Ensuring the convenience of users
Many measures are being taken to make railway transportation more convenient, especially in large cities. The Ministry of Transport has established guidelines for improving facilities for the elderly, the disabled, and others with restricted mobility. Assistance is being provided via the Traffic Amenity Promotion Organization (incorporated foundation). The Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Construction have also implemented a "campaign to ensure pedestrian comfort in and out of stations" in model areas, an effort to improve the pedestrian environment. Furthermore, railway operators are taking the initiative in providing a more comfortable train environment, including air-conditioning, linking suburban railways directly with subways in the city center, and introducing pre-paid cards for train fare.
Ensuring the safety of railway lines
The number of railway accidents and human casualties resulting from them is on the decline long term. There were 1046 accidents in 1995, as opposed to 3794 in 1975. This decline is attributed to a range of safety measures implemented while railway operators were promoting the introduction of faster and more frequent service. To prevent accidents at railway crossings, which account for half of all railway accidents, efforts have been made for the last 40 years to introduce multi-level crossing and install more crossing gates and railway alarms. The Automatic Train Stopping device (ATS) and train ratio have been adopted to prevent train collisions. Other efforts include financial assistance from the Ministry of Transport for the education of railway workers, and the ministry's research into the causes of railway accidents.
