Akihiro Ito

General Manager of the Tokyo Project Development Department within the Corporate Planning Division at Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central)

Presentation Title: Intercity High-Speed Rail : From the Tokaido Shinkansen to the Linear Chuo Shinkansen

Abstract: This presentation offers an overview of the Tokaido Shinkansen which opened in 1964, pioneering intercity high-speed rail. The Tokaido Shinkansen connects three major metropolitan areas, Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka, the combined GDP of which is approximately 329 trillion yen. The currently build “Linear Chuo Shinkansen”  is lifting intercity high-speed rail in Japan to the next stage. The entirely new system achieves ultra-high-speed operation by replacing conventional adhesion railway with leveraging  superconducting technology. Equipped with superconducting magnets, the Linear Chuo Shinkansen rolling stock operate at a speed of 500 kilometers per hour, connecting Tokyo (Shinagawa) and the Osaka area in as fast as 67 minutes. Shinagawa Station will serve as the Tokyo metropolitan area’s terminal station for the Linear Chuo Shinkansen. Development is underway to integrate the area around Shinagawa Station. The transportation infrastructure is being upgraded with new ticket gates, trunk roads, subway lines, and other infrastructure enhancements. Moreover, the Linear Chuo Shinkansen will alter how Japan itself is structured. It is regarded as critical infrastructure in the new national spatial strategy. There will be four intermediate stations, one in each of the four prefectures the line passes through. A new national corridor will evolve as the blocs formed around these four stations expand and integrate to create urban area clusters.
This talk will present the development and the expected broad impact of the Linear Chuo Shinkansen. Among others, it’s benefits for the expressway network and co-ordination with other modes of transportation in a new era of long distance travel will be discussed.

Professor of Transportation at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology

Presentation Title: CASPT History and Future Urban Public Transport Service

Abstract: CASPT that can be termed as the lighthouse of public transport has a history of 50-year, starting in Chicago in 1975. This presentation will start by showing some milestones of this 50-year history. The presentation will continue with the realization that presently, in 2025, it is evident that more than half the world’s population resides in cities, and growth is expected almost exclusively in cities. Accordingly, urban growth acceleration can be expected to result in healthier, more efficient and more productive living for city dwellers. The believed solutions for the future rely on public transport (PT) modes of travel, regardless of whether they are metro, bus, light rail, tram, Uber service, an ordinary taxi, personal-rapid transit or any other PT-based future mode, moving horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, on surface, elevated, or underground. The core claim of the presentation justifies replacing private cars (PCs) with existing and future PT vehicles. In testing 17 major cities globally, 94% of the scenarios proved PT superior or equivalent to PCs for reducing travel time. Moreover, it shows a potential reduction in car traffic by approximately two-thirds compared with the current situation.

Francesco Viti

Dean of Engineering, Chair Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Director GREAT Smart Cities Institute of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Presentation Title: Sustainable management strategies for a mixed fleet of electric and diesel buses under driving range uncertainty

Abstract: In transit-oriented metropolis, emissions from heavy-duty diesel vehicles, mostly buses, may constitute up to 80-90% of roadside emissions. It is difficult to address the air quality problem without addressing the emissions from buses. Electric buses (EB) are often considered as an important part of the solution, albeit EB deployment encounters major obstacles, such as limited driving range, scarcity of charging facility, and of course, vehicle cost. How to route and schedule EB under range and recharging constraints is a key problem to be tackled. Moreover, the EB driving range is subject to uncertainty, which may vary with congestion, passenger loading, etc. This presentation will investigate the interplay among three stakeholders in the development of sustainable mixed-bus fleet management strategies: operator, passengers, and government. Such an understanding will facilitate the development of bus fleet management strategies and subsidy policies for ensuring their financial viability, maintaining passenger travel convenience, and reducing emissions. We will use Hong Kong case studies to show practicality and highlight the trade-offs between electric bus deployment and strategic charging infrastructure.

Kiyohito Utsunomiya

Professor of Economics at Kansai University

Presentation Title: Railways as urban transportation: Japanese experience and future challenges

Abstract: Japan boasts an advanced urban railway network. This originates from the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) model initiated in the early 20th century, which led to the success of railway businesses during that era. Since then, urban railways in Japan have been operated by private companies for decades. However, they now face new challenges amid increasing motorization and a declining population. In regional areas, even urban railways are being downsized, leading to a more car-dependent society and creating a vicious cycle. Nonetheless, new developments are emerging, such as the successful implementation of the Haga-Utsunomiya LRT. By investing in public transportation services through public sector support, it is possible to reverse the negative cycle faced by regional cities. To achieve this, it is essential to evaluate the value of railways, including non-monetary benefits.

Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Northwestern University

Presentation Title: Is fare-free transit just?

Abstract: This study examines whether fare-free transit (FFT) aligns with John Rawls’s theory of justice. We focus on the difference principle—which calls for allocating resources to benefit the most disadvantaged travelers—and contrast it with a utilitarian approach that aims to maximize overall utility. FFT is of course not free.  Without farebox revenue, transit agencies must either reduce services or secure alternative funding through local taxes and fees.  Thus, our analysis integrates both financial and operational decisions, while capturing the interplay between traffic congestion, travelers’ income levels, and mode choices. Moreover, we extend our analysis to evaluate a reduced-fare scheme for disadvantaged travelers, comparing its welfare gains and operational efficiency with those of a fully fare-free design. Drawing on a case study based on empirical data from Chicago, we explore the practical compromises required to reconcile the diverse interests and ideologies that shape transit design.

Shigeru Morichi

Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo, Tokyo Institute of Technology, and GRIPS

Presentation Title: Japan’s TOD and its proposals to Asia

Abstract: Transit Oriented Development (TOD) in Japan began in 1910 with Ichizo Kobayashi of Hankyu Railways, and became a business model for subsequent private railways. It has not only developed areas around stations, but has also realized railway-oriented urban structures. It has also focused on long-term urban development over 20 years,rather than on short-term profits for railway companies, and has earned more profits not only from new developments but also from redevelopment projects. However, many decision makers in Asia consider TOD to be development around stations, and believe that short-term profits from TOD will compensate for losses from railway operations. This presentation will explain the characteristics of TOD in Japanese urban railways, the current state of TOD in Asia, and the experience of TOD being deployed at all 92 stations on Japan’s Shinkansen line, and discuss lessons for the future development of TOD in Asia.