As the environment surrounding railway companies becomes increasingly severe, such as the declining population along railway lines and the declining birthrate and aging population, major railway companies in the Kanto region are becoming increasingly "one-man driving" in which the train is operated only by the driver without a conductor.
9 major private railway companies One-man operation on 31 routes
When NHK interviewed nine major private railway companies in the Kanto region to see if they were implementing one-man operation, including introduction in some sections and some time zones, six companies excluding Odakyu, Keikyu, and Sagami Railway were implementing one-man operation, and as of April, one-man operation was increasing on 9 of the 6 lines of the nine major companies.
Of these, Tokyu Corporation is actively investing in safety measures, and five of its eight routes are one-man.
By the end of fiscal 8, Tokyu Corporation had completed the installation of platform doors or platform fences with sensors at all stations on its railway lines.
It is the first major private railway in Japan to complete installation at all stations.
Tokyu Corporation has allocated approximately 5 billion yen in capital investment for safety measures this fiscal year, supporting the introduction of one-man operation from a safety perspective.
Yudai Koshiro, assistant manager of the Tokyu Corporation's Transportation Planning Division, said, "We expect that it will become difficult to secure employees in the future amid the declining population, and we will continue to make solid investments in safety to respond to long-term business continuity."
JR East Japan Kanto 1 Tokyo 6 prefectures 47 line wards are one-man
On the other hand, JR East Japan has expanded its one-man system to 1 line wards, which is about 6% of the 66 line wards in the Kanto region and 7 prefectures.
JR East Japan believes that the one-man system is essential for continuing business with limited human resources, and that employees can take on a wide range of tasks through efficient operation and realize diverse work styles.
Kazuhiro Yatsu, manager of JR Japan East's Next Generation Transportation System Promotion Center, said, "Employees who have been involved only in crew operations until now will be able to engage in station operations, cooperation with local communities, and planning work. I was talking.
JR East Japan plans to introduce one-man systems on major lines in the Tokyo metropolitan area, including the Yamanote Line, Keihin Tohoku Line, and Joban Line, from FY47 to FY2025, and the one-man system in the Tokyo metropolitan area, including private railways, is expected to expand further in the future.