Train operation control systems: Supporting the
smooth transit of 7.42 million passengers a day

Tokyo Metro is a railway operator that runs nine separate train lines in the Tokyo area totaling over 195.1 km* of track. The actual operation of these lines is the task of the transit controllers at the Integrated Control Center, where their work is assisted by an operation control system. This system automatically controls trains so that they run on-time following a previously established schedule. If the schedule is disrupted by some kind of incident, such as an accident, the system then controls train operation in accordance with schedule changes that controllers have made to adapt to the situation, such as the limiting of train operation to certain sections or the temporary suspension of reciprocal through-service.

In 2013, Tokyo Metro launched the 5 Railways Reciprocal Through-Service comprising a network of six railway lines operated by five railway companies. These include Tokyo Metro (covering 2 of its 9 lines, the Yurakucho Line and Fukutoshin Line), the Tokyu Railway, the Tobu Railway, the Seibu Railway, and the Yokohama Minatomirai Railway. This system allows mutual access by the cars of these five railways to each of their operational sections. Although it increases rider convenience through such features as train-change-free access to Tokyo's city sub-centers, the project also forecast the risk of a schedule disruption at a single location rippling extensively throughout the network. Aiming to resolve this issue, Hitachi began working with Tokyo Metro on improving and updating the existing operation system before service implementation in 2010.

The hardware received three main improvements. The first was the replacement of the central processing unit, the backbone of the system, with a high-performance unit. This yielded higher processing and reaction speeds in system management, schedule management, and other aspects of operational control.
The second was the improvement of the command entry terminal. The previous system had one monitor per person for command work. Because of the consequent need for frequent switching between screens and the effect this had on service restoration work, a multi-monitor system was set up that gave two monitors to each controller. Another issue was the difficulty in providing a rapid event response upon a schedule disruption due to having to give operational adjustment instructions by radio, which could only be accomplished one communication per train line. To enable rapid restoration, a new terminal equipped with a touch panel that can immediately send instructions from the station's display to train crew and station personnel was installed.

The third was dealing with the projected increase in schedule disruptions at Kotakemukaihara Station, a junction station servicing lines out to four directions. A manual terminal designed especially for Kotakemukaihara Station was installed, and controllers were assigned especially to the rush hours. These measures made it possible to prevent train confusion at Kotakemukaihara Station and to smoothly carry out manual control in the event of a disruption so as to rapidly restore normal service.

The software received functional enhancements for improving the ability to respond to schedule disruptions. First, a schedule-change function was added that supplies directions for operational adjustment in four phases, “halt of service in progress”, “substitution of all at one time”, “simple substitution”, and “through-operation halt,” in accordance with the problem-causing section, the cause, and other relevant factors. Assistance functions were enhanced by enabling monitors to display information for both the Tokyo Metro lines for trains running on the lines of other railways and by adding a schedule and train search function for finding the current position of a delayed train. These enhancements streamlined control operations by giving controllers the ability to rapidly ascertain operational status.

This was the path leading to the March 2013 startup of the 5 Railways Reciprocal Through-Service, the culmination of new improvements to the operation control system. By connecting such districts outside of Tokyo as Minatomirai in Kanagawa Prefecture and Kawagoe and Hanno in Saitama Prefecture, this system enhances the convenience of train users on their various errands, from commuting to work and school to shopping and sightseeing, by making it possible to access the various Tokyo sub-centers of Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Ikebukuro without having to change trains.

Tokyo Metro is currently in the process of implementing this operation control system on all its lines. As a partner in this process, Hitachi has worked together with Tokyo Metro on various service enhancements aimed at dealing with changes to operations, including increasing the number of trains in service and extending their service sections.

With the aim of contributing to the creation of train systems that provide a safe and comfortable experience for their users, in the future, Hitachi will apply its Experience Oriented Approach to the operation control systems of other railway companies through collaborative creation with customers to develop highly reliable, convenient systems and proposals for ideal operational environments amenable to use by all train controllers.