Topics March – May 2004 1 March—Nagoya Railroad (Meitetsu) 24 March—Completion ceremony held for 7 April—WHO and World Bank reported submitted closure notice and application to Central Japan International Airport with world total of 1.183 million traffic deaths shut (on 31 March 2005) 12.7-km Ibi Line single 3500-m runway in Ise Bay off coast (3342 per day) in 2002 (Chusetsu–Kurono), 10.9-km Shinai and of Tokoname City in Aichi Prefecture with Tagami lines, and 13-km Minomachi Line opening by February 2005 8 April—Tokyo Air Traffic Control System (Hinobashi–Sekima) in Gifu Prefecture of Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and 24 March—Third-sector company to take Transport (MLIT) offline for 2.5 hours 6 March—Saemaeul express train (16 over JR West 8-km Toyama-ko Line throwing air schedules into turmoil cars) bound for Pusan from Seoul derailed (Toyama–Iwasehama) from FY2006 with at Sechun Station in Taejon start of tram operations announced new 12 April—Japan National Tourist name of Toyama Light Rail Organization (JNTO) announced 19.5% 6 March—Water taxi capsized in Baltimore, year-on-year drop (to 3.22 million) in 2003 Maryland, drowning two people and leaving 27 March—NASA set new world jet departures from Japan due to effects of three missing speed record with speed of Mach 7 concerns about SARS, terrorism, and poor (about 8000 km/h) with unmanned test Japanese economy; 5.21 million (-0.5%) 11 March—Three terrorist bombs exploded flight of X43A experimental craft powered foreigners visited Japan in same period almost simultaneously on commuter trains by ramjet in Madrid, Spain, killing about 200 people 13 April—JR East announced intended and injuring over 1700 30 March—Opening ceremony held for introduction of mobile phone with built-in KTX high-speed railway using French TGV SUICA prepaid smart-card train pass in late 16 March—Advanced Airport Systems technology before start of 300-km/h FY2005 Technology Research Consortium, operations on Kyongbu (Seoul–Pusan) and comprising Narita Airport Authority (NAA, Honam (Seoul–Mokpo) lines 14 April—MLIT announced Plan for now Narita International Airport Corp.) and Promotion of Removal of Utility Poles, various airlines started trial of Hands-free 31 March—Meitetsu closed 16.4-km calling for removal of utility poles and power Travel Service (full scale from 2006), Hekinan–Kira Yoshida section and 8.6-km lines from about 3000 km of main roads in allowing luggage with embedded IC chip Sanage–Nishi Nakagane section of Mikawa urban areas between FY2004 and FY2005 to be picked up at home and permitting Line in Aichi Prefecture with aim of improving appearance of urban luggage-free travel to international and tourist locations to make Japan more destination airport 1 April—NAA managing and operating popular tourist destination New Tokyo International Airport (Narita) 16 March—All Nippon Airways (ANA) and and TRTA privatized respectively as Narita 18 April—Chinese Railway Ministry Suruga Bank announced world's first International Airport Corporation and Tokyo revised train schedules with introduction integration of ATM cards, mileage cards, and Metro of non-stop, high-speed (160 km/h) electronic money with start of new housing express between Beijing and Shanghai, loan service that earns mileage points 1 April—German ICE traian collided with reducing travel time between two cities by tractor on tracks in Baden-Württemberg, about 2 hours 22 March—JR East started new service injuring tractor and train drivers and one enabling use of SUICA smart-card rail pass passenger 19 April—Meitetsu and Central Japan for shopping and other payments at some International Airport Line Railway Co., Ltd. 200 convenience stores and shops in 2 April—US government announced announced provisional opening of railway stations in Kanto region and Sendai City biometric identifications such as connecting Central Japan International fingerprints and photographs required of all Airport and Nagoya Station in about 30 23 March—Noto Railway Company tourists and short-stay visitors from 27 visa- minutes from mid-October 2004; access announced closure of 61-km Noto Line exempt countries restricted to people involved with airport (Anamizu–Takojima) on 31 March 2005, following March 2001 closure of Anamizu– 7 April—US-based Continental Airlines 19 April—Trains collided in tunnel at New Wajima section of 20.4-km Nanao Line and announced complete switch to electronic York’s Pennsylvania Station, injuring at least leaving only 33.1-km Nanao–Anamizu tickets by year-end in order to reduce costs 130 section of Nanao Line in operation 7 April—Eurotunnel board unseated by 27 April—JR East and JR West announced 24 March—Tokyo Metro held first general revolt of individual shareholders to lose agreement permitting 8.83 million users of meeting in advance of privatization of Teito control of company managing Channel JR East’s SUICA smart-card train pass and Rapid Transit Authority (TRTA) on 1 April Tunnel 1.2 million users of JR West’s ICOCA smart-card train pass to use passes on each other’s lines from August 2004 58 Japan Railway & Transport Review 40 • March 2005 Copyright © 2005 EJRCF. All rights reserved. 27 April—Power cut stopped Tokaido 31 May—MLIT announced joint use of Mr Terumasa Koyanagi Shinkansen between Mishima and Terminal 2 at Tokyo International Airport Former Executive Director of Seibu Railway Shizuoka in Fuji City, Shizuoka Prefecture (Haneda) from 1 December 2004 with named President on 8 April. After for about 2.5 hours Tokyo Monorail to construct Haneda Airport graduating in law from University of Tokyo Terminal 2 Station in 1964, joined Ministry of Transport (now 4 May—Air France and KLM Royal Dutch MLIT). Joined Seibu Railway in 1993 and Airlines announced merger as Air France– 31 May—Fire on Seattle Center Monorail assumed current post in June 2003. KLM, becoming Europe's largest airline in Washington injured nine people due to Current President Hiroyuki Toda stepped smoke inhalation down to become Board Director 9 May—Ground-breaking ceremony in Istanbul to mark start of construction of MILESTONES Mr Kyoji Nishikawa 11.3-km undersea subway tunnel crossing Vice President of Hanshin Electric Railway Bosporus Straight, linking European and Mr Isao Matsuhashi named President on 23 April. After Asian sides of Istanbul with planned Former Chairman of JTB became graduating in engineering from Graduate opening in 2009 Chairman of newly established Narita School of Kyoto University, joined former International Airport Corporation on 23 Japanese National Railways (JNR) in 1965. 11 May—Four-day operation to preserve March. After graduating in commerce from Joined Hanshin in 1986, where served as JR West's Nara Station as cultural asset Waseda University in 1956, joined Japan Director, Managing Director and Executive by relocating entire station on rails as part Travel Bureau (now JTB) where served as Director befor assuming current post in of project to elevate line President and Chairman, before becoming June 2003. Current President Masatoshi Advisor to JTB board in June 2002 Tezuka to become Chairman 14 May—Passenger plane crashed in Amazon River basin in western Manaus, Mr Masahiko Kurono Mr Tsutomu Hanada Brazil, killing all 33 people on board Former President of NAA (from 2002) Representative Director of Keisei Electric became President of Narita International Railway named on 28 April. After 16 May—Turin-bound train derailed in Airport Corporation on 23 March. After graduating in commerce from Keio northern Italy, killing one passenger and graduating in law from University of Tokyo University, joined Keisei in 1966, serving injuring 37 in 1964, joined Ministry of Transport (MOT as Director and Managing Director before and now MLIT) where served as Deputy assuming current post in June 2002. 18 May—Azerbaijan cargo plane crashed Vice Minister and Director General of Civil Current President Hiroshi Otsuka to near Urumqi Airport in western China, Aviation Bureau and Administrative Vice become Chairman killing all seven crew Minister Mr Kiyohiro Matsuda 23 May—Glass roof of Satellite E at Mr Shoichiro Hamanaka Senior Managing Director of JR Shikoku Terminal 2 of Charles De Gaulle Airport Former Chairman of Nippon Express named President of JR Shikoku from 25 collapsed, killing four people and seriously became Chairman of Tokyo Metro on 24 June. After graduating in engineering from injuring three March. After graduating in law from University of Tokyo, joined former JNR in University of Tokyo in 1954, joined Nippon 1969 and subsequently holding posts as 25 May—First 12-car train set for Taiwan Express where served as President and Managing Director and General Manager Shinkansen (345 km, Taipei–Gaoxiong), Chairman before becoming Advisor in June of Railway Operations in JR Shikoku before unloaded at Gaoxiong Port in Taiwan after 2003 assuming current post. Current President construction in Japan by Kawasaki Heavy Mr Toshiyuki Umehara to become Board Industries, Ltd., Hitachi Ltd., and Nippon Mr Hisashi Umezaki Chairman Sharyo, Ltd. with trials starting in Former President of TRTA became September 2004 and opening scheduled President of Tokyo Metro on 24 March. Mr Masayuki Matsumoto for October 2005 After graduating in law from Kyoto Vice President of JR Central named University in 1966, joined MOT where President from 23 June. After graduating 28 May—JR Central announced next- served as Director General of Railway in law from Nagoya University, joined JNR generation Series N700 for Tokaido and Bureau before becoming Administrative in 1967 and subsequently holding posts as San’yo shinkansen with trials to be Vice Minister in 1999, and Vice President JR Central Director, Managing and Senior completed in March 2005 and operation of TRTA in August 2002 Managing Director, and Vice President. debut in spring 2007 Current President Mr Takayuki Kasai to become Board Chairman with current Board Chairman Mr Hiroshi Suda becoming Board Advisor Copyright © 2005 EJRCF.