Congestion on Japan commuter trains eases after antivirus steps

March 6, 2020

Tokyo--Congestion on urban center trains during commuting hours has eased, with fewer train delays seen, after measures taken to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

The changes may reflect temporary school closures and companies promoting telework and staggered commuting.

According to Nagoya's Transportation Bureau, the number of passengers on municipal subways in the central Japan city on March 3 dropped by 20 to 30 pct from about a month before. The number of students on the subways decreased by 60 pct.

"In the mornings, it is not as crowded as before. This is chiefly due to effects from temporary school closures, but maybe also from staggered commuting by corporate workers," a bureau official said.

In early February, trains were often delayed several minutes due to congestion from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., but there are hardly any delays lately, according to the bureau.

The total number of passengers on East Japan Railway Co.'s <9020> Yamanote Line in Tokyo during morning rush hours for four days from Feb. 25 fell by 10 to 20 pct from year-before levels.

An official of West Japan Railway Co. <9021> said, "We can feel that the number of people using trains during morning rush hours has decreased in the areas of Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe."

There have been fewer delays in March than in February on subway lines operated by Tokyo Metro Co., including Chiyoda Line, which had the highest number of delays among 45 lines in Tokyo and neighboring prefectures in fiscal 2018.

According to a survey by the transportation ministry covering railway operators in Tokyo and neighboring prefectures, among causes of delays of less than 10 minutes, time for passengers to get on or off or for reopening doors accounted for 54 pct of the total.

Tokyo Metro, however, said it is unclear how much impact staggered commuting and telework have had on the drop in delays, as many corporate workers set to retire usually take vacations in March, at the end of fiscal years.

Still, "maybe measures such as staggered commuting can be used as a way to prevent train delays," a ministry official said. Jiji Press