Major Japan Railways Corp Makes History By Running On Renewable Energy

Tokyo's Shibuya is famed for its Scramble Crossing, where crowds of people crisscross the intersection in a scene symbolizing urban Japan's congestion and anonymity. It may have added another boasting right, Mainichi Japan reported.

Photo Insert: The carbon dioxide emissions of Tokyu's sprawling network of seven train lines and one tram service now stand at zero.

Tokyu Railways' trains running through Shibuya and other stations were switched to power generated only by solar and other renewable sources on April 1.

That means the carbon dioxide emissions of Tokyu's sprawling network of seven train lines and one tram service now stand at zero, with green energy being used at all its stations, including for vending machines for drinks, security camera screens, and lighting.

Tokyu, which employs 3,855 people and connects Tokyo with nearby Yokohama, is the first railroad operator in Japan to have achieved that goal. It says the carbon dioxide reduction is equivalent to the annual average emissions of 56,000 Japanese households, Mainichi Japan reported.

Nicholas Little, director of railway education at Michigan State University's Center for Railway Research and Education, commends Tokyu for promoting renewable energy but stressed the importance of boosting the bottom-line amount of that renewable energy.

"I would stress the bigger impacts come from increasing electricity generation from renewable sources," he said.

"The long-term battle is to increase production of renewable electricity and provide the transmission infrastructure to get it to the places of consumption," the Associated Press (AP) also reported. The technology used by Tokyu's trains is among the most ecologically friendly options for railways. The other two options are batteries and hydrogen power.

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