World-Class Japanese Railways 竭: How Is ‘Delay’ Defined in Japan vs. Abroad?
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I plan to write a series about “Japanese railways that we can be proud of.” I have loved trains for over thirty years, and through these articles, I hope to help the public gain a deeper understanding of rail travel. Rather than writing as a mere ‘train enthusiast,’ I feel my stance is closer to that of someone involved in the railway industry (I’ll elaborate on this in another post…). Please read with an open mind!
For today’s theme, we are talking about “Japanese railways that we can be proud of.” Instead of diving into overly niche or technical details, I want to start by lightly discussing ‘railways,’ which are so integrated into our daily lives that they often seem like a given.
In July 1963 (Showa 38), Japan opened its first expressway, the “Meishin Expressway.” At this time窶蚤 year before the Tokyo Olympics窶寧apan was still developing, just beginning its climb toward becoming the world’s second-largest economy. Back then, private cars were not yet widespread, and rail transport accounted for an overwhelming share of passenger travel! However, as private car ownership increased, the railway’s market share continued to decline, hovering around 30% over the last three decades… You might think that railways have declined… but in reality, passenger numbers continue to rise steadily, and our market share remains stable. With that in mind, I would like to introduce how amazing Japanese railways are when compared to those overseas.
The Concept of ‘Delay’
If you hear a station announcement saying “5 minutes late,” how do you feel? Some people might think, “I can wait slowly for something that little.” Others might get irritated, thinking, “It’s delayed by 5 minutes!” If it were 10 minutes, wouldn’t many people start to worry? But most trains arrive and depart right on time, according to the schedule.
However, the TGV (the French equivalent of the Shinkansen), which France is proud of worldwide, only officially counts a delay if it’s “more than 15 minutes.” This means that the previous ‘5 minutes’ or ’10 minutes’ are not considered delays at all. So, what about Japan’s Shinkansen? The timetables you see are precise to the minute, like “12:14.” But don’t be surprised; the drivers operate based on schedules measured in “seconds.” Depending on the railway company, some even use timings down to “10-second intervals,” such as “12:14:15.” If it reads “12:14:30,” that is considered a delay. It really shows the effort of the drivers. I feel like I couldn’t do that…
Japanese railways first opened in 1872, imported from Britain, where the railway was invented. After about 150 years of continuous evolution, Japanese railways have elevated their ‘operation system,’ supporting both people’s lives and the nation’s development. Even in developed European countries, maintaining punctuality comparable to Japan seems impossible; delays of several hours or even service suspensions are common. Perhaps Japanese people are just too meticulous? However, this very ability to operate with such strict “punctuality” might be one reason why railways have been able to maintain their market share in Japan.
This time, we discussed the amazing aspects of Japanese railways from the perspective of ‘delay.’ Next time, I would like to talk about it from the angles of “passenger volume” and “railway business.”
See you next time!
