News Japanese railway conductors get stylish sunglasses

thomas · 17 Jan 2025

Like their NPA colleagues, Japanese railway companies will introduce sunglasses to enhance safety and reduce driver fatigue. These sunglasses improve visibility by minimising glare from sunlight and reflections, allowing drivers to stay focused. JR East will begin issuing sunglasses to its 7,000 conductors starting in February. Other railway companies that have already implemented this initiative have received positive feedback from drivers, who report reduced eye strain and improved focus while operating trains. JR East's trials on the Tohoku Shinkansen and Chuo-Sobu lines have demonstrated the effectiveness of sunglasses in improving forward visibility and reducing driver fatigue, particularly in snow conditions.

Photo credit: East Japan Railway Co.

Although driver cabins are equipped with sun visors, more than 70 percent of Shinkansen and conventional line drivers expressed a preference for sunglasses after the trials. Starting in February, JR East will provide sunglasses with polarized lenses that do not affect signal visibility. Staff at 17 stations, including Shinjuku and Yokohama, where safety checks are required throughout the day on the platforms, will also be allowed to wear shades. Companies that allow the use of sunglasses include West Japan Railway Co. (JR West), Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai), Kyushu Railway Co. (JR Kyushu) and major private operators including Keikyu Corp. and Seibu Railway Co. JR Tokai fully introduced sunglasses for conventional line drivers in 2023; it said that 95 percent of drivers reported improved visibility in a survey and 77 percent felt reduced fatigue. Passengers also don't seem to mind the new look.

Train drivers will be even cooler donning new JR sunglasses | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

News Japanese railway conductors get stylish sunglasses

thomas

Unswerving cyclist

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