Jr East To Shorten Daily Railway Services In Tokyo
The biggest railway operator in Tokyo has announced it's going shorten its daily services, starting next spring.
East Japan Railway Company says it's bringing forward last train departures by up to 37 minutes on 17 lines, including the Yamanote loop line that links the capital's major transit hubs.
The new schedule will come into effect in March.
JR East officials cite two reasons for the change. One is the declining number of late-night passengers amid the coronavirus outbreak. In August, some lines saw a drop of more than 60 percent from a year earlier.
Teleworking has become more common, and fewer people are staying in bars and restaurants until late.
The officials also cite the need to improve conditions for maintenance staff who only begin work after the last train service ends. The workforce is graying, and is expected to shrink by up to 20 percent in the next 10 years.
Other railway companies are expected to follow suit, as they face similar circumstances.
