Railway Electrification Day

What Is Railway Electrification Day?

November 19 is "Railway Electrification Day" in Japan. On November 19, 1956, electrification of the Tokaido Main Line between Maibara and Kyoto was completed, finishing electrification of the entire line. The Railway Electrification Association established the day in 1964 to mark it. With the whole line electrified, the limited express trains "Tsubame" and "Hato" ran between Tokyo and Osaka in 7 hours 30 minutes. In 1958, the first electric-train limited express, "Kodama," using Series 151 electric trains, also began running.

How Electrification Spread in Japan

Japan's electric railways began in Kyoto in 1895 (Meiji 28). Trains powered by hydroelectricity from the Lake Biwa Canal started the story. That year, Kyoto also hosted the 4th National Industrial Exhibition marking the 1,100th anniversary of the founding of the capital, and in April the line was extended to the exhibition grounds at Okazaki. Electric trains later began running on ordinary steam railways too. In 1960, "Tsubame" and "Hato" also became electric trains.

• Kyoto Electric Railway (1895): on February 1, about 6.4 km from near Kyoto Station to Fushimi opened, Japan's first electric train in commercial service. It was bought by the city of Kyoto in 1918 and became part of the Kyoto city tram network
• Kobu Railway (1904): on August 21, it electrified the Iidamachi-Nakano section and became the first ordinary railway in Japan to run electric trains. It is the ancestor of today's Chuo Line
• AC electrification (1950s): the Kita-Sendai to Sakunami section of the Senzan Line served as a test line, and by 1957 commercial service with AC electrification had reached Sendai
• Tokaido Shinkansen (1964): at its opening, Tokyo to Shin-Osaka took 4 hours. From November 1965 it took 3 hours 10 minutes, and today's fastest is 2 hours 21 minutes

Regenerative Braking: Making Electricity While Stopping

Many electric trains use their motors as generators when braking, turning the energy of motion into electricity. When it returns to the overhead wire, another train nearby can use it, and because some energy is recovered, wear on mechanical brake parts is reduced. It cannot always be returned if no train is nearby to take it. Battery trains store the power in their own batteries for reuse. Even non-electrified lines are getting hybrid railcars that store regenerated power in batteries.

Tips for Marking This Day

• Look up at the pantograph and overhead wires on your commuter train
• Use the story of Shinkansen travel time shrinking from 4 hours to 2 hours 21 minutes as small talk
• Ride a streetcar and imagine the era when Japan's first electric train ran in Kyoto
• Compare riding a diesel railcar on a non-electrified rural line with riding an electric train

How Electricity Changed the Distance Between Rails and Daily Life

Electrification has greatly changed how fast and convenient railways are. November 19 is a day to spend a moment on the history of the train you ride every day.