TOKYO —

Tokyo’s newest subway line, the Fukutoshin line, suffered scheduling problems during rush hour on Monday, the third day in a row that trouble has been reported since the line opened on Saturday.

According to Tokyo Metro, a Seibu line train was late arriving at Kotake-Mukaihara station on the Fukutoshin line around 7:20 a.m., which had a domino effect on connecting trains throughout the whole network. Tokyo Metro said its trains are supposed to depart on time, and not wait for late connecting trains. But due to a miscommunication, Tokyo Metro said that trains on the Fukutoshin line had to wait for up to 35 minutes.

In addition, a local train on the Fukutoshin line mistakenly entered the track for express trains in the Shinjuku area around 4:40 p.m., causing delays to the whole schedule.

A spokesperson for Tokyo Metro said, “We had tested the connection with other lines, but unfortunately, there are still a few bugs in the system. We will mobilize veteran staff to make sure things run smoothly.

Latest 15 of 20 Total Comments Show All

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  maninjpn at 12:02 PM JST - 17th June

  Doesn't Meitetsu Line in Nagoya have 3-4 lines coming in once it reaches Nagoya Station? I remember doing rush hour there are there were trains coming in every 90-120 seconds or so.

  All you folks taking the new line quit complaining. You'll be basking in the benefit of avoiding Yamanote Line in the mornings soon enough. Some of us have to take a line that is affected by accidents that happen 100 kilometers away (RE: Tokaido Line affecting Shonan-Shinjuku and Saikyo Lines). sigh

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  Piglet at 12:06 PM JST - 17th June

  papasmurfinjapan, I agree with your comment. However, the most important parameter here is the number of passengers the line can carry per hour. Even if stopping time is longer and trains are slowler, using double-decker trains might contribute to globally increase traffic. Concerning JR pushers, get rid of them, as well as 50% of useless employees. I am surprised that no lines so far (except minor ones) are automatic. International experience shows that automatic lines are more secure, more punctual and can handle passenger flow much more efficiently (the trafic algorithm computes transit time and decides for the time to stop at each station for all the line). Japanese trains and subways are clean and punctual, but they are definitely backwards technologically speaking and less than stylish (but this is another debate).

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  USNinJapan2 at 12:45 PM JST - 17th June

  Piglet

  A double decker subway? We are talking about subways here right?...

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  Coligny at 12:49 PM JST - 17th June

  For Meitetsu at least 4, The airport shuttle (new train express and a old banger that stop at every combini on the way), the Toyohashi terminus, a local line and some another (toyokawainari I think).

  Don't remember having or reading about any problem...

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  maninjpn at 12:57 PM JST - 17th June

  Thanks Coligny. I never had any delay problems using Meitetsu Line either. But then again, I only use it about 50 times a year. :-)

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  upnorth71 at 01:20 PM JST - 17th June

  Piglet You make some good points, but they are not applicable in an urban area like Tokyo. First of all, double deckers require larger tunnels, and there is already little space underground in Tokyo. The Fukutoshin Line tunnel actually passes within 10cm of another subway line tunnel at one point. As for fully automatic lines, they are practical when they are isolated from other lines. However, most subway lines in Tokyo are interconnected with surface lines and the complex flows and different signalling systems of the respective railway companies requires human control.

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  higeki at 02:06 PM JST - 17th June

  I gave it a test drive. No problems when I rode it.

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  timorborder at 04:15 PM JST - 17th June

  Good to see Blinky turned up for the opening and then made himself scarce as S hit the F. And this guy reckons he can organize the Olympics?

  Moderator: Please do not refer to Ishihara as Blinky. Such derogatory names lower the level of discussion.

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  badge123 at 04:41 PM JST - 17th June

  "they're crazy trying to merge 3 different train lines onto a single track"

  Toei (the other subway operator in Tokyo does it), you can see, Keikyu, Keisei, Shinbayama Railway and of course actual Toei Asakusa Line trains running through service on the Asakusa line.

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  Zen_Builder at 04:45 PM JST - 17th June

  Lots of subway lines in tokyo are merged into train-lines.

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  noborito at 05:16 PM JST - 17th June

  that's why things should be run by computers and not people. also hire a bunch of people at 900 yen an hour, and that's what you get.

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  efftta at 08:33 PM JST - 17th June

  Another solution is the creation of fully automatic lines.

  You mean like the Oedo line?

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  squidinkling at 10:25 PM JST - 17th June

  No complaints about the Tokyo metro. Compare it to commuting in London, where these kinds of problems are an everyday given. And where escalators remain broken for a year, and where some subway stations even CLOSE on public holidays! Tokyo will sort their problems within the next few days.

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  Piglet at 10:33 PM JST - 17th June

  efftta> no I mean, lines that run automatically, without train driver. As an example, I previously indicated line 14, in Paris: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ParisMétroLine_14 It is controlled by OpenVMS Operating System. I think I would be feasible to run the subway portion of the lines automatically. Then, when train merge with existing railway lines, it could of course be under the supervision of a driver. On another topic, I always thought that trains and subways in Japan have no sense of design and style whatsoever. Even new trains look like coming from the 80s period. Anyway, contrary to many posts here, it is clear that a big proportion of the current employees in train and subway companies (like many other companies in this country) are not really necessary.

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  GW at 06:55 AM JST - 18th June

  man oh man am I glad I have a 20-25min leisurely drive to work 99% of the time, the other 1% is when I hit the big smoke, you all enjoy the summer maddness now ys hear!

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