A study of vertical separation in Japanese passenger railways

In recent years, the Japanese railway sector adopted vertical separation in certain circumstances. This research investigated the recent Japanese policies and clarified the characteristics of vertically separated railways in Japan compared with those in Europe. When we consider the current status of Japanese railways where traffic is dense on many lines, the study concludes that a single railway company should manage railway operations as a whole even if the public sector retains ownership of the infrastructure. As one of the lessons learned from European experiences, it appears worthwhile to introduce railway operations based on a public-private contract for more cases in regional rail transport in Japan.