While rail and bus service reductions and route closures are spreading across Japan's mid-sized cities, a case was presented of Europe strengthening and revising TEN-T on the basis of public authority to preserve routes.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's Council for Reorganizing Urban Transport Policy published an interim report on 21 July this year. Its analysis of 383 cities nationwide showed that rail and bus services had been reduced in 126 cities, approximately one-third of the total, and that some routes had even been discontinued in 9 cities.
In Japan, public rail and bus networks have largely been built on a commercial basis, and the continuation of routes is often determined through discussions between operators and the municipalities along them. When the balance between revenue and expenses deteriorates, services may be scaled back or withdrawn, threatening the backbone that supports everyday transportation.
One specific example is the decision to discontinue the Meitetsu Hiromi Line. Although its transport density remains at a certain level, the line is expected to be discontinued in spring 2029. Concerns have been raised about the impact on daily life and regional economies.
The 2024 revision of the Trans-European Transport Network, TEN-T, has been presented in contrast to the Japanese cases. TEN-T includes efforts to provide infrastructure such as roads and railways with a legal basis for their continued existence as a transport network, indicating a direction in which public transportation is protected through public support.