May 7, 2009
Fun Facts About Japanese Rail Transit
In Tokyo, the number of annual train rides per person is 742.
Tokyo's population is 35 million. I'm not sure if each of those people is taking 742 rides per year, but it's nonetheless impressive, considering New York's population is 19 million.
Paris: 216
London: 129
New York: 94
Boston: ha ha what?
Other facts:
The average delay for the shinkansen (bullet train) for the entire year of 2007 was 30 seconds. Let's see the airlines duplicate that!
The shinkansen started running in 1964. "Bullet" train in the US? 2000. 36 years later.
France's TGV system is almost as extensive as that of the shinkansen, spanning 1180 route-miles. Vive la France!