With six more months of train strikes recently announced it is getting hard to imagine a punctual, anxiety-free railway journey in the UK. Over in Japan it’s hard to imagine the opposite. Japan is one of those blessed countries where people understand the value of a modern, reliable, affordable and extensive railway network. In a 2019 global efficiency survey Japan, unsurprisingly, came out on top. And there hasn’t been a strike since the 1970s.

If I had to think of one moment that crystallised all that I admire about Japanese trains it would be when I lost my paper ticket and had to negotiate the exit barrier. An immaculately uniformed young lady listened patiently to my confession then beamed me a smile, pressed the button to release me and bowed deeply as she ushered me through with an honorific salutation. There was never any question of doubting me, or a penalty fare, and not an iota of attitude. I was the customer. I was God.

And therein lies I think a large part of why the train network in Japan works so well. It appears to exist to serve its customers and everything and everyone connected to it is designed to maximising the passenger experience. Japan has almost twice as many stations per head of population as the UK, and the trains are generally modern, clean, reliable and safe. Prices almost never go up. By contrast, who exactly does the train network in Britain serve? The staff? The shareholders? The union leaders?

Japan was introduced to trains at the time of the Meiji restoration (1868), an era of unparalleled dynamism. The first line, designed with the help of British engineers, ran from Shimbashi in Tokyo to nearby Yokohama. The locals took to this new technology warily and there are early reports of passengers leaving their shoes on the platform before boarding and people dousing passing trains with water as they appeared to be on fire.

QOSHE - Why are Japan’s trains so much better than ours? - Philip Patrick
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Why are Japan’s trains so much better than ours?

9 9
25.02.2024

With six more months of train strikes recently announced it is getting hard to imagine a punctual, anxiety-free railway journey in the UK. Over in Japan it’s hard to imagine the opposite. Japan is one of those blessed countries where people understand the value of a modern, reliable, affordable and extensive railway network. In a 2019 global efficiency survey Japan, unsurprisingly, came out on top. And there hasn’t been a strike since the........

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