Tribunnews.com Correspondent Report, Richard Susilo from Japan
TRIBUNNEWS.COM, TOKYO – JR companies (both East and West) revised the train travel schedule on Saturday, March 12, 2022, to reflect the decline in passengers due to the impact of the Corona pandemic.
Some train stations began to be unmanned (unmanned).
JR East reduces the number of trains on weekdays and holidays. On weekdays, 25 trains on the Shinkansen, 15 trains on limited express trains, and 199 trains on high-speed and regular trains across areas such as the Tokyo and Tohoku metropolitan areas. The number of trips is reduced 239. The largest reduction in the number of trips so far,” said the source Tribunnews.comFriday (11/3/2022).
Of these, during the morning commute, 16 lines in the Tokyo metropolitan area, such as the Yamanote Line, were reduced from 1 to 4 lines per hour.
In addition, on weekdays, JR West also reduced the number of trips by 213 trips, including 5 on the Shinkansen, 2 on the limited express, and 206 on the high-speed and regular trains.
JR East and West Japan are said to have experienced the biggest travel reductions since the company was founded in 1987, 35 years ago.
“The behavior of our customers has changed significantly under the impact of the coronavirus and we have established an efficient and flexible schedule. We want to respond more flexibly to changing situations,” he said.
Yuji Fukasawa, President of JR East.
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The backdrop for JR East and West Japan’s large-scale travel reductions are “changes in work style” such as the spread of teleworking due to the coronavirus pandemic.
One of the proofs is the decline in commuter ticket sales revenue.
