Tokaido Shinkansen blames 14% drop in passengers in May on new flu

Friday 29th May, 06:13 AM JST

TOKYO —

The average daily number of passengers using the Tokaido Shinkansen Line from May 1 through Wednesday fell 14% from the same period last year, Central Japan Railway Co said Thursday, apparently due to the new influenza outbreak and a drop in business trips amid the economic slowdown.

If the number of passengers continues to decline for the rest of May, the rate of fall for the entire month of May would surpass the previous record of a 13% decrease, which was logged in February 1995 in the aftermath of the Great Hanshin Earthquake on Jan 17 that year.

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7 Comments

franz75 at 08:34 AM JST - 29th May

I blame the price! If you want to spare some money, postpone your trip to Kyoto. It is in quarantine anyways. Oh wait... OK blame the flue. The tree is hidding the forest.
chuckers at 09:29 AM JST - 29th May

Wouldn't have had anything to do with people taking to their cars during a long Golden Week to cash in on the 1000 yen road tolls?

Nah, probably the flu.
dennis0bauer at 03:35 PM JST - 29th May

I agree with you both, yes the price is atrocious and 1000yen for ETC is a great incentive to take the car (JR should take this as a hint)
mrsynik at 04:07 PM JST - 29th May

How about cutting the fare and making a few more cars Jiyuseki? I see the Shinkansens going past Hamamatsucho on my way to/from work and the non smoking Yoyakuseki and Green Cars are frequently carrying only air.
franz75 at 04:17 PM JST - 29th May

mrsynik: [shiteiseki] is reserved seat.

They should ban smoking cars too. Even if I smoke, I do not seat there.
LostinNagoya at 04:51 PM JST - 29th May

What about the overnight buses between Tokyo-Osaka-Nagoya which cost 1/4 of the price? I have friends that work for embassies that have switched from shinkansen to buses. Everybody wants to save money these days, even the upper class. JR should lower the prices.
jonnyboy at 05:00 PM JST - 29th May

on the whole train pricing is excellent in japan but the shinkansen is so overpriced. surely it would be a great deal more popular if the prices were more reasonable, and JR would make more money overall? seems like a major element of the country's transport infrastructure is being priced out of reach of the average taro