Railways to extend operating hours during 2020 Tokyo Olympics

I remember they tried night bus in Tokyo on the most infantile route.. shibuya to pongi .. which caters to absolutely nobody because anyone partying will just take a cab ( cost is cheaper if split 4 ,besides the usual benefits) and you can walk it in like 20min anyway.

failed miserably obviously... i always wonder why they dont start minivan fixed route taxies like in many countries... those travel from point to point, can drop off anywhere on route and only go when full at one point ( efficiency ) ...

You may as well be asking for 24-hour service, 7 days a week.

In Tokyo? I am.

All you guys might be a bit central-Tokyo-centric. Having the central city lines open until 2am means the suburban/private lines and stations out of the city would also have to be open until 3-4 am. You may as well be asking for 24-hour service, 7 days a week.

Why does Tokyo need 24 hour operation when London can get by without it?

London has night buses, something the Tokyo government is incapable of providing.

Interesting that so many find the restricted operating hours in Tokyo a problem. Hours for the London Underground are even more restricted than those of Tokyo lines but people seem to manage. At least the trains in Tokyo are generally reliable during their scheduled operating hours, something that cannot be said for London.

Why does Tokyo need 24 hour operation when London can get by without it?

I think it's quite a simple solution just force the providers to operate 24/7 over staurdays and Fridays....... Buuuuut as rumour has it in Japan who has the mula has the top word sooooo do the maths....... Why spend extra money to change something that has been working with little problems (ahm)?????

Think about the benefits we all get to sleep longer hours and be more energetic next day (sarcasm)

I have always suspected the reason the trains stop so early is Taxi industry payola !!!

ShavedNutsMar. 16  11:04 pm JST

Welcome to Japan. Service is never about the customer, but the provider.

didn't know there was anyone besides me who sees that. thanx!

Nice! Can’t wait!

Welcome to Japan. Service is never about the customer, but the provider.

The police for a long time even opposed 24-hr ATMs, which they felt could result in more crime. They want people home and snug in their beds from midnight to six a.m. If they see you walking or cycling past their koban at 3 a.m., that makes you a suspicious person, so don't be surprised if they pull you over for "shoku-shitsu" (questioning).

It's ridiculous having to finish a night out at 10:30 just because you have to get home to anywhere

11pm, sup up boys.

Does Tokyo at least have an all night bus service?

this country is making a big deal over a meaningless 2 week event that nobody will remember the day after...

I wish that the trains ran to 2am all the time.

It can be a logistical and expensive nightmare when you've got a 6:30am flight from Haneda...

@Do the hustle: Such a different world from a place like South Korea. Their trains schedules are basically similar to Japan and yet bars and restaurants in what is equivalent to a Shinjuku or Shibuya in Korea would be filled with people eating and drinking.

for the amount of people using the trains in one of the most densely populated cities in the world the trains should be running 24/7 with only midweek breaks for maintenance. The reason they do not run 24/7 is, population control. They have to make sure those workers get home and be fit for work in the morning. With so many people jammed into peak hour trains it cannot be an economics issue.

I managed a bar in Shinjuku many years ago. The place was empty by midnight. It was only those who missed their last train who attempted to spend the night in the bar drinking water until the first train who dated in the bar. They were unceremoniously ousted at 1am. Tokyo runs by train schedules. If train hours were increased to 24/7 all the bars and restaurants would have a bonanza. However, companies would fail because their alcoholic workers would be too hungover to work.

@Derek Grebe: Yes, lots of us are sick of that. You hit the nail on the head. Every weekend going home on the last train I grouse about it. This will be a welcome (but all too brief) respite.

"We are thankful to the train operators for extending their services as we want spectators to be able to enjoy the late-night events no matter what time they finish," said Toshiro Muto, CEO and Director General of the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee.

And if the event finishes past 2:20 AM? Quit playing mommy and let them run 24/7.

Annoys the hell out of me that public transportation and other services just have to stop operations after a certain time, like we can decide for ourselves what time to go to bed!

So if it can be done, why not do it every weekend? It's ridiculous having to finish a night out at 10:30 just because you have to get home to anywhere more than an hour away from town.

And the Last Train would be a marginally less hellish experience too, after two more hours' supping to dull the misery.

Is anybody else sick of absolutely everything being based on the Olympics and not on the poor sods who live here?