 | The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject.(November 2014) |
A private railway is a railroad run by a private business entity (usually a corporation but not need be), as opposed to a railroad run by a public sector.
In Japan, private sector railway (私鉄 or 民鉄, Shitetsu or Mintetsu), commonly simply private railway, refers to a public transit railway owned and operated by private sector, almost always organized as a joint-stock company, or in Japanese: kabushiki gaisha (lit. stock company), but may be any type of private business entity. Although the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies are also kabushiki gaishas, they are not classified as private railways because of their unique status as the primary successors of the Japanese National Railways (JNR). Voluntary sector railways (semi-public) are additionally not classified as shitetsu due to their origins as rural, money-losing JNR lines that have since been transferred to local possession, in spite of their organizational structures being corporatized.
Among private railways in Japan, the Japan Private Railway Association categorizes 16 companies as "major" operators. [1] They are often profitable and tend to be less expensive per passenger-kilometer than JR trains that also run less dense regional routes, and assumed a heavy burden of the former JNR debt. Private railways corporations in Japan also run and generate profits from a variety of other businesses that depend on the traffic generated through their transit systems: hotels, department stores, supermarkets, resorts, and real estate development and leasing.
Japanese railways, whether government run, semi-public, or private business, are subject to the regulations enforced by the Railway Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. They may join unions such as National Railway Workers' Union and General Federation of Private Railway and Bus Workers' Unions of Japan, but their abilities to call a strike is severely limited by government legislation; there is very little tolerance for railway work stoppage. Employees of private railways may legally strike but its unheard of in Japan. There have only been two notable railroad strikes in Japanese history, both by employees of government run entities (government employees are legally barred from striking): One in 1973, [2] and a major strike protesting the breakup (and layoffs of tens of thousands of employees) of JNR in 1985.
Though private railways such as industrial railways have existed in Japan they are not deemed shitetsu nor mintetsu in Japanese, as their purpose is not public transit.
Tokyo Metro is a member of Japan Private Railway Association but is under special laws and its stock is owned by the Japanese Government and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (pending privatization). The Japan Private Railway Association counts Tokyo Metro as one of the 16 major private railways. [3]
In the United States, a private railroad is a railroad owned by a company and serves only that company, and does not hold itself out as a "common carrier" (i.e., it does not provide rail transport services for the general public).
The East Japan Railway Company is a major passenger railway company in Japan and is the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as JR Higashi-Nihon in Japanese. The company's headquarters are in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo, and next to Shinjuku Station. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, and is also one of the three only Japan Railways Group constituents of the Nikkei 225 index, the other being JR Central and JR West.
The West Japan Railway Company, also referred to as JR West, is one of the Japan Railways Group companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, and is also one of only three Japan Railways Group constituents of the Nikkei 225 index: the others are JR East and JR Central. It was also listed in the Nagoya and Fukuoka stock exchanges until late 2020.
Subaru Corporation, formerly Fuji Heavy Industries, Ltd., is a Japanese multinational corporation and conglomerate primarily involved in both terrestrial and aerospace transportation manufacturing. It is best known for its line of Subaru automobiles. Founded in 1953, the company was named Fuji Heavy Industries until 2017. The company's aerospace division is a defense contractor to the Japanese government, manufacturing Boeing and Lockheed Martin helicopters and airplanes under license. This same division is a global development and manufacturing partner to both companies.
Japan Freight Railway Company, or JR Freight, is one of the seven constituent companies of Japan Railways Group. It provides transportation of cargo nationwide throughout Japan. Its headquarters are in Shibuya, Tokyo near Shinjuku Station.
The Tokyo Metro is a major rapid transit system in Tokyo, Japan, operated by the Tokyo Metro Co. With an average daily ridership of 6.84 million passengers, the Tokyo Metro is the larger of the two subway operators in the city; the other being the Toei Subway, with 2.85 million average daily rides.
The Tokyu Corporation a contraction of and formerly Tōkyō Kyūkō Dentetsu kabushiki gaisha until 2 September 2019, is a Japanese keiretsu or conglomerate headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo. While a multinational corporation, its main operation is the Tokyu Railways Company, Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary operating railways in the Greater Tokyo Area.
The Odakyu Electric Railway Company, Ltd., commonly known as Odakyū or Odawara Kyuko, is a major railway company based in Tokyo, Japan, best known for its Romancecar series of limited express trains from Tokyo to Odawara, Enoshima, Tama New Town, and Hakone.
The Japanese National Railways abbreviated JNR or Kokutetsu (国鉄), was the business entity that operated Japan's national railway network from 1949 to 1987.
Two subway systems operate in Tokyo: Tokyo Metro and the Toei Subway. Most of the network is located in the 23 special wards, with portions extending into Chiba and Saitama Prefectures. The subways are one part of Greater Tokyo's passenger rail network, with through service further connecting the subway to suburban railways in Western Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture.
The Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company is a third-sector railway operating company in Japan. It was established on 15 March 1991 to construct the 58.3 km Tsukuba Express commuter railway line from Akihabara in Tokyo to Tsukuba in Ibaraki Prefecture. The Tsukuba Express line was opened on 24 August 2005.
The Japan Railways Group, more commonly known as the JR Group or simply JR, is a group of railway companies in Japan that underwent division and privatization of the government-owned Japanese National Railways (JNR) on April 1, 1987. It consists of six passenger railway companies, one freight railway company, and two other non-service companies. Most of the liability of the JNR was assumed by the JNR Settlement Corporation.
The Tobu Railway Company, Ltd. is a Japanese commuter railway and keiretsu holding company in the Greater Tokyo Area as well as an intercity and regional operator in the Kantō region. Excluding the Japan Railways Group companies, Tobu's 463.3 km (287.9 mi) rail system is the second longest in Japan after Kintetsu. It serves large portions of Saitama Prefecture, Gunma Prefecture and Tochigi Prefecture, as well as northern Tokyo and western Chiba Prefecture. The Tobu Railway Company is listed in the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the Nikkei 225 index.
The New Shuttle is a manually driven rubber-tyred people mover system in Saitama Prefecture, Japan, operated by Saitama New Urban Transit Co., Ltd..
Rail transport in Japan is a major means of passenger transport, especially for mass and high-speed travel between major cities and for commuter transport in urban areas. It is used relatively little for freight transport, accounting for just 0.84% of goods movement. The privatised network is highly efficient, requiring few subsidies and running with extreme punctuality, though since privatisation several unprofitable but socially valuable lines have been closed by private operators.
The JR Tōzai Line is one of several commuter rail lines and services in the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto Metropolitan Area, operated by West Japan Railway Company. The line, whose name literally means "east-west", runs underground through central Osaka and connects the Gakkentoshi Line at Kyobashi Station in Osaka and the JR Takarazuka Line and the JR Kobe Line at Amagasaki. All stations on this line are in the city of Osaka, except for the western terminus in Amagasaki, Hyōgo Prefecture.
The Chichibu Railway Company, Ltd. is a small-sector private railway company operating a railway line in northern Saitama Prefecture, Japan. In addition to its railway operations, the company deals in the real estate and tourism industries. It managed the Mitsumine Ropeway (三峰ロープウェイ) until it closed in December 2007 and the Mikajiri Line until its closure in 2020. Taiheiyo Cement is its largest shareholder, and one of Chichibu Railway's main operations is the transportation of limestone from Mount Bukō. The railway's passenger services concentrate on the tourism industry, as there are popular destinations along the line. A train hauled by a steam locomotive also operates regularly during some seasons, attracting tourists from around the country.
Semboku Rapid Railway Co.,Ltd. is a company managing the commercial distribution center and the Semboku Rapid Railway in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It was formerly known as third-sector company Osaka Prefectural Urban Development Co., Ltd. until June 30, 2014. Osaka Prefectural Urban Development and its subsidiary company were called the OTK Group together.
Kitakinki Tango Railway Corporation was a railway operator in Japan. The company's name, which consists of "Kitakinki" meaning northern Kinki region and "Tango" meaning Tango Province, is occasionally abbreviated as KTR.
The Japanese National Railway Settlement Corporation, or JNRSC, was a temporary holding company created to distribute the assets of the former Japanese National Railways (JNR) after its privatization in the mid-1980s. On October 22, 1998, the JNRSC was disbanded and placed under the Japan Railway Construction Public Corporation, JRCC, and its assets were transferred. Currently, the Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency holds the liabilities and assets of the JNRSC.
AbukumaExpress, Ltd. is a third-sector railway transportation company headquartered in Date, Fukushima, Japan.