The East Japan Railway Co.'s logo

       TOKYO -- East Japan Railway Co. (JR East)'s Tokyo branch announced Dec. 13 that nine lines in the capital region will run all night over New Year's Eve to New Year's Day.

       The decision to lay on the service comes after last year's move not to in response to the coronavirus infections situation. With new cases this year currently low, the company has opted to offer the service for the first time in two years.

       According to the JR East Tokyo branch, trains' operating times and the intervals between them will vary by line, and in some cases only services traveling away from the capital's center will run. The Yamanote Line will run trains about every 15 minutes between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m., while the Keihin-Tohoku Line will provide train services at spaces of about 30 to 45 minutes between around the hours of 1 a.m. and 4 a.m.

       The company says that the services could still be canceled depending on the state of virus infections. After the all-night services are completed, services on all lines on the following day will run on a holiday schedule from the very start.

       West Japan Railway Co. and some other private railway operators will not be providing all-night services for a second consecutive year due to expectations that fewer people will attend shrines or events to commemorate the start of the new year.

       (Japanese original by Shotaro Kinoshita, Tokyo City News Department)

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