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In the fiscal year 2024, the Toei-operated Nippori-toneri Liner in Tokyo was the busiest railway line in Japan, reaching a congestion rate of 177 percent during rush hour between the stations Akado-shogakkomae and Nishi-nippori.

What is a congestion rate?

The congestion rate is determined by the capacity level of a train line during rush hour. The Japanese government defined a congestion rate of 100 percent as a situation where all seats are taken, and all standing passengers can find a strap to hold on to. A rate of 180 percent was set as the upper limit during peak traveling hours for passenger comfort, marking a point where passengers feel substantial pressure through touching bodies. Rail transportation continues to be Japan’s leading mode of passenger transport, providing access to and from the country’s centers of employment and entertainment.

Congestion in other metropolitan areas

Heavy congestion is not a unique characteristic of Tokyo but a general phenomenon of Japanese rapid transit and commuter rail. The other two major metropolitan areas in the vicinities of Osaka and Nagoya have also been monitoring railway congestion for years. Both regions had similar congestion rates, though considerably lower than in Tokyo. Similar average congestion appeared as people adjusted their mobility patterns to the pandemic. Still, congestion rates outside of Tokyo are below the capital’s peaks: Main railway lines in the Osaka Metropolitan Area and those in the Nagoya Metropolitan Area were lower than congestion rates in the capital.