Hello guys. Out of boredom one night early this year (2009), I set out a set of questions on railways in Japan. Posted on several forums, few people answered due to various reasons. Some say they are too hard, some say they have no need to know about it so they are not attempting.
The reason I would like to post it here is not to reverse those comments. If its really hard, then I admit that I am an asshole. But this is no PSLE Maths nor 'rocket science'. If you find that the questions are really too tough like going to the Moon, the answers will be up after midnight, 1st January 2010. What exact time answers go up will have to depend on when I can get my hands on a computer after New Year party...
Please answer in English unless otherwise stated. For the benefit of non-Japanese speakers and for everyone to understand. Certain Japanese names/terms are included in brackets but they will not affect the answer.
2009 Japan Railways Quiz Version 1.1 Revised
Kanto Region
1. Operations: How many train stations are there within Narita International Airport (also known as New Tokyo International/NRT/RJAA) perimeter?
2. Operations: What is the cheapest fare to travel from Narita International Airport to Keisei Line Ueno Station (京�上野駅)?
3. Operations/Tourist: How many stations are there on the JR Yamanote Line (山手線)?
4. Technical: Name two of the Tokyo Metro Co. ,Ltd (æ�±äº¬ãƒ¡ãƒˆãƒ) subway lines that runs on third-rail power (Not Toei Lines).
5. Operations: Between which two stations can I find the most number of parallel tracks in Tokyo (except for depot and non-revenue lines)?
6. Operations/Tourist: You are in Tokyo area on the JR Yamanote Line. If you are heading north on the Tohoku Shinkansen (�北新幹線) but you do not want to take the train at Ueno, where else can you board?
Touhoku Region
7. Technical: What voltage and frequency do the Tohoku Shinakansen trains run on?
8. Operations: Which section of the Touhoku Main Line (æ�±åŒ—本線) is given to a third-party operator and what is the operator’s name?
9. Operations: What is the terminal station of the outbound (from Tokyo) Yamagata (山形) Shinkansen?
10. Operations: What are the lines that you can use to reach Iwaki Station (���駅) in Fukushima Prefecture (�島県)?
11. Operations/Tourist: On which line you will find a scheduled steam locomotive (SL) service in the Touhoku and which month did it operate in 2008?
12. History: You are heading to Hokkaido next. All you have to do is to take a train that goes through the Seikan Tunnel (�函トン�ル/海峡線). But in the 1970s, how does the train travel to Hokkaido?
Hokkaido Region
13.1. Operations: How many ‘undersea’ stations are there in the Seikan Tunnel?
13.2. Technical: What is the version of ATS (Automatic Train Stop) that trains entering the Seikan Tunnel must have?
14. Operations/Timetable: Given that Limited Express ‘Hokuto’ (北斗) 14 has a train code of 5014D and that ‘Hokuto’ and Super Hokuto’ (スーパー北斗) runs on the same route of Sapporo to Hakodate, what train code would ‘Super Hokuto’ 12 carry?
15. Tourist: Where are the most famous places in Hokkaido known for
A: Music Boxes,
B: Lavender flowers?
And name the nearest JR station that you alight to get there.
16. History: What is the JNR (Japan National Railway) line that used to reach Mombetsu (紋別) from Engaru station (é� 軽)?
17. History: What is the number one deficit line that had a deficit value of 3077 (3077 yen expenses per 100 yen revenue) in Hokkaido that helped forced the JNR Reform Act (日本国有鉄�経営�建促進特別措置法) in 1980 and the line was withdrawn in 1983?
18. Operations: You are at Sapporo and heading to Osaka/Kansai Region next. Other than taking an aircraft there, which is the direct train service that you can take to Osaka/Kansai Region? Give the train name in its official English name.
Kansai Region
19. Operations/Tourist: Can you take a Shinkansen train at JR Osaka Station (JR 大阪駅)?
20. Operations/Technical: How long is one loop of the JR Osaka Loop Line (大阪環状線)?
21. History: What is the train set number (編�番�) of the leading train that was involved in the derailment in 2005 at Amagaseki (尼崎)?
22. Operations/Tourist: Which is the nearest station to alight and visit The Kinki Sharyo Company Ltd (è¿‘ç•¿è»Šè¼›æ ªå¼�会社) which built some of Singapore’s MRT trains?
23. Tourist: Name one World Heritage Site in the Kansai Region.
24. Operations: Heading to Shikouku (四国) next, you would take the Rapid ‘Marine Liner’ from Okayama (岡山駅). The trains which run this service would have 6 cars in normal daytime. How many cars per train does JR Shikouku and JR West and put in and which company does the double deck train car in the train complement belong to? You may choose to list out the train cars and how they are formed.
Shikouku Region
25. Operational: What is special about the car numbering system for electric trains that JR Shikouku uses that differs from other JR companies?
26.1. History: What is the station that a train crashed into due to over-speeding on 2nd March 2005?
26.2. History: How many train cars were scrapped because of the accident?
27. Tourist: How many prefectures are there in Shikouku?
28. Operational: What is the duration that you would need to travel from Takamatsu (高�) to Matsuyama (�山) on an express train?
29. Tourist/Non-railway: What is the fare for a person (with or without luggage) from Matsuyama (�山) to Oita (大分) in Kyushu on ferry?
Kyushu Region
30.1. Operational: What is the section of JR Kyushu Shinkansen (�州新幹線) that is open as of January 2009?
30.2. Operational/Technical: What is the output in kilowatts per motor of a JR Kyushu Series 800 Shinkansen train (新幹線800系電車)?
31. Operational: What is the name of the southern-most JR station that is in Kyushu?
32. Operational: Which is the train series that is used to run the Trans-Kyushu Limited Express (ä¹�州横æ–特急)?
33. Operational/Tourist: Which is the nearest station that you can alight on the JR Nagasaki Line (長崎本線) to access the Peace Memorial and Nagasaki Atomic Bomb museum?
34. Operational/Technical: SL ‘ã�‚ã�� BOY’ (SL ASO BOY) ran from 1988 to 2005 as a regular scheduled steam locomotive after retirement in 1975. What series of locomotive it belongs to and what is its wheel configuration?
35. Tourist: You have found out that you have yet to visit a railway museum in Japan! But you have only a day left in the country and you are now in Kyushu. Name the railway museum in Kyushu that you can visit and its normal entrance fee for adult and children in yen.
Non-regional questions (Multiple choice and Structured)
1001. Technical: Which of the following series number belongs to the first prototype Shinkansen train produced?
A. 1000
B. 0
C. 弾丸列車 ('Bullet Train')
D. (No name)
1002. Technical: Which is the electric locomotive that you would consider using to haul over 24 carriages of containers or a cargo complement of about 1000 tons if you are back in 1962?
A. D51
B. EH10
C. DF200
D. ED10
1003. Technical: What is the fastest speed that a Shinkansen train can travel at on the Sanyo Shinkansen (山陽新幹線), considering that the ATC system is working?
1004. Technical: What speed type (速度種別) does the JR East E231 (4M6T configuration) sub-urban train at rush hour belong to?
1005. Operations: How do you head to Tokyo from Kagoshima at the fastest speed by train in year 1993?
1006. Technical: Name three different ATS (Automatic Train Stop) versions in Japan other than the one used in the Seikan Tunnel.
1007. Technical: What is different about the train set ‘W1’ of JR West Series 500 Shinkansen from the other production models of the same series?
1008. History: In 1959, a JNR Series 101 test train achieved the then-highest speed record in JNR. How fast did the train go?
End of Quiz
As above, please try first before searching on Wikipedia or other sources.
O.O
i'll answer 49 for everything thx XD
Kanto Region
1. Operations: How many train stations are there within Narita International Airport (also known as New Tokyo International/NRT/RJAA) perimeter?
3 train station. Higashi Narita, Narita Airport Terminal 1 and Narita Airport Terminal 2
2. Operations: What is the cheapest fare to travel from Narita International Airport to Keisei Line Ueno Station (京�上野駅)?
1000 Yen.
3. Operations/Tourist: How many stations are there on the JR Yamanote Line (山手線)?
29 station
4. Technical: Name two of the Tokyo Metro Co. ,Ltd (æ�±äº¬ãƒ¡ãƒˆãƒ) subway lines that runs on third-rail power (Not Toei Lines).
Ginza Line and Hibiya Line
5. Operations: Between which two stations can I find the most number of parallel tracks in Tokyo (except for depot and non-revenue lines)?
Not really sure about this one... Between Shinagawa and Tokyo?
6. Operations/Tourist: You are in Tokyo area on the JR Yamanote Line. If you are heading north on the Tohoku Shinkansen (�北新幹線) but you do not want to take the train at Ueno, where else can you board?
Tokyo Station
Touhoku Region
7. Technical: What voltage and frequency do the Tohoku Shinakansen trains run on?
25Kv AC, 60Hz
8. Operations: Which section of the Touhoku Main Line (æ�±åŒ—本線) is given to a third-party operator and what is the operator’s name?
Iwate Ginga Railway Company
9. Operations: What is the terminal station of the outbound (from Tokyo) Yamagata (山形) Shinkansen?
新庄駅 (Shinjo Station)
10. Operations: What are the lines that you can use to reach Iwaki Station (���駅) in Fukushima Prefecture (�島県)?
Joban Line and East Ban'etsu Line
Kansai Region
19. Operations/Tourist: Can you take a Shinkansen train at JR Osaka Station (JR 大阪駅)?
No. Shinkansen station at Osaka region is located at Shin-Osaka Station
20. Operations/Technical: How long is one loop of the JR Osaka Loop Line (大阪環状線)?
21.7km in terms of distance.
Kyushu Region
30.1. Operational: What is the section of JR Kyushu Shinkansen (�州新幹線) that is open as of January 2009?
Kagoshima-Chuo and Shin Yatsushiro
Non-regional questions (Multiple choice and Structured)
1001. Technical: Which of the following series number belongs to the first prototype Shinkansen train produced?
A. 1000
B. 0
C. 弾丸列車 ('Bullet Train')
D. (No name)
B, 0 Series
1003. Technical: What is the fastest speed that a Shinkansen train can travel at on the Sanyo Shinkansen (山陽新幹線), considering that the ATC system is working?
300km/h
1005. Operations: How do you head to Tokyo from Kagoshima at the fastest speed by train in year 1993?
Take the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen through service to Hakata, then transfer to the Relay Tsubame Service to Kagoshima-Chuo?
1006. Technical: Name three different ATS (Automatic Train Stop) versions in Japan other than the one used in the Seikan Tunnel.
C-ATS, ATS-P and ATS-PN
Nobody will answer them if they are asked to simply recall from memory, especially on a non-Japanese forum. Searched sources online.
Try my C151 quiz if you're free (that one takes just as long!)
1. Three
2. 1000 yen
3. 29
4. Ginza, Marunouchi
5. Ueno <> Nippori
6. Tokyo Station
7. 25Kv AC 50 Hz
8. Morioka and Hachinohe, Aoimori Railway
9. Shinjo
10. Joban, East Ban'etsu Line
11. - Passage -
12. By Ship!
13.1. Two
13.2. ATC-L
14. 5012D
15A. Otaru Music Box Museum, JR Minami-Otaru
15B. Furano Lavender Fields, JR Furano
16. Nayoro Main Line
17. Shiranuka Line
18. Twilight Express
19. No.
20. 21.7km
21. Z16
22. Tokuan Station
23. Himeji Castle
24. Shikouku provides the first car, which is also the double-decker car. Whatever is behind it are from JR West.
25. They use 4 (å››) digits
26.1. Sukumo Station
26.2. Two
27. Four! (å››)
28. 40 mins
29. 3000 yen
30.1. Shin-Yatsushiro <> Kagoshima-Chuo
30.2. 6600 kW
31. Nishi-Koyama Station
32. JR 185 series (diesel)
33. Tsukimachi Station
34. JR 8620 series (steam).
35. Kyushu Railway Museum. 300 yen, half-price for kids.
1001. D
1002. B
1003. 300 km/h
1004. A21
1005. Sanyo Shinkansen, then Kagoshima Main Line
1006. C-ATS, ATS-SW, ATS-P
Hmm good attempt, but the internet is full of loopholes
Shall reveal some of the answers.
8. Morioka and Hachinohe, correct. The line's name is IGR Iwaki Galaxy Railway (in which the short form stands for).
11. The Tadami Line, SL Ban'etsu Monogatari. October November December 2008.
14. A little tricky question, but you got it correct. Is this in Wikipedia too? I should avoid these questions next time haha...
15A. Hmm good, Minami-Otaru was one I missed out. I would prefer to walk from Otaru station and taste some of the unique Udon stores and glass-blowing experience too!
16 and 17. Good. This two are stuffs that only pre-JR (JNR) fans know good of. An average foreigner or even a Japanese may not know. Railway Fans however have them at the back of their palms.
24. Double deck car (5000系) is JR Shikouku, plus two immediate cars are also their's. The three cars heading Okayama are from JR West, numbered the 223系5000番�.
25. Correct, or another way to say is using the thousand unit numbering series. Guess its their culture!
28. 2 hours and 34 minutes (����3�, 602 --> 836, 13 en-route stops).
29. Another tricky question.
30.2 275 kW per motor (MT500K Three-phase Squirrel Cage AC Motor)
31. Nishi-Oyama (西大山) station.
32. Urakami (浦上) station.
34. 8620 correct. Wheel arrangement 2-6-0. Japanese configuration 1C. By right this locomotive pre-dates the JNR era, its a Ministry of Railway (鉄��) vehicle.
1001: A, the Shinkansen type 1000 (新幹線1000形電車). The prototype Shinkansen trains had 2-car and 4-car respectively, with 1001-1002 and 1003-1006 as the car numbers. They were made by several companies including Kisha Seizo, Kawasaki Heavy, Nippon Sharyo, Hitachi and Kinki Sharyo.
1003. ATC working allows 5 km/h buffer, and on the 5km/h mark the brakes will apply to lower speed down to +5 km/h -10, means if 200 is my cap, I can only go to 204 km/h, and once I hit 205, I will be brought back to 195 km/h. Sanyo Shinkansen has 300 as ATC signal, so the fastest you can actually go to catch-up the time is 304 km/h.
1004: A5, or 105 km/h on a 10 per mil (/1000) gradient. This value is used in planning diagrams (schedules).
1005. Another tricky one. Kagoshima station =/=Nishi Kagoshima station (presently Kagoshima-chuo). The fastest way of going to Tokyo from Kagoshima station in year 1993 is taking a local train, one stop, to Nishi-Kagoshima station, change to the Tsubame Ltd Exp to Hakata, then the Nozomi Super Express to Tokyo.
ATS one everyone got it right haha.
So I guess this concludes the quiz. Thanks for attempting or answering.
Next year's may be more challenging!
The people here only know NSL/EWL/NEL/CCL and LRTs ba.
Which train used to have backrest?
C151? C651 or C751
CHICKEN LA
Originally posted by bus555:Which train used to have backrest?
C151? C651 or C751
CHICKEN LA
C651 , anyway this is not MRT trivia. Please go to "MRT trivia" if you want to set some questions.
about the question about third rail lines under tokyo metro, it's not the hibiya line that runs on 3rd rail
the hibiya line has thorough service with other railways so it runs on catenary line
rather, i remember it's the marunouchi line that runs on third rail (both ginza and marunouchi lines do not have thorough service with other railways
the ginza and marunouchi line resemble singapore's MRT i feel....both lines have 6 car-formation and are third rail