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2 June | • | White Paper on Transportation
by Management and Coordination Agency
showed number of road-accident deaths in
1997 decreased by 302 to 9640, falling
below 10,000 for 2 consecutive years. Injuries
increased to 958,925, and number
of traffic accidents surged to 780,399, worst
record in 5 consecutive years
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3 June | • | German 12-car ICE bound for
Hamburg from Munich derailed, killing 102
passengers. Federal report blamed accident
on broken wheel of passenger car
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| • | JR East announced new discount
rate for customers using Tohoku and
Joetsu Shinkansen in early morning during
summer holiday season between 21
July and 30 September (except 11–20
August)
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7 June | • | Bomb exploded on express train
running from Karachi to Peshawar, India,
killing at least 23 and injuring 70
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9 June | • | 1998 White Paper on Tourism
reported 16.8 million Japanese tourists
visited overseas in 1997. Highest figure in
history, but growth slowed to 0.6% compared
to 1996. Foreign tourists visiting
Japan totalled 4.22 million, increase of
9.9%
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11 June | • | Single-car train stopped due to
equipment failure on Tosa Kuroshio Railway
(Nishi Ogata–Kotsuka section of
Nakamura Line), in Kochi Prefecture,
Japan, hit by rescue train injuring 38 passengers
and crew
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| • | JR Central and Railway Technical
Research Institute successfully conducted
running tests with two linear trains
on experimental line in Yamanashi Prefecture.
Two trains ran side-by-side and
passed each other to examine effect of
shock and electromagnetic waves on wayside
and compartments
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14 June | • | MD11 of Japan Airlines strayed
off runway after landing at Manila International
Airport, Philippines, injuring 24
passengers
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17 June | • | Freight train collided with bus
on crossing in Hunan, southern China, killing
16 and injuring 33
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28 June | • | Sightseeing bus collided headon
with passenger car in Mikata, Fukui Prefecture,
Japan, forcing bus over road
embankment, injuring 37
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30 June | • | Chiba Express Electric Railway
of Chiba Prefecture dissolved by
transferring railway division to major shareholder,
Keisei Electric Railway. First case
of failure of third-sector railway. Railway
started operation in 1992 to serve Ichihara
New Town, large-scale residential project
developed by Housing and Urban Development
Corp., but failed to attract sufficient
riders
|
| • | JR Central revealed plans to
develop new track testing vehicle for
Tokaido Shinkansen. Vehicle to be designed
based on company's Series 700
railcars, and to enter service in spring
|
| • | Tokyo Metropolitan Transit
Authority and electronic ticket R&D consortium
(TRAMET) launched 1-year experiment
on IC card ticket for selected routes
and users. IC card with embedded chip
and antenna, serves as both commuter
pass and prepaid card (up to 10,000 yen),
and activated by passing card close to
reader on automatic gates
|
| • | Malaysia celebrated opening
of new Kuala Lumpur International Airport
located 50-km southwest of Kuala Lumpur.
Able to handle 25 million passengers and
1 million tons of air cargo annually. Construction
continuing in two more phases
with final completion in 2020
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3 July | • | Doubled-decked cable car
opened between Shirakaba Daira (1305 m)
in Gifu Prefecture, Japan and halfway up
mountain (2156 m), taking about 7 minutes
to cover 2.6-km ride
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6 July | • | New Hong Kong International Airport
started commercial operation with
3800-m runway built on reclaimed 1250-
ha site. Another runway to open by year
end, when airport able to handle 87 million
passengers annually
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|
7 July | • | Japan Airlines and SwissAir
agreed on broad alliance centering on code
sharing to start joint operation between
Tokyo New International Airport (Narita)
and Kansai International Airport and Zurich
in late October
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10 July | • | JR West and JR Central started
joint operation of new sleeper Sunrise Express between Tokyo and Takamatsu
(Shikoku)/ Izumoshi (Sea-of-Japan coast).
Sleepers divided into private rooms, some
with LCD TV and shower. 14-car train
divided at Okayama into 7 cars for Takamatsu,
and 7 cars for Izumoshi (photos p. 63)
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13 July | • | Japan Auto-Camping Federation
reported 13.75 million people (down
13.0% on previous year) used car camp
grounds at least once in 1997. First major
decline since survey started in 1987.
Major factors include poor weather during
summer holidays, decline in camping
boom, and continuing recession
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15 July | • | JR East announced 3-year, ¥80-
billion plan to replace old cars and upgrade
signalling systems to reduce equipment
and signal failures in Tokyo Metropolitan
Area
|
| • | 1998 White Paper on Maritime Transport published by Japanese Ministry
of Transport, reported slower growth in
freight handled by Japanese ports than
other Asian ports, including Hong Kong and
Singapore. White Paper recommended
revitalizing Japanese ports to meet users'
needs
|
|
17 July | • | Japanese Ministry of Transport
announced 193 out of 212 bus operators
(with 30 or more buses) reported operating
losses in 1997. In particular, all 32 public
bus operators in red. Combined total
loss reached 130.7 billion yen (9.7% increase
over 1996)
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|
18 July | • | Akita Prefecture celebrated inauguration
of second airport in Odate/
Noshiro. 2000-m runway handles three
flights operated daily from and to Tokyo
(Haneda), Osaka (Itami) and Sapporo (Shin
Chitose)
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|
20 July | • | Cruise Ship Ecstasy (2000 passengers
and 960 crew) caught fire off coast
of Miami. Fire-fighting tugs extinguished
fire without serious damage
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|
24 July | • | Thirty-four local residents in
Setagaya, Tokyo, won damages totalling
¥9.65 million against Odakyu Electric Railway,
for suffering caused by noise pollution
that ‘… exceeds a generally acceptable
level.’ However, 68 residents remain dissatisfied
with decision and filed lawsuit with
Tokyo District Court, demanding noise reduction
measures including underground
relocation of line and damages totalling
¥240 million. First case of damages
awarded against railway for noise pollution
(except for shinkansen) in Japan
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|
28 July | • | New airport opened in Saga Prefecture,
Kyushu, Japan. 2000-m runway
handles five daily flights to and from
Haneda, Nagoya, and Itami
|
| • | Minibus service with female
drivers started between Shibuya Station
and Daikanyama, Tokyo. Tokyo Bus Company
started service through wholly owned
subsidiary, Tokyu Transe, to take advantage
of deregulation
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|
5 August | • | Korean Airlines B747 from
Narita over-ran runway at Kimpo Airport
injuring 26
|
|
6 August | • | The Association of Japanese
Private Railways announced FY1997
operating results for 15 leading private railway
companies. Total passengers declined
2.6% from previous year to 7470 million,
marking sixth consecutive fall. Major reasons
blamed on recession, proliferation of
5-day working week, and decrease in number
of children. Operating revenues shrank
2.5% to ¥1305.4 billion, while expenditure
increased slightly by 0.4% to ¥1083.7 billion.
Operating profits fell 14.7% to ¥1305.4
billion with ordinary profits down 16.9% to
¥123.77 billion
|
| • | Flooded R. Yangtze and other
major rivers in China left more than 2000
people dead as of 3 August with total number
of people affected by flooding reaching
240 million
|
|
8 August | • | Metropolitan Seoul suffered
torrential downpours totalling 750 mm since
5 August, killing 143 and leaving 68 missing
and disrupting rail services
|
|
9 August | • | Taiwan Railroad Management
Bureau ran old CK101 steam locomotive
in Taipei to commemorate 111th anniversary
of start of railways in Taiwan. Loco
manufactured in 1917 and operated until
1978
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|
10 August | • | According to 1997 Air Transport
Statistics announced by Japanese
Ministry of Transport, number of domestic
air passengers grew at healthy 4.2% to
85.55 million. Haneda–Sapporo route continued
to boast highest share, exceeding 8
million. International air passengers remained
flat with 0.9% increase and totalling
15.69 million. Domestic air freight
tonnage grew by 1.8% to 848,068 tonnes,
and international freight tonnage grew 7.6%
to 970,186 tonnes
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|
11 August | • | Museum of Logistics
opened in Minato-ku, Tokyo. More than
50,000 historical records cover all aspects
of physical distribution, including
express messenger service and maritime
transport in Edo Era, and river transport
and rail freight services during Meiji Era.
Museum has total floor area of 825 m2
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|
20 August | • | EF66 Electric locomotive
hauling freight train of 24 container cars
from Tokyo to Fukuoka derailed at Aboshi
Station on JR Sanyo Line in Himeji,
Hyogo Prefecture when coupling disconnected
|
|
27 August | • | Sagami Railways to inaugurate
3.1-km extension of Izumino Line
between Izumi Chuo and Shonandai on
10 March 1999. New section under construction
since February 1992, designed
to connect with Shonandai Station on
Enoshima Line of Odakyu Electric Railway,
creating new transport network linking
Yokohama and central Kanagawa
Prefecture
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|
28 August | • | Sky Rail, first suspended
monorail in Japan, started operation over
1.3-km section between JR Sanyo
Honsen Station, Hiroshima, and Midori
Chuo Station, near large housing development
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|
29 August | • | Cuban Tupolev 154 passenger
plane carrying 90 crew and
passengers failed on take off at Quito,
Ecuador, killing at least 77 people including
9 on ground
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