Japan’s busiest railway lines
In yesterday’s post I pondered out loud about whether or not the line I commute on is the busiest one in the Osaka area or not, so I decided to look for some statistics. With surprisingly little effort, I found the data for last year, 2007, for Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya areas.
The degree of crowding was averaged over one hour over all the trains passing through the segment between two stations, and I presume also averaged over the year. As a baseline, 100% is full, not just all seats taken, but also the straps and a few people around the doors. 150% is touching shoulders, but can still easily read a newspaper. 180% is bodies touching, but can just manage to read. 200% is just a bit too close, but you can still just manage a magazine or book. 250% is sardines.
So without further ado, here they are for the main lines around each of the cities:
Tokyo area railway conjestion statistics for 2007
| Line | Stations | Overcrowding |
| Tobu Isesaki Line | Kosuge to Kita-senju | 145% |
| Tobu Tojo Line | Kita-ikebukuro to Ikebukuro | 136% |
| Seibu Ikebukuro Line | Shiinamachi to Ikebukuro | 158% |
| Seibu Shinjuku Line | Shita-ochiai to Takadanobaba | 160% |
| Keisei Oshiage Line | Hikifune to Oshiage | 160% |
| Keisei Main Line | Daijingu-shita to Keisei-funabashi | 151% |
| Keio Line | Shimo-takaido to Meidaimae | 169% |
| Keio Inokashira Line | Shinsen to Shibuya | 146% |
| Odakyu Odawara Line | Setagaya-daita to Shimo-kitazawa | 192% |
| Tokyu Toyoko Line | Yutenji to Naka-meguro | 172% |
| Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line | Ikejiri-Ohashi to Shibuya | 198% |
| Keikyu Main Line | Tobe to Yokohama | 153% |
| Toei Asakusa Line | Honjo-azumabashi to Asakusa | 133% |
| Toei Mita Line | Nishi-sugamo to Sugamo | 164% |
| Toei Shinjuku Line | Nishi-ojima to Sumiyoshi | 173% |
| Tokyo Metro Hibaya Line | Minowa to Iriya | 164% |
| Tokyo Metro Ginza Line | Asasaka-mitsuke to Tameike-Sanno | 168% |
| Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line | Shin-otsuka to Myogadani | 159% |
| Tokyo Metro Tozai Line | Kiba to Monzen-nakacho | 199% |
| Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line | Higashi-ikebukuro to Gokokuji | 173% |
| Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line | Machiya to Nishi-Nippori | 181% |
| Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line | Shibuya to Omotesando | 173% |
| JR Tokaido Line | Kawasaki to Shinagawa | 191% |
| JR Yokosuka Line | Shin-kawasaki to Shinagawa | 182% |
| JR Chuo Rapid Line | Nakano to Shinjuku | 198% |
| JR Chuo Sobu Line | Yoyogi to Sendagaya | 91% |
| JR Keihin-Tohoku Line | Ueno to Okachimachi | 209% |
| JR Joban Rapid Line | Matsudo to Kita-senju | 176% |
| JR Joban Sobu Line | Kameari to Ayase | 176% |
| JR Sobu Rapid Line | Shin-koiwa to Kinshicho | 180% |
| JR Sobu Line | Kinshicho to Ryokoku | 206% |
| Average of all 31 lines | 171% |
Osaka area railway conjestion statistics for 2007
| Line | Stations | Overcrowding |
| Kintetsu Nara Line | Kawachi-eiwa to Fuse | 141% |
| Kintetsu Osaka Line | Shuntokumichi to Fuse | 141% |
| Kintetsu Minami Osaka Line | Kita-tanabe to Koboreguchi | 142% |
| Kintetsu Kyoto Line | Mukaijima to Momoyamagoryomae | 143% |
| Nankai Koya Line | Mozuhachiman to Mikunigaoka | 130% |
| Namkai Main Line | Minato to Sakai | 131% |
| Keihan Main Line | Noe to Kyobashi | 126% |
| Hankyu Takarazuka Line | Mikuni to Juso | 147% |
| Hankyu Kobe Line | Kanzakigawa to Juso | 148% |
| Hankyu Kyoto Line | Kami-shinjo to Awaji | 130% |
| Hanshin Main Line | Yodogawa to Noda | 115% |
| Osaka Municipal Subway Midosuji Line | Namba to Shinsaibashi | 134% |
| Osaka Municipal Subway Tanamachi Line | Tennoji to Shitenn?ji-mae Y?higaoka | 120% |
| Osaka Municipal Subway Yotsubashi Line | Namba to Yotsubashi | 99% |
| Osaka Municipal Subway Sakaisuji Line | Nipponbashi to Nagahoribashi | 113% |
| JR Tokaido Rapid Line | Ibaraki to Shin-osaka | 122% |
| JR Tokaido Line | Shin-osaka to Osaka | 119% |
| JR Osaka Loop Line | Tsuruhashi to Tamatsukuri | 149% |
| JR Katamachi (Gakkentoshi) Line | Shigino to Kyobashi | 137% |
| JR Hanwa Line | Sakaishi to Tennoji | 141% |
| Average of all 20 lines | 133% |
Nagoya area railway conjestion statistics for 2007
| Line | Stations | Overcrowding |
| Meitetsu Main Line (East) | Jingu-mae to Kanayama | 140% |
| Meitetsu Main Line (West) | Sako to Meitetsu Nagoya | 137% |
| Kintetsu Nagoya Line | Komeno to Nagoya | 143% |
| Nagoya Municipal Subway Higashiyama Line | Nagoya to Fushimi | 174% |
| Nagoya Municipal Subway Meijo Line | Kanayama to Higashi Betsuin | 160% |
| Nagoya Municipal Subway Tsurumai Line | Kawana to Gokiso | 138% |
| JR Tokaido Line | Biwajima to Nagoya | 145% |
| JR Chuo Line | Shin-moriyama to Ozone | 128% |
| Average of all 8 lines | 146% |
Data taken from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport web site.
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Brooke said,
September 7, 2008 @ 02:07
Hey, I love your blog.
What is surprising to me about MLIT’s website is that no stats are given for the Yamanote Line, which always seemed like one of the consistantly crowded lines that I have ridden in Japan. Your thoughts?
feitclub said,
September 7, 2008 @ 08:07
I don’t understand the “stations” listed. Is that supposed to represent the most crowded section of said line?
feitclub said,
September 7, 2008 @ 08:08
ugh, nevermind, I just had to read your introduction more closely.
www.japansoc.com said,
September 7, 2008 @ 11:32
The Most Overcrowded Trains in Japan…
If you’ve ever wondered whether the train you take on your daily commute to work is overcrowded or not, check out “What Japan Thinks” for a list of the busiest railway lines in Japan. According to the figures, the busiest line is the JR Keihin-Tohok…
Daniel Fath said,
September 8, 2008 @ 09:13
No mention of the JR Saikyo Line — rather surprising. Wonder if they have stats for groping — in my neighborhood, Saikyo and Tobu Noda Line are notorious.
sasutan said,
September 9, 2008 @ 16:47
The Denentoshi line express from Sangenchaya to Shibuya anytime from 8am - 9am has got to hit 250% most days. It’s inhuman.
Johan said,
September 15, 2008 @ 19:51
Denentoshi line’s gotta be one of the lines which are most busy over a long period of time. When I was commuting with JR Keihin-Tohoku line, I found it unbearable around 8.30-9, but simply going about 20-30 minutes earlier than usual made it bearable. Denentoshi Line on the other hand, seems to be sardines from 7 to 10, every day!!! I now leave for work an hour earlier than when I did before I moved to Setagaya, but it’s still pretty darn crowded on the train..
Ken Y-N said,
September 15, 2008 @ 20:26
Johan, I’ve not had experience with Tokyo rush hour, but my Hankyu Takarazuka line is hell between 7:30 and 8:30 followed by the JR Loop Line, so I usually get up before 5:30 to make sure I can get out before 6:30 and ensure my seat. Luckily, I live at the start of the local train’s run, so if the express is full I can just jump on the local.
phahmhehlhah said,
September 18, 2008 @ 11:13
I wonder how they chose which stations to monitor? And with lines that offer local/express, etc. there is a difference on the same line. I ride Keihan Main Line, and the express from Hirakata to Kyobashi is a disaster; it’s got to be 300% sometimes going into Osaka. Now that I commute the other way to Kyoto it’s not so bad, but generally I think Keihan’s got the worst scheduling of all the lines I’ve used in Kansai.
Izumi said,
September 20, 2008 @ 13:31
phahmhehlhah, isn’t that the truth! I also take the Keihan in the mornings, even the local trains are packed!