The Largest Rail System In the World | Tokyo’s Urban Railways Explained
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- Опубликовано: 16 сен 2024
- Months in the making, today's video is one I'm truly proud of - Learn all about the Tokyo urban rail network in just about 20 minutes!
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Ever wondered why your city's transit just doesn't seem quite up to snuff? RMTransit is here to answer that, and help you open your eyes to all of the different public transportation systems around the world!
Reece Martin (the RM in RMTransit) is an urbanist and public transport critic residing in Toronto, Canada, with the goal of helping the world become more connected through metros, trams, buses, high-speed trains, and all other transport modes.
I was in Japan and I had to transfer from an express train to a local train. My app said I had 1 minute to make the transfer. The app also said I arrived at track 2, but the new train leaves from track 4. I was like, how can I make the transfer in one minute? Normally I have to get off the train, leave track level, go to the new track and go back up to track level. To my surprise, when I arrived, they parked a waiting train on track 3 with all the doors open, creating a "train bridge" between tracks 2 and 4. Suffice it to say, I made my transfer.
What app did you use??
Now that's creative efficiency lol
Hanshin Railway
Amagasaki？
@@Aikawashawasha yes
The largest and the greatest Rail system in the world. No other country moves as many people as efficiently while maintaining spotlessly clean stations and trains and a near perfect on time performance. Last week at the Japan Fest in Canada, my friends at the JR Central booth were impressed by how many Canadians reacted in amazement to the speed and on time performance of the Shinkansen alone - in Japan, such things are considered normal.
Thanks for posting this Reece.
An intercity train in Japan is very different to where I live in the UK. Although the UK has higher operating speeds on mainlines (we're talking standard rail) where trains go up to 160km/h compared to Japan's 130km/h, Japan seems to have a much better organsied system with tiered operations (Local, Rapid, Limited Express etc) and very little delays so a trip of a similar distance feels shorter in Japan because the experience is more smooth and reliable.
@@winkiipinkii true, but looking at The UKs rail system from where I live in Canada, it’s pretty accessible for the most part and the improvements happening in the UK over the last decade (Station and line upgrades as well as new trains seem to be really improving the system
@@japanesetrainandtravel6168 That's somewhat true (most of the new trains have the infamous 'ironing board' seating and new stations still don't have step-free boarding) and I hope VIA Rail's new Siemens stock helps things out over there but these upgrades won't help issues like scheduling which (although not as bad as North America) are an inconvenience nonetheless and strikes which have been a big issue for British railways but don't seem to plague Japan as much (however Japanese culture does seem to be a big reason why, not always a good thing).
@@winkiipinkii the Siemens sets are our pride at the moment and the best thing to happen to Via Rail. They will definitely be an improvement over the Windsor - Quebec City Corridor and with the Ontario Line, Eglinton Crosstown and GO Transit upgrades, we will see many improvements helping to ease congestion.
@@japanesetrainandtravel6168 Meanwhile, my local operator Southwestern Railway are currently suffering from fleet issues as our new Bombardier Aventra Class 701s keep breaking down and failing testing, not even full service, while they retire the 30ish year old Class 456s and 5 year old Class 707s (yes these dimwits trusted so much in the Aventras that they retired perfectly adequate commuter trains)
Man I can't express how helpful the Yamanote Line has been for me to get around the city and meet friends and relatives, truly one of the most useful lines in the world.
Definitely! Will be really neat when ATO kicks in on the Yamanote line
It connects to so many incredible neighborhoods and areas, it's amazing!
In the early 2000’s I worked in Japan. My company said that going for a ride on the Yamamoto line is a good way to see Tokyo. They also said that do not get off at same station you gon on at, as the ticketing system could not handle it.
The Yamanote line is legendary… after my second trip in Japan I bought a piggy bank shaped as one car of the Yamanote 🤣🤣
yep the Loop line route of the Yamanote is awesome
よくここまで調べあげたな…
日本人でもここまで分かりやすくまとめてくれる人はいないし、本当にこの投稿者さん凄いわ
そ れ な
ほんとにそれ
しかも20分という短さ！
I live in NYC, and I’ve visited Tokyo a few times. Anytime NYC [MTA] says they can’t do something I always say, they do it in Tokyo… no excuse. Tokyo, rail is one of the most efficient transportation systems I've ever experienced, and for the most part very punctual.
Yeah most part of the railway services are very punctual unless a emergency or accident like suicide happens to. It’s because Japanese (school and company) are so strict to be late for it.
To be fair, JR's finances aren't administrated by Albany.
I work in Japan and on times that there is a delay on any train line you can get a ticket from any station on the affected line that can be accepted by all work places as why you are late for work. It’s one of the best things I have ever experienced 😂
Reminder that the average IQ in Japan is between 105 and 110.
Consider yourself lucky. All Japanese buses and trains shut down at 1 am, meaning it's completely useless to rely on. NYC however runs 24 hours and I can always rely on it
私は日本人ですが、この動画は非常に良く作られています。これだけの情報を22分間でまとめるのは、日本人が日本語で説明するよりも難しいでしょう。それを英語で…まず、この量の情報を英語のサイトから見つけられるかどうかが疑わしいです。そして、仮にこの動画に出てくる全ての情報を見つけられたとしても、その過程にはかなりの無駄な情報が含まれることでしょう。日本人から見ても、各会社、各路線の最も必要な知識に絞って説明されています。一体どのようにして調べ上げたのか。素晴らしいの一言です。
ありがとう！
7:39 "less frequent headways of 5-or-so minutes" bloody hell, that's so impressive.
As someone who lives in Vancouver, that doesnt sound too surprising until you consider the capacity of each train
@@jmstransit And the fact that there are often 2 or more of such lines running in parallel.
Tokyo and Chiba are connected by the Chuo-Sobu Line, the Sobu Rapid Line, the Keiyo Line, and also the private Keisei Main Line. The Chuo-Sobu and Sobu Rapid lines are right next to each other, while the Keiyo Line is two kilometers to the southwest and the Keisei Main Line has some stretches right next to the Sobu lines and some stretches running in a different alignment.
All are double-tracked and have headways of five minutes or better.
Between Tokyo and Yokohama, you have the Tokaido Line, Keihin-Tohoku Line, Yokosuka Line, Keikyu Main Line, Tokyu Toyoko Line, and the Tokaido Shinkansen. On top of that, there's the Shonan-Shinjuku "Line", although that's a separate service that uses the same tracks as the Yokosuka line. And if you're heading to the west of Yokohama, you can use the Saikyo-Sotetsu through operation trains, which use entirely different tracks that used to be for freight trains only.
Yeah there's all these sorts of "rail highways" that have ridiculous ridership, compared to i dont know, 100 lanes of freeway traffic
Tokyo has a lot of frequency! The most frequent trains come more than 2 times as often!
I worked in Tokyo for years. Most stations on most lines during rush hour get a train showing up every 2 minutes - some of the subway lines and Yamanote even shorter. The Musashino-line gets less frequent trains as described here. I remember riding it once in the middle of the day and was frustrated that I just missed the train and the next one wouldn't come for another 15 minutes. I'd never seen such a long gap between trains (inside the city it's more usual to see trains every 6 minutes or so during non-peak hours).
Other than Shinkansen or reserved seating trains, people in Tokyo don't really plan much for when they go to the station. They just show up at the station, check the board for local, commuter, rapid, limited express and pick the train for the desired destination. Any one of those will arrive within 10 minutes or so.
Japan has THE BEST railway system in the world. Always on time, super clean, high tech, stations with a lot of amenities and more!
china disagrees
@@rodolfo7077 中国も凄いと思いますよ
I've lived in Japan for 21 years and have never needed to own a car. Vacations are vacations where you spend a lot of money, so that is to be expected. A car can take you to many places that trains cannot, but the cost of a car in Japan is very high. First, before you buy a car, you must show proof you have a parking space. In my condo a space will cost $300/mo. approximately here in Tokyo.
Subways in Tokyo are super clean. The trains, not so much. Not sure why. In the trains I've seen hairballs rolling through the cars that I never see on subways.
The real key is to get out of Tokyo and explore the rural areas. I've had some great times in Izu and Yamanashi (wine region of Japan). Also went to Osaka by Shinkansen (bullet train) which was around $130 / person and went to Universal Studios. Stayed for a day and half in the MIDDLE OF THE WEEK and had a great going on all major rides 2 or 3 times. Was so well worth it. Never need to go back again.
@@rodolfo7077 Honestly, China's railway system is really damn good. It's always really clean, reliable, and safe. The only thing that kills my mood sometimes are the security checks.
@@rodolfo7077China is developing reasonably well, but it's not as good as Japan.
This is honestly the video summarising all rail transit in Tokyo I've been waiting for. People so often overlook the private operators or smaller people movers/monorails that are essential in really understanding how the network operates. Great video!
Thanks for watching, the goal has always been to bring everything into one video like this!
Yeah, that was... comprehensive. All it needed was an accompanying quiz...
Private operators and buses yes but people movers/monorails/trams aren't really essential in Tokyo, because you can just get the regular trains and walk. Little people mover lines are nevertheless technologically interesting but not highly relevant unless you will be visiting locations in specific fringe areas like Odaiba so that's why they are often glossed over.
@@cv990a4 probably I would flunk the quiz, all left in my mind after watching the video is wow wow wow this is incredible how have they built it 😂😂😂
@@cv990a4 There are actually many apps, most also in English like Hyperdia (run by Hitachi which designed most of the system) which will tell you the most efficient time and travel. Do you really need to know that from Marunouchi to whatever station is your connection? No. The apps will usually tell you 5 different routes or times to your destination. But yes, try to avoid using the train during rush hour, as like any other place, it's extremely crowded then.
I once on the Chuo Line spent the trip protecting a pregnant woman with a small child from being crushed by the crowded train. (She was against a wall and I using my arms kept her from the onslaught of passengers. Being Japanese, she thanked me repeatedly).
A major reason why we got the Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line was to essentially solve the issue of woefully overcrowded trains going from Saitama Prefecture to central Tokyo (by connecting to Tobu and Seibu lines) and between Tokyo and Yokohama. The south end of the Fukutoshin Line become the Tokyu Toyoko Line in Shibuya, creating a very convenient way to connect to central Yokohama itself.
By the way, you forgot to mention another regional rail company in your video: the Sagami Railway, better known at Sotetsu. Originally designed to serve communities west of Yokohama, in the last few years Sotetsu now runs a through train service on JR East Lines so Sotetsu trains can run to Shinjuku; they also plan to open in 2023 a link to the Tokyu rail network so Sotetsu trains can access other parts of central Tokyo.
非常にお詳しい...素晴らしいです。
こんな事日本人でも知らない！
あなたのリサーチ力には驚くばかりです。
When Sotetsu line is connected to Tokyu lines, a very big train network will be completed. It includes Sotetsu main line, Izumino line, Tokyu Meguro line, Toyoko line, Minatomirai line, Metro Fukutoshin line, Seibu Ikebukuro line, Tobu Tojyo line, JR Saikyo line, Kawagoe line, Shonan-Shinjuku line and Rinkai line. I believe this will be a very complicated and interesting system.
Besides, there are not only Tokyo-urban-trains, there also local lines each city like Yokohama subways, or Shinkeisei lines.
@@party_parrot_ This is where a Suica or Pasmo pass becomes REALLY useful.
I really love the black Sotetsu trains
Japan is literally the ultimate railfan and transit lover’s destination. Japan is literally in the top 3 places I wanna visit, along with Germany and the Netherlands, not just because I’m a railfan and transit lover, but I also think Japanese culture is one of the most fascinating cultures in the world with an unbelievable amount of history. I mean Tokyo’s rail system literally looks so confusing but it’s actually one of the most straightforward rail systems in the world. I mean the Japanese rail system literally gives all of the rail systems in the world a run for their money. It’s a system so complex yet so simple that I just have to experience
If you search for "railway museum japan", you will find a fun place.
What motivates you to visit Germany?
@@kreiseltower my ancestors are from there and it looks like a beautiful country to visit. I really wanna travel the world in general
@@BrennanZeigler As long as you don't put much hope in a functioning train service (that the train is on time or even happens to drive at all) you'll be fine ☺
@@kreiseltower yeah, I’ve heard trains in Germany can be kind of weird. I’ve heard they’re better than they are in the US but in terms of European standards they’re not all that good. Almost on par with Britain. But I’ve heard the trains in Switzerland and the Netherlands are really good
As a Tokyo resident, I don’t look at the Yamanote line as a subway, but if you think about it, it’s completely a subway/rapid transit in North American standards.
This video was truly brilliant. The fact that you successfully managed to explain the entire massive railway network for the Tokyo Metropolitan Area (and with notable connections to connected metro areas that form the giant megalopolis around Tokyo) is a masterful example of deciding what inf ormation is most important and which is not necessary to explain. The Tokyo railway through-running system is an idea that needs to be implemented where possible in cities throughout the world. In a climate-friendly future where rail construction becomes massively accelerated around the world, I truly hope that metropolitan areas outside of Japan consider creating a similar system, albeit at smaller scale. It is videos like this that are the reason I watch nearly every video you release. Keep up the fantastic work of showing the world what make certain rail systems unique and what we should emulate elsewhere.
Thanks so much for the really nice comment, it means a lot! I wanted to pack in everything to give context, more detail in subsequent videos!
Absolutely love the Tokyo metro system. Moving to LA has shown me how spoilt I was in London, but there are so many things that Tokyo does better. My fav thing is that lines arnt usually defined as “westbound” or “northbound” services. They are usually defined by the points of interest they pass through. Makes it so much easier as a tourist
I recent years Tokyo has added a letter-number system to help tourist identify lines without having to learn multi syllable Japanese names. For example, K-06 instead of Keihin-Tohoku Line, Minami-Urawa station (not actual letter/number for this station)
@@ModMINI the keihin-tohoku line uses JK__ as their numbering
Thank you for mentioning that every Tokyo Metro station has its own jingle. Despite not being from Tokyo or even Japan, I fell in love with those jingles, as they represent the identity of a station or even an entire line. Ginza Line uses more calming jingles, Marunouchi and Fukutoshin lines habe more agitating jingles, Hanzomon and Namboku lines are extremely calming, Chiyoda and Hibiya lines provide a decent mix of everything. Heck, the Tozai line jingles actually form a continuos song for each direction!
Yes... when we stayed for 2 weeks in Imabari in/on Shikoku where our (NZ) daughter was an ALT leader, we got used to the Imabari theme tune.. unfortunately,,, i can't track it down on You Tube.
Actually, the purpose of the jingles was to help blind passengers identify the stations.
Just simply jawdropping, there really isn't any other transit network that's equal to Tokyo's.
There are countless networks which are great in their own right, but Tokyo is clearly the best.
Kansai(Osaka.Kyoto.Kobe.Nara.Shiga.Wakayama) transit network maybe worlds second largest. After Kanto(Tokyo.Kanagawa.Chiba.Saitama.Ibaraki.Gunma.Tochigi).
Bro never visit shanghai
@@amanoso1541Nagoya
@@heyking8583 im sure u"ve never visit Tokyo.
@@metameta1895 lol i work here in Suginami for 2years
The Yamanote line is served by a fleet of 50 sets of 11-car trains and by using a very new ATC dynamic signaling and speed control system, the interval between trains during peak hours may be reduced to a whopping 45s per train for some stations. Not all the trains go in loops and some trains terminate at Osaki Station as the "origin point" of the line.
No wonder Osaki is the point of origin, the line's train depot is just behind.
For automation, it is an apparently partial automation type GOA2 (we keep the drivers).
The train will go by itself, but the doors will always be under the control of the train agents. It is therefore a system similar to SACEM (with mobile blocks) used for more than 30 years on the RER A(in manual drive) and from 5 year in fully automatic.
I also know that Thalès was chosen in 2018 to oversee the installation of a GOA2 on the Joban Line from Ueno to Toride.
Once I was on an evening Yamanote service where the train halted at Osaki for around 10 minutes while the drivers changed and some cars were cleaned.
@@Lodai974 Nice. The DC Metro trains can be "fully automated" and have a human driver in every train. The human can control the doors - e.g. keep them open if they see someone in a wheelchair or a stroller needing more time. They also serve as an emergency contact, and give travel updates and stuff.
Tokyo's railway system is just insane!! It's like a giant maze on its own! I like how their monorail trains are large and able to carry so many people, compared to the small claustrophobic Sentosa "Express" monorail line we have here in Singapore. There's definitely a lot of things Tokyo's rail network can teach others about rail transport.
Thank you for the great work putting this video together!
Great to see a remastered Tokyo video! The original was one of my favourites on the channel already, so this is a real treat. I really appreciate these videos as massive systems like Tokyo's are extremely intimidating to try to comprehend. You're by far the best channel on youtube for breaking down systems that are interesting but very hard to understand what exactly is going, especially for those who've never been there. Keep up the fantastic work.
I'd be super interested to see more videos on urban heavy rail networks, rather than just metros, like an explained video on Paris' RER and Transilien networks, a video showing how NYC's various commuter rail networks operate, or a video on the private suburban railways of London that compliment the TfL services that you've covered in great detail on this channel.
All planned, just stay tuned - the Metros are top of list but I do want to do all of them!
@@RMTransit Indeed, there's enough here to keep you (and us!) going for a long time to come.
Every one of these Tokyo systems is worth a video in its own right, at some point. And yah, it will be cool to see more about other urban rail networks beyond metro/subway systems. 😎
I remember panicking, then being super amazed and relieved when I found out that I didn't have to leave my train at all when it ran all the way from Kamakura in the lower Yokohama area to Shibuya, all on the JR Shonan Shinjuku line. Now that is what a truly efficient and convenient rail service looks alike.
Absolutely loved traveling Tokyo, Hiroshima, Osaka and Kyoto by train. Everything was so efficient and google maps would even tell you which stairwell exit to take to get to your above ground destination as many underground stations would have many many underground networks of exits and entrances to my many station platforms
The tokyo rail system is so good I wish they could export it, maybe in the form of design/planning consultancies or something. I usually take a long layover in Tokyo when I fly home to my motherland, and the transport experience from HND/NRT to the city or tourist attractions, to lodging, and back to the airport is so seamless. And it works so well for the local population and intranational travelers too. I show a video of my narita express train passing up the cars on the parallel expressway and my fellow americans are amazed by this.
Contrast Japan's love of trains to USA.
The American government allowed the car lobby to intervene in preventing the expansion of rail networks and dismiss HSR as an expensive solution. "Drive everywhere!" Americans say.
What ended up happening? Japan still overtook America in car exports, Toyota is the no. 1 auto company in the world, displacing GM and Ford -- AND Japan enjoys a far more advanced and effective public train and HSR system than the US!
Unfortunately America values lobbyist $$ far more than public good
Depressing.
HSR is really not necessary in the US besides the one that already exists in the DC-Boston corridor and then one under construction in california. What is necessary is faster suburban rail to connect suburbs within a metro area.
That's really sad with the lobbying. I have looked up US American cities and their public transportation systems. I was shocked, public transportation in some cities with millions of residents are a total disgrace (Cleveland, Baltimore, Miami, Chicago, etc).
I live in Yokohama, lived in Tokyo, Kawasaki, Saitama, Chiba, and worked in Tokyo, which means I use most of the railways in this video in my ordinary life for years. BUT this video blew my mind to realize how complicated the railway network was in Tokyo. I havent thought about that this far until now. Thank you for your great work!
Idk which effort I appreciate more. Japan's awesome rapid infrastracture? Your great work that explains it all in just over 20mins? Both are incredible efforts.
I'm new to this channel but wow, I don't know if you've been to Japan before but you speak as if you've been living in this city for decades. I've lived in Tokyo for majority of my life but I still don't know where most of the lines go. Props to your research and dedication
I have spent a little bit of time exploring the long-gone era of Interurbans, particularly in North America. Here in my home city of Chicago, there were a few interurban railways that ran onto the 'L' tracks and used the Loop to turn around before heading out into the far-flung suburbs. A couple of famous examples were the North Shore Line and the Chicago, Aurora & Elgin (CA&E) Railroad. In fact, one of the most iconic interurban trains, the Electroliner, actually inspired some of the designs for various limited express trains in Japan like the Romancecar!
I would imagine that some of Tokyo's network was inspired by the golden age of railway travel here in the United States and Canada. Though some of the concepts appear to be brought over from that era, the way that Tokyo (and a few other major Japanese cities) capitalised and innovated on them not only sets a leading example for passenger rail transport around the globe, but it also shines a light on what those long-forgotten yet well-connected rail networks across North America could have been.
Of course, we eventually decided to completely throw all of that progress in the trash for the modern Interstate network along with more car-centric communities. Said communities have gradually become less effective in today's society. On the other hand, cities like Tokyo have time and time again proven the sheer amount of possibilities that any city (even North American ones) can run with when they have the money and political power to invest heavily in public transit.
The fact that LA could have gone done a similar route to Tokyo transit wise just breaks my heart
LA once had a great transit network between the Los Angeles Railway and Pacific Electric, one serving in and around Los Angeles and the other connecting LA with outlying cities along LA's coastline (such as Santa Monica, San Pedro and Long Beach), in the San Fernando Valley, Inland Empire and Orange County. At its peak the Pacific Electric boasted 1,000 miles of track and 2,000 scheduled trains a day.
Both sadly gave way to the private car and buses, and LA has been trying to rebuild parts of that once great system with LA Metro. LA has been expanding their transit network in anticipation of the 2028 Olympics, with some projects being accelerated to be ready for them. It's tough to find a city with as impressive a transit network as Tokyo, but for the US Los Angeles is definitely setting itself out as a leader.
I think the main problem is the US and specifically the land value is to cheap. Places with high land value generally have great public transport (e.g. Japan, Switzerland). If land value costs alone to add lanes to your highway, basically bankrupt you, investing in trains is a no brainer. If you have room and cheap land value, you may at first think: lets just build more roads. buses then have a advantage to rail, as they can profit of lower infrastructure costs. over time, car centric problems mount up and you wish you still had those rail networks. just you now have all those highways to maintain, so finding the money to actually get serious about rapid transit networks is a lot harder.
@@beyondEV LA's land value is definitely not cheap. What had been lacking was cultural and political will, but so much has changed in 20 years. When I was a child, LA was just a smoggy place full of cars. Now there's a comprehensive bus network and a light rail system with somewhat reasonable coverage and actually has headways that make it feasible to use on a daily basis. The expansion plan is $120 billion. I have faith LA can be a great transit city one day, and maybe it'll even connect to SF and Vegas via HSR.
Tokyo's railways and services are amazing.
Back when I lived in Toda, Saitama, I came to realize the awesomeness of the Saikyo line since it has through service in the north to the Kawagoe line, and to both the Rinkai Line and Sotetsu Line in the south. The Sotetsu line through service to Ebina is especially cool, since for a part the Saikyo Line uses the Yamanote freight line :D
Brilliant summary of all of the train lines!
got into quite a lot of trouble after a night of drinks when riding shared lines that run through multiple operators. I would ride one in the city center, pass out and wake up in the countryside, often not tokyo anymore since the distance they cover is massive haha!
fun fact, a single yamanote loop is roughly one hour (59-61 minutes). if you have time to burn you can just ride one, sit down and chill for hours going round and round.
It is an insane transit network. And I just love how easy it is to use for the public. You IC cards just work, even on the crazy interlining that is possible like on the Fukutoshin line. Just tap and go.
I rode that line from NW Tokyo suburb into a Yokohama metro station with a single IC tap... and since it was a long line, it wasn't long before I got a seat and was able to take a short nap (people catch up on sleep on trains in Japan all the time)
As a Japanese, I feel so patriotic when people talk about Tokyo's rail network lol.
Hope Japanese government allows foreign tourists soon...
Also hit me up if you need some Japanese translation or guide I'd be happy to help you.
Thanks!
i hope so as well...cant wait to go back there
Great video, but probably like you the pronunciation had me cringing a little. Well, it's true that the Japanese language is pretty hard lol.
I am amazed with your work gathering all these information and putting them into 20 mins of presentation which is very easy to understand.
I would just share your video if there will be a chance to talk about tokyo's railway network to someone
Appreciate all the hard work you putting into these videos, scrolling through Wikipedia is one thing but watching these gives you a different level of understanding!
Thanks for watching!
My heart is completely broken!! How couldn't you mention the greatest monorail line in the whole world, the Shonan Monorail?!!
On a more serious note, great video! It wasn't an easy task to summarize Tokyo's public transport system in one, short-ish video, but you managed to do just that, nice one! (I mean, besides one big mistake mentioned above. I knoooow it's not Tokyo, but neither is Chiba Monorail, so I'm still right!)
Haha, the Shonan Monorail is rgeat
@@RMTransit yes it is rgeat
I was thinking the same thing! The Shonan suspended (aka inverted or upside-down) monorail definitely deserves a mention if Chiba gets one.
Subsequently, anyone checking out the Shonan monorail must also ride the nearby Enoden line (Enoshima Electric Railway) for its enthusing rolling stock which is a cross between a tram and a train and the line with on-street section and running beside the Pacific Ocean.
The problem covering Tokyo's rail transport is deciding where to stop as the major companies mentioned all continue operating outside the Tokyo metropolitan area and within their areas there are many other companies & lines.
@@RMTransit Need another video on Southern Kanto covering this, Sotetsu Railway, through running into Yamanote freight line, Hakone mountain railway, and more!
@@kc3302 The Shonan monorail is a SAFEGE system .....there are several types of monorail...
The Enoden Enoshima is in no way a tram. It is a light train with the standard gauge of 1067mm for the rails, and a width of 2.45m for the trains (which is also the width of the Paris metro, as what...)
Thank you for covering my city TOKYO! I'm proud of this city's railway systems
Thank you for watching!
You said the Joban line was crowded. One Sunday morning I boarded a Joban Line train that was crowded. At subsequent stops it became even more crowded, to the point where I'd never experienced that degree of crowding. I alighted earlier than planned to change to another line. My favourite line was the parallel Tsukuba Express. It has accelleration you can feel and a cruising speed of 130 km/hr, which is unusually fast within an urban area.
Tsukuba Express deserves its own video/case study just because of the amount of planned communities it spurred. A single trip from Akihabara to Tsukuba costs 1200 yen though
I need to do that dedicated video!
A Japanese here
The city of Nagareyama on the TX line has seen the most increase in population in Chiba prefecture of 5000 people each year, when the rest of the country is facing population decline. As one city councilor put it, all the development is due to the TX.
Also, to point out, the high fares are due to debt due to construction, because not much subsidies are placed into rail in Japan because of historic reasons.
Of all the trains in Tokyo that have 15 cars, these are the only ones without Green cars, so it's all 100% regular cars
And they're absolutely needed just from what I've seen here on RUclips
I live close to one of the stations along the TX, and most of the towns/cities around the line's stations are exploding. The biggest reason is that a lot of people work in Tokyo but don't want to live in the city itself, especially those with children. The line's rapid service allows for 1-hour commutes into the city which makes it far more viable to live well outside Tokyo but still work within the city. Also, a lot of people work in research functions in Tsukuba (the scientific capital of the country), but frequently have to travel into Tokyo for meetings with clients, international and national conferences and forums, etc.
I expect that we'll see the trend of outward relocation happen a lot more now. The Wuhan Pneumonia pandemic has changed a lot of attitudes around living in urban congestion. There is a major trend now of people moving back to their hometowns, or elsewise into satellite communities around Tokyo. This has been facilitated by a major shift towards partial-to-complete work-from-home schemes in many of the major companies around the country. If you only have to travel into the office once or twice a week, it is far more reasonable to live a 2-3-hour trip out from the city. Even longer travel times are quite reasonable if you're travelling to the office only a couple times a month, which is the case for some of the people I know.
When I visited Japan in early 2020 the train network was one of the biggest things I wish I could have brought home with me, though the different lines and operators threw me off pretty good - I was lucky to have someone who knew what they were doing along. This video really does a great job of breaking down the way it all comes together. Excellent work.
(The other thing I wanted to bring home was the variety of cool stuff in vending machines - getting a hot coffee at the side of the street was so handy for my jetlagged butt, for example...)
Its an excellent system, its clean, its safe, and its CHEAP! We all should learn. I had fun riding the Tokyo Metro and other rail lines during my stay in Shinjuku.
How I miss living in Japan... I never even thought about trains before I moved there!
Its an incredible place to be, I need to go back!
Oh my god, this video is thorough. You did great job.
I understand this because I was born and grew up in metropolitan Tokyo but I'm sure that foreigner can't understand this.
The greatest thing is that if you get a Suica or Pasmo card, you can go through all station's ticket gates without interrupted.
Oh my god
This video is so information dense.
My brain is still not able to process everything it just saw and heard. I think I will have to watch it atleast 3 more times to try and scratch the surface of this mammoth system.
Thats sort of the objective ;)
You don't really need to learn the entire system. Just the lines that you need to use. You could live in Tokyo your entire life, and depending on where you live and work you may never need to use ⅔ of the lines.
I have lived in Tokyo now for 12 years and know these routes well, but the amount of technical detail in this video is much appreciated . The amount of organization and transiting options in Tokyo is really as amazing. I would very much miss it if I ever moved away.
This video was the best explanation about Tokyo Railway system in English that I've ever seen. That reminds me when I lived in Tokyo(immigrated to Canada as a University student)JR has not only urban network but countryside network. Some railway lines are separated among JR companies(ex. Tokaido Line is separated into JR East, JR Central, and JR West). And bullet train system might be interesting as well. I want you to make a video about it if possible since the video quality was excellent.
I understand you weren't going to talk but Yokohama but one more thing. You forgot to mention the JR Yokohama line which runs south of and shares characteristics with the Nanbu line in that they connects the suburbs together to then transfer on trains heading towards city centre. In fact Yokohama line is one of the most profitable lines on JR East. Great informative video as always, impressed with the knowledge coming from a Tokyo person.
This video doesn't include the lines in Kanagawa prefecture but Yokohoma line can be considered Tokyo's line because it goes to Hachioji where is in Tokyo.
@@yuchan7910The Yokohama line runs into inner Tokyo so it definitely should’ve been mentioned
@@yuchan7910 it also hits Machida which is part of Tokyo
A neat trick I learned about the Yamanote Line, is because the way the fares work with it costing more the further you go, you can buy a ticket for the next station up the line (which is maybe 100 yen, or about $1), then get on a train going the other direction and you can do the entire loop for $1. Just be sure to not get off at the station you got on at.
This can be done just in just about any line really. In my early days in Japan when I was a starving student. I would (break the rules and) take the "Poor Man's Excursions." I lived in between Mejiro and Ikebukuro Stations on the Yamanote Line. I would buy a 130yen ticket to enter at Mejiro. take the train to Tokyo Station, transfer to Tokaido Line and ride it to Atami. I would take pictures from my window or from a platform with a good view. Once I got to Atami, I'd visit the men's room, grab a snack and drink, then head back towards Tokyo. I'd eventually get to Ikebukuro and exit the station about 6-7 hours after I started the trip in Mejiro. Then walk 15 minutes home. All that for 130yen.
Sounds nice! I've been living in Tokyo for several years but I've never been to Atami. I should go there one day.
For anyone reading this who would like to do the same thing, make sure you actually buy a paper ticket instead of using an IC card (Suica or Pasmo). The IC cards record the time when you enter through the ticket gate and there's some time limit depending on how far you travel. If you exceed the limit, the ticket gate won't let you out and you'll have to go to the station attendant and explain why it took you let's say 6 hours to travel one station. A paper ticket doesn't have any time limit, so you'll be able to get out as long as you buy a ticket with the correct fare for a travel between the station you get on and the station you get off.
By far my fav city and one of my favorite transit systems in the world
Thanks for this video.
I lived in Kyoto for 11 years, and the train system between the cities of the Kansai region (Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, Wakayama) was pretty impressive too. I personally loved how the Hankyu (private railway which I lived near) had through services on to an Osaka subway line which then connected with the Nankai line at the other side of Osaka to get to the airport. The Hankyu railway had lines connecting Kyoto, Osaka, Takarazuka and Kobe. Keihan from Otsu in Shiga prefecture to Kyoto then to Osaka. The Kintetsu from Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, and all the way to Nagaokakyo (the worlds longest private railway) it also had through services to the Kyoto subway. The Nankai private railway between Osaka and Wakayama. The Hanshin private railway between Osaka and Kobe, extending on to the Sanyo private railway to Himeji.
Heaps of smaller private railways, plus a massive JR West suburb and regional network.
Please do a video sometimes on the Kansai region's railway system.
If I were to summarise, the Kanto private operators collude with the government while the Kansai private operators compete with it. Especially in Osaka it feels like the subways, JR, and private operators are engaged in a Mexican standoff, which has led to a distinct 'style' and culture that is often overlooked in foreign analysis.
@@遠見志雄
One of the reasons is that private railways in Kanto often have the same rail width as JR. Private railways in Kansai are the opposite.
@@ytanaka257 You mean the subway instead? Tokyo private operators and JR East all access the inner city through Tokyo Metro / Toei, whereas this is much less the case in Osaka
ここまで私達の鉄道を調べてくれて、ありがとう💯
地下鉄の紹介の部分で、少々起終点の相違はあるものの、詳細に調査し述べています。国は違えど同じ鉄道ファンとして敬意を表します。👍
Great video. I've been living around Tokyo for more than two decades. The train system here is a amazing. Just for completeness sake, shout out to the Saitama New Urban Transit New Shuttle Ina Line. It is a people mover that goes from Omiya to Uchiyuku and stops at Tetsudō-Hakubutsukan Station, home of the "The Railway Museum."
You're right, that's magnificent. With a lot of information well presented. Question: What program(s) did you use to create the animated maps?
Thanks! I do all my editing in Davinci Resolve
Quite imipressive that a non-resident person can describe the Tokyo railway network so precisely and so in detail! Amazing!
Amazing how you comprehensively covered the super-complicated metro system in Tokyo! I post video essays in Japanese explaining the rail network in Osaka, 2nd largest metropolitan area in Japan. Hope to see you cover Osaka soon! I’m more than happy to share footage!
This is the most accurate and concise explanation of Tokyo's railways than any other video I've seen. (Some omitted lines may have been ignored for the sake of simplicity.)
As a Japanese, I take it for granted that these networks are fully functional.
Great video, covered all the main lines and interconnections in just 22 minutes. Brilliant work!!
Finally!
Toyoko Keio and Odakyu rider here
Was confused back when you take down the original since I wanted to talk about it with friends, then saw your post regarding video remaster and "upgrades". Glad it's back and improved
Hope you enjoy it!
@@RMTransit I do! The remaster feel polished than the original with more focus on the lines, which I appreciate
That was good and very nostalgic for me as a former Tōkyō resident. Amusing detail: Inokashira line has a pun "ii no kashira" sometimes said of it, meaning "I dunno if it'll be any good."
東京の鉄道網を説明したビデオの中で、今まで見た中でいちばん詳細でわかりやすかったです。
As a fans of Japanese anime and manga culture I always notice the famous background set that often depicted on scene: local train. This is one of the proof that the railway network, especially in big city like Tokyo is very massive and extensive that it become the noticeable part of the culture, including entertainment. With the reach of railway network it makes that every side of the towns have access into it, make it seems that people can find a railway station with 10 minutes walking from place where their staying. And by that system, they can to almost every side of the city even with short time. And it's all accessible so it's used by almost all people from elementaries to worker and from childs to elders. The system become part of their daily routines that it become part of their culture.
Many Japanese spend their sensitive childhoods and adolescence with railways.
When I get old and look at the trains I used to ride in those days, there are times when I can change myself into my younger self.
When I attended Nippon2007 - the Japan Worldcon - in 2007, in my bookbag I had a folder with a printout of the entire Tokyo Metro/Toei Subway map, along with a pamphlet for the local JR East rail lines. That was enough for me to get around anywhere in Tokyo, which I commuted to and from Yokohama Station - after getting there on the Miramoto Line - every day the week before the convention.
And yes, when I came back to Toronto, I wept at the thought of having to return to what we call a rapid transit system.
Japanese engineering is just at another level
It truly is, its incredible the stuff they can achieve!
Another amazing explanation of greatest urban network, hope you'll create more content about Tokyo railway system, especially some future project. In the 2023 for example the Sotetsu line will be incorporated to integrated system with Tokyu, Tokyo Metro, Toei Subway and Tobu, connecting Shibuya/Shinjuku to Shin-Yokohama station, probably is one of the most important railway project in Kanto.
May I give some interesting tips about railroads in Tokyo as Japanese.
1.X-crossing in Kotake-mukaihara(小竹向原)Sta. 11:23
At this station, three lines make a great junction that looks character-X.
Wakoshi---(F,Y)- ------------------------(Y)------Ikebukuro------Shimkiba
X Kokate-Mukaihara
Nerima-----(SI)- ----------------------(F)-------Ikebukuro-------Shibuya-----
The situation is complicated. At first, Yurakucho(Y) line and Fukutoshin line(F) share same pair of ways between Wakoshi and Kotake-Mukaihara but they start run in separate ways from Kotake-Mukaihara. BUT they are on the same route because the way of Yurakutyo line is under the Fukutoshin line.
-------surface------
______
|F F |
-----------
|Y Y |
------------
And then, Seibu Ikebukuro line(SI) begins at the station.
Thanks for through service, a train come from both F,Y and SI line can go to both F and Y line. Opposide is in the same situation. This means there are 8 types of ways in which trains run.
2.Joban local line 5:24 goes to Chiyoda line 11:20
Joban line(local service) doesn't parallel Yamanote line. It says good-bye to Joban line (rapid service) in Kita-Senju and it is connected to Chiyoda line heading to Hara-juku and Yoyogi. This through service has a sorry story. Some decades ago, to cope with the ultmate traffic of Joban line, JR built Local-service-Joban-line(常磐緩行線) and this through service. JR thought that some passengers would start using Local-service because they can reach metropolitan areas without changing trains. Since Local-service costs much more time to reach urban stations, it wasn't used as well as JR thought. Furthermore JR relied so badly on Local-service that JR reduced the trains of Rapid-service. This caused much more heavy traffic.
3. Changing Namboku line 10:38 and Mita line 12:33
They share a pair of ways between Shirokane-Takanawa and Meguro(白金高輪〜目黒). Then they are connected to Tokyu-Meguro line. This set of three lines are making a huge change. First, all trains used to be 6-cars but each company inserted 2 cars to be 8-cars. Second, Tokyu is building new railway to Shin-yokohama Sta and Sotetsu line. This new line is to make a long-run service which connects Saitama pref. and Knagawa pref.
Thank you for the amazing video. Thank you for reading a lot. As a Japanese commuter, I am not sure about lines that i often don't use. And ...I haven't classified JR lines into some groups. I think this is a great way to grasp the super complicated system of railroads in Tokyo.
You are fully entitled to be truly proud of this, because it's brilliant!
Really easy to understand breakdown! The scale of the elevated structure on Odakyu is a bit surprising in person, but it kind of fits right in
I think thats the mst amazing thing about Tokyos urbanism, everything fits together like a jigsaw puzzle!
It's such a shame Tokyo didn't get to host a proper Olympics, they would have done an excellent job of it, I hope they get given it again to show off their transit systems
Theyve even created a special high speed train for the olympics
It was a real shame, I was there in early 2020, right before everything went bad. The hype was real. Skytree had a huge light up countdown on it, there were the huge Olympic rings in the bay beside Rainbow Bridge, so much construction and work being done in stations all over the city to accommodate all the visitors, and the sheer amount of hotels being built everywhere was nuts. I had also been there the exact same time of year in 2019, and it was amazing how much had already changed in only a year.
As a Tokyo resident, we don't want our trains to be even more crowded with any Olympics ❤
I completely agree! Even there are so many lines to choose from, the Yamanote Line is by far the best line in all of Tokyo.
My son just returned from a trip to Tokyo and he talked about how great the transportation system was and the cleanliness and the low crime rate. Japan has done what a lot of countries can’t
This is a great video that summarizes the essentials of trains around Tokyo.
Next, I would like you to make a video of a local railway that is the opposite of such a railway.
I would love to hear more about the development of the system. I know the channel doesn't usually do history, but this is the greatest metro system in the world, you could probably make a small series put of it.
I would be very interested on how building was funded and what role development played. There must be many lessons here that can be applied as transit is built out in NA/Globally
There is a really interesting story here, I will seriously consider!
The Japan History channel covers some of it
it helps a lot that tokyo was basically flattened to rubble after WWII. the country basically designed much of post WW2 tokyo with transit in mind
@@ciello___8307 Hey, so were North American cities! We didn't have transit in mind though.
We were last in Tokyo in Aug 2016, to visit our previous year's homestay daughter and mother before going on to London. We got on the Keisei normal train at Narita , and a family opposite said they would let us know when we would get to Aoto, which was after their home station. As they prepared to get off, their little 6 yr old daughter came across and in beautiful English wished us a happy holiday in Japan.
Best thing about trains in Japan..No-one is sharing their domestic/business etc personal news on their cell phones...not always the case in NZ..
As a Japanese railway fan living in Tokyo, this video is truly unbelievable in huge amount and variety of information packed within 22 mins. Well done!!! and thank you! You probably find no equivalent videos even in Japanese.
A few very minor things to be corrected and augmented:
5:50 Mixture of AC/DC also applies to Joban Line. The special cars permit Joban Line cars travel through Ueno-Tokyo Line up to Shinagawa Station, but the cars of Tokaido Line and Tohoku Line cannot travel into Joban Line.
The reason is to avoid interference with weather station but with magnetic observatory.
13:10 Oedo Line rotates anti-clockwise from Hikarigaoka if you want to travel direct. If you transfer at Tokyo Tocho-mae Station, then you can also travel clockwise.
Riding in the front of the train car across the rainbow bridge to odaiba was one of the highlights of my trip to Japan.
I don't doubt this took a lot of research! The Tokyo area has such a massively complex system of railways. It's always overwhelmed me trying to make heads or tails of it. I'm impressed! I wonder what kind of expansion projects are in the works. I"ll bet that'd be a big video, too. Thanks for doing this!
This is the one I've been waiting for 👌🏼
I hope you enjoy it!
I live in the Seibu area so I was a little disappointed😅 that there was not more explanation, but I still enjoyed this video and found it to be very accurate. Thanks 😊.
I'm glad you introduced the large scale direct service on the Fukutoshin line as I too find it interesting. The map in the video only showed the Seibu line as a direct service to Tokorozawa station, but it actually goes to a suburban town called Hanno station. Recently, the S-Train service operates trains from Yokohama Minatomirai to Seibu-Chichibu Station, a town in a basin deep in the mountains. It is possible to go from a town deep in the mountains to a big city by the sea in one train, and the change of scenery is very interesting.
During my first trip to Tokyo, Pasmo didn't exist and Suica wasn't as wide spread as it has now become, so I was using the paper magnetic tickets.
The stations back then also didn't have as many (or in some cases any) ticket machines that could display English.
For one trip, the machines that had an English setting weren't working. I only know a few words of Japanese and can't read the text. I knew even less back then.
I went to the station staff at the fare gates, said "English, ticket machine, broken" and pointed to where I wanted to go on the network map. The staff member took the yen needed and went to the working Japanese only machines and got the ticket for me.
Ticketing, signage and wayfinding has become much much better for tourists and other non Japanese speakers since then, with almost everything in Japanese and English and where there is space, in Chinese and/or Korean as well. (now if only the Japanese government would reopen travel to tourism without needing to be on a fully escorted tour so that I could go back again)
16:50
Also at this station, there used to be a very large grade crossing that got removed in 2011 when the majority of the airport line was grade-separated.
Tsukuba Express deserves its own video not because of its speed but because of the planned developments it spurred.
Thank you for sharing this video. When I lived in Tokyo, I used to ride the Keikyu line from the Shinagawa station to the Shioiri Station in Yokosuka, or I'll ride the JR line from Shinjuku station to Yokosuka-chuo station just to get to my job at the Fleet Activity in Yokosuka, Japan. And there trains are always on time and dependable. And I miss living in Japan..
Hi Reece, would you consider doing a video about Seoul?
Whats interesting about it?
Yes, but unfortunately footage is very hard to get across
You missed Sotetsu (private railway) which operates around Yokohama.
It was connected with JR Line in 2019 and will be connected with Tokyu Line on March 2023.
In addition, Minatomirai Line and Yokohama Municipal Subway may diserve a mention 🚇
Thank you for your effort!
What a herculean task! I have a railroad atlas of the Tokyo area and the sheer number of operators and services make it almost incomprehensible to keep straight. If you think London has a dense railway network, they have nothing on Tokyo! It's remarkable the way railways are integrated into the entire region and they keep building. I doubt this could ever be duplicated in any other city.
Indeed its amazing, I want more cities like it and with some of the cities out there maybe it can happen, in 100 years that is
Great video! Tokyo is just a whole world in itself.
Absolutely, you could spend a lifetime there and never see everything!
@@RMTransit for sure! Coming from a small town, it's incredible to see! It feels like you can spend a lifetime travelling the world, but you can just as easily spend as much time exploring just a handfull of cities.
Very nice comprehensive video. I lived and worked in Tokyo for almost 20 years. I get frustrated using the rail networks of other cities, with possible exception of Hong Kong MTR.
Recently I went from a northwest Tokyo suburb all the way to a Yokohama subway station without changing trains at all. Awesome!
Well done Reece. Great to see Tokyo’s rapid transit featured and in detail.
Glad you enjoyed it Rob! Its an amazing system!
@@RMTransit it sure is!
Reese, I really like the graphics you did for this video!
Thanks Stephen!
Well done. A tiny thing I noticed is that when when you show the Tozai & Toei Shinjuku lines on the map you say "East to West" but it's actually West to East.
You also say that through services are "Sometimes managed by swapping drivers" - my understanding is that they always swap drivers, so drivers only drive trains on their company's lines.
Mispronunciations: you were fairly good, but got a couple wrong with the silent U rule: Tsukuba express (should be "scuba"), Yokosuka (yo koss ka), and Yurakucho (you rack cho).
Also yūrakūcho is closer to (you rock cho) because the 1st a is closer to what a real japanese "a" sounds like & makes it sound closer to how an English speaker would hear a japanese "a" for me it would sound like a Spanish "a" that's just my opinion
super detailed video, thanks for making this!
Beautiful city, wonderful transit system hopefully one day I can visit.
I did not realize how monstrously, ballistically, ridiculously, insanely mega huge this system was. I can't even wrap my head around it.
heres something about the train stations in Japan, They play a seven second Jingle. each line has it's own station with their own jingle. as you ride the train, you will find out that the jingles make a complete song thoroughout every line
During our trip to Japan we visited yokohama as a day trip from Tokyo. We were able to go directly from a subway station near our hotel (Higashi-shinjuku on the fukutoshin line) all the way to minato mirai in yokohama. It was amazing.
As someone currently in Tokyo right now, I can absolutely vouch for the all-encompassing amazingness of the capital's rail system :)
Excellent video. I lived in Japan for over 15 years and was able to visit Tokyo numerous times. The rail and subway system, while massive, was relatively easy to get around on. Have you considered covering another Japanese city? Ōsaka also has an extensive and interesting rail system that deserves a look. While living there I experienced firsthand the construction of their newest subway line (my apartment being about a block away at the time).
Which line is that, if I may ask?
@@Volcott The Imazatosuji (orange) line. I lived near Imazato station. Construction was well underway when I arrived, every night from around 9PM until 5AM. During the day the street was covered with large steel panels and reopened to traffic. Several colleagues of mine lived next to the construction area and got barely any sleep for months on end. The line opened Christmas Eve 2006. I remember riding it that day after getting off work. The carriages were much smaller than all the other lines.
@@amicanadian2946 Thanks for the reply!
東京は山手線の内側に首都機能が存在し、山手線の中の大きな駅らから放射状に伸びる電車で住宅街と通じています。そのため朝は住宅街から都心へと向かう電車が、夕方は都心から住宅街へと帰る電車が、非常に混雑し不便さを我々日本人は感じています。しかしこの動画のおかげで都内に張り巡らされた鉄道ネットワークのありがたさを再認識することができました。東京に住む私が見ても非常に良くできた動画だと思います。
Very well researched and great!
9:19 Regarding NEX , E259 series NEX is the successor to JNR 183 series (1972-2015).
Excellent work, sir.