Job Discussion Forums

craven · Joined: 17 Dec 2004 Posts: 130

Does anyone here know a place to access updated schedule info for JR West trains? I live on the west coast of Japan, and am trying to get to Osaka for a plane on Saturday. We are SOCKED IN with snow, and many of the regular lines have been cancelled or delayed. Looking for website or phone info. In English if possible...

J. · Joined: 03 May 2003 Posts: 327

"Hyperdia" website has routes and times for trips from any one place to another in Japan, but I don't know if it would have changed times for delays etc. If the roads are clear and you need to get to the plane, you might try the bus. It takes longer but will probably get you there.

Whenever there are any delays on lines, I usually try to go really early, or even a day ahead. It might be advisable to go up and stay overnight at the airport hotel or nearby if that's in your budget. Good luck!

J.

canuck · Joined: 11 May 2003 Posts: 1921 Location: Japan

This is what I use to find train schedules.

http://www.jorudan.co.jp/english/norikae/

abufletcher · Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2005 4:14 am Post subject:

I missed my flight due to train and bus cancellations. I have to rebook a flight and pay an additional $500, and hang our at the airport and in Osaka for two days!

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

abufletcher · Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2005 2:16 pm Post subject:

About halfway across Awajijima the dirver of the airport bus announced that the road ahead was closed and that the bus would be stopping just on the other side of the bridge across to Honshu. We could either return with the bus to Marugame or get off at a spot called Mycal. We (another American and a Japanese man working in China) decided like most to press on. This was probably a mistake. We should have just turned around and tried again the next day. Anyway, there were mobs of people at the train station about 20km outside of Kobe. Trains were running but only sporatically. We decided to try by other means and took a taxi to the local subway station and were able to get as far as Sannomiyo. But again the airport express trains were not running. Hard to know why since it was pretty much bright and sunny by that time. It would have been harder to accept if there had been an honest-to-god blizzard outside. So we ended up taking 6 or 7 local trains each getting us a bit closer to the airport. But in the end, the transportation snarl just slowed everything up to much and we were all late for our flights.

The Japanese expat was the luckiest and was able to rebook a later flight to Shanghai. The other American had he flight to Italy pushed back to Dec. 26 and I was able to get on a flight on the Dec. 24th which meant spending one night sleeping in the airport and the next night in a hotel in Osaka.

It really was ridiculous considering how nice the weather was most of the time. We saw a bit of snow on the morning of the 22nd but the rest of the day was clear and sunny. What we were told was this: In parts of Japan where they get lots of snow the highways have build-in heating coils to keep the roads from icing up. But because Kobe doesn't usually get so much snow the don't do this in Kobe so when they get a moderate snowfall and a certain temperature the freeways all ice over and have to be closed.

Anyway, I'm now in Southern Cal with the family so a Merry Christmas to all wherever you are!!!

bshabu · Joined: 03 Apr 2003 Posts: 200 Location: Kumagaya

wintersweet · Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2005 9:47 pm Post subject: