[Life in the megacities of Japan is fast-paced. People are in a hurry. Public transportation is crowded. Because trains are always on time, being late by 30 seconds, can cause someone to miss the train they wanted to ride. In all of this, pray that the Japanese will be able to be still and know the true living God. Pray for them to hear His voice calling them unto salvation. Pray for those that are tense and troubled. Pray that they would come unto Christ and find rest for their souls.] FREE JAPAN

Rushing passengers a headache for railways. The Yomiuri Shimbun

A JR conductor on June 4 angrily warned passengers over the public address system of the train he was working on that the company would not be responsible for any injuries they suffered by rushing to get on the train, according to East Japan Railway Co.

According to the company, the 48-year-old conductor said when a passenger forced open a closing door to get on the express train at Kokubunji Station: "It's dangerous to jump into the train when the doors are closing. You could be seriously injured, and you'd be responsible for the injury."

Another passenger complained to JR East about the announcement. The company admitted that the conductor's language was rude and warned him over the incident.

The company said the conductor was angry over the passenger's behavior, which the conductor said was "intolerable."

Indeed, rushing to get on a train is a dangerous act that may lead to an accident. Some passengers who have tried to jump into a train have got stuck between the doors, or fallen and broken bones. Others have had their clothes caught by the door and fallen from the platform.

Besides, if a train leaves a station behind schedule because of reckless passengers, the driver is forced to speed to stay on schedule.

If a train on the Yamanote Line stops five to 10 seconds longer at each station, another train has to be canceled. JR trains are scheduled by seconds, and the drivers are encouraged to stick to the schedule.

Delays force drivers to speed between stations, just as the driver of a West Japan Railway Co. train on the Fukuchiyama Line did in April, resulting in a crash that killed 107 people.

Meanwhile, conductors are struggling to find the best way to warn passengers who try to force themselves into trains.

Some of them have considered drawing attention to dangerous passengers by making an announcement such as: "Passenger in the first car, your behavior is dangerous." But other conductors opposed the idea, saying they should not single out passengers for a warning. The proposal was scrapped.

Toru Koyama, former Saitama University professor of traffic systems studies, said, "Passengers, too, should be aware of the risk of making a dash for the train and realize that many people will be inconvenienced by their doing so."

"If it takes a long time to close the doors, it will delay the schedule. It may lead to reckless driving to catch up the schedule," Koyama added.

Koyama, a member of a panel established by JR West to propose measures to prevent an accident like the crash on the Fukuchiyama Line, pointed out that trains in Japan run on a tighter schedule than those in other countries.

"In Japan, drivers and conductors are sometimes overburdened with deciding when and how to close the doors. They're under strong pressure," he said.

One solution may be so-called home doors--barriers on the platform with automatic doors that open and close along with train doors installed to prevent passengers from falling off the platform.

Some train lines, including Tokyo Metro's Nanboku Line and the Toei Mita Line, are equipped with such barriers. The Tokyo metropolitan government's Transportation Bureau said the barriers seemed to be succeeding in preventing passengers from rushing to the train, and more trains were running on schedule.

However, JR East is reluctant to install these doors, saying it would cost too much and take up space on the platform. The company also said it would take more time to open and close the doors, leaving it unable to deal with the large number of passengers during rush hours.

Koyama said: "Home doors are ideal, but they may be impractical, considering the cost issues. For the time being, we have to count on passengers' good sense."

Copyright 2005 The Yomiuri Shimbun