In yesterday’s post I pondered out loud about whether or not the line I commute on is the busiest one in the Osaka area or not, so I decided to look for some statistics. With surprisingly little effort, I found the data for last year, 2007, for Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya areas.

The degree of crowding was averaged over one hour over all the trains passing through the segment between two stations, and I presume also averaged over the year. As a baseline, 100% is full, not just all seats taken, but also the straps and a few people around the doors. 150% is touching shoulders, but can still easily read a newspaper. 180% is bodies touching, but can just manage to read. 200% is just a bit too close, but you can still just manage a magazine or book. 250% is sardines.

So without further ado, here they are for the main lines around each of the cities:



Tokyo area railway conjestion statistics for 2007

Line Stations Overcrowding Tobu Isesaki Line Kosuge to Kita-senju 145% Tobu Tojo Line Kita-ikebukuro to Ikebukuro 136% Seibu Ikebukuro Line Shiinamachi to Ikebukuro 158% Seibu Shinjuku Line Shita-ochiai to Takadanobaba 160% Keisei Oshiage Line Hikifune to Oshiage 160% Keisei Main Line Daijingu-shita to Keisei-funabashi 151% Keio Line Shimo-takaido to Meidaimae 169% Keio Inokashira Line Shinsen to Shibuya 146% Odakyu Odawara Line Setagaya-daita to Shimo-kitazawa 192% Tokyu Toyoko Line Yutenji to Naka-meguro 172% Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line Ikejiri-Ohashi to Shibuya 198% Keikyu Main Line Tobe to Yokohama 153% Toei Asakusa Line Honjo-azumabashi to Asakusa 133% Toei Mita Line Nishi-sugamo to Sugamo 164% Toei Shinjuku Line Nishi-ojima to Sumiyoshi 173% Tokyo Metro Hibaya Line Minowa to Iriya 164% Tokyo Metro Ginza Line Asasaka-mitsuke to Tameike-Sanno 168% Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line Shin-otsuka to Myogadani 159% Tokyo Metro Tozai Line Kiba to Monzen-nakacho 199% Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line Higashi-ikebukuro to Gokokuji 173% Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line Machiya to Nishi-Nippori 181% Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line Shibuya to Omotesando 173% JR Tokaido Line Kawasaki to Shinagawa 191% JR Yokosuka Line Shin-kawasaki to Shinagawa 182% JR Chuo Rapid Line Nakano to Shinjuku 198% JR Chuo Sobu Line Yoyogi to Sendagaya 91% JR Keihin-Tohoku Line Ueno to Okachimachi 209% JR Joban Rapid Line Matsudo to Kita-senju 176% JR Joban Sobu Line Kameari to Ayase 176% JR Sobu Rapid Line Shin-koiwa to Kinshicho 180% JR Sobu Line Kinshicho to Ryokoku 206% Average of all 31 lines 171%

Osaka area railway conjestion statistics for 2007

Line Stations Overcrowding Kintetsu Nara Line Kawachi-eiwa to Fuse 141% Kintetsu Osaka Line Shuntokumichi to Fuse 141% Kintetsu Minami Osaka Line Kita-tanabe to Koboreguchi 142% Kintetsu Kyoto Line Mukaijima to Momoyamagoryomae 143% Nankai Koya Line Mozuhachiman to Mikunigaoka 130% Namkai Main Line Minato to Sakai 131% Keihan Main Line Noe to Kyobashi 126% Hankyu Takarazuka Line Mikuni to Juso 147% Hankyu Kobe Line Kanzakigawa to Juso 148% Hankyu Kyoto Line Kami-shinjo to Awaji 130% Hanshin Main Line Yodogawa to Noda 115% Osaka Municipal Subway Midosuji Line Namba to Shinsaibashi 134% Osaka Municipal Subway Tanamachi Line Tennoji to Shitenn?ji-mae Y?higaoka 120% Osaka Municipal Subway Yotsubashi Line Namba to Yotsubashi 99% Osaka Municipal Subway Sakaisuji Line Nipponbashi to Nagahoribashi 113% JR Tokaido Rapid Line Ibaraki to Shin-osaka 122% JR Tokaido Line Shin-osaka to Osaka 119% JR Osaka Loop Line Tsuruhashi to Tamatsukuri 149% JR Katamachi (Gakkentoshi) Line Shigino to Kyobashi 137% JR Hanwa Line Sakaishi to Tennoji 141% Average of all 20 lines 133%

Nagoya area railway conjestion statistics for 2007

Line Stations Overcrowding Meitetsu Main Line (East) Jingu-mae to Kanayama 140% Meitetsu Main Line (West) Sako to Meitetsu Nagoya 137% Kintetsu Nagoya Line Komeno to Nagoya 143% Nagoya Municipal Subway Higashiyama Line Nagoya to Fushimi 174% Nagoya Municipal Subway Meijo Line Kanayama to Higashi Betsuin 160% Nagoya Municipal Subway Tsurumai Line Kawana to Gokiso 138% JR Tokaido Line Biwajima to Nagoya 145% JR Chuo Line Shin-moriyama to Ozone 128% Average of all 8 lines 146%

Data taken from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport web site.