According to railway line crowding rates (released by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism), which primarily reflect morning rush-hour congestion, the Nippori-Toneri Liner has held the title of “worst in crowding rate” (177%) for five consecutive years. If you travel 40 km north from here—about a 50-minute ride on the Joban Line—you can board the “Kanto Railway Ryugasaki Line” (Ibaraki Prefecture), which has a congestion rate of just 53% and ranks as the “second least congested” line in eastern Japan. The route runs from Sanuki Station—which connects to the Joban Line’s Ryūgasaki City Station—to Ryūgasaki Station, located near City Hall. With just one stop along the way and a travel time of seven minutes, it is one of the smallest railways in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Now, in its 126th year of operation, the Ryūgasaki Line is reportedly facing the threat of closure. Ryūgasaki City has a population of 73,000, which is fairly substantial, and the Ryūgasaki Line still runs two to three trains per hour—a fairly frequent service. Despite being an area from which commuters can reach central Tokyo in about an hour by transferring to the JR Joban Line, this line’s annual deficit stands at “50 million yen.” Compared to other local lines across the country where discontinuation is being considered, this deficit is significantly smaller, and at first glance, it might seem easy to keep the line running. So why is its survival in jeopardy? First, let’s look at the background leading up to the “review of future options” regarding the Ryūgasaki Line’s survival or discontinuation.
© Source travel watch