Thursday, March 25, 2004 at 5:04 PM Bullet train average - only 12 secs late
From correspondents in Tokyo
March 25, 2004 A REGIONAL operator of Japan's super-punctual bullet train service believes it has shattered the record for the shortest-ever annual delay, being late by only an average of 12 seconds or less over the past year. The average delay on all 160,000-odd bullet trains run by regional operator Central Japan Railway in the year to Monday compares to the previous records of 18-24 seconds in fiscal 1997 and 2001, spokesman Koji Ishikawa said Wednesday. "We are likely to score the best record," he said ahead of the official end of the fiscal year on March 31. "We will make further efforts to reduce the delay to zero ... although safety is the top priority for us," he said. The "shinkansen" bullet train, operated by different companies in various regions, made its debut in 1964 and has a reputation for punctuality, a national trait in Japan. Even the slightest delay prompts an effusive apology from the train guard, which often lasts longer than the hold-up itself. With trains running the same route every few minutes to cope with huge numbers of passengers, even brief delays can result in backing up the whole network and overcrowding. The main revenue source for Central Japan Railway, also known as JR Tokai, is the line between Tokyo and the nation's second largest city of Osaka. It runs about 160,000 bullet train services a year. Agence France-Presse
—Tyler | 
