in which it will be possible to issue certification providing evidence of service delays, which is presently handed out at stations, from our homepage.

  2. Measures for Future Consideration

    We intend to continue examining the following issues in the future to establish effective measures for reducing the number of metropolitan service interruptions even further.

    • Reinforcement of condition monitoring functions in order to locate ground facility malfunctions as swiftly as possible.
    • Replacement of aging rolling stock.
    • Upgrading and establishing back-ups for equipment required to prevent malfunctions.
    • Establishment of shuttle service facilities to guarantee services with predetermined degrees of frequency within major sectors.
  3. Measures Targeted for Continued Implementation

    We intend to continue implementing the following previously established measures for the purpose of alleviating transportation problems in Greater Tokyo. (Scale of Investment: Approximately ¥160 billion)

    (1) Improvements to Create Facilities that do not Malfunction
    We have installed a next-generation turnout system that does not easily malfunction. We have also initiated other improvements and increased the number of places at which they are installed.
    In addition to strengthening our switches and track circuit system, we are also continuing to expand the measures implemented to prevent safety devices from malfunctioning, such as measures to prevent service interruptions caused by lightning.
    Measures that have previously been implemented on the Chuo Line to simplify and integrate the control facilities for signaling systems, such as concentrating and integrating this function into a control center with a favorable environment, will now be expanded to cover the Shonan-Shinjuku Line.

    (2) Replacing Rolling Stock with ones that do not Malfunction
    Rolling stock (Series E233) that is equipped with back-up systems for all major equipment will be introduced on the Chuo Line, Ome Line and Itsukaichi Line to enable services to continue even if the master system breaks down.

    (3) Strengthening Operation Control Systems
    In addition to installing ATOS (Autonomous Decentralized Transport Operation Control System) on the Musashino Line and Yokosuka Line (Ofuna to Kurihama), we are devising methods to strengthen our operation control systems by digitalizing radio communications with trains on our conventional lines.

Back