The Red List of Trains in Japan

How to Read

About Data

Line and station names are written in accordance with official websites wherever available. Depots are mostly "(place) + Depot", as no official English name is available in most cases.

Status is categorisation based on documents, materials and reasonable estimates, but might contain subjective evaluations. These categories are based on the future prospect of the train, not the number of carriages registered. If there are only small number of trains but still unlikely to be completely withdrawn, they are not endangered. Even if still plenty of trains are in service but due to be replaced soon, the status can be Endangered. See further below for details.

Constructed in means when the train was built. This is based on actual years, not fiscal years.

Number built and Registered are based on the number of carriages, not units. Number built shows how many carriages were introduced in total, including those converted from other type(s) if noted. Registered is the number of carriages that are currently registered for mainline use by railway companies in Japan, including stored ones (which are often referred to as "保留車" or "休車" in Japanese) but excluding some preserved examples.


Definition of Current Status

Least Concern  LC 

means that no plan or prospect of complete withdrawal at present.

Near Threatened  NT 

means that gradually declining, or likely to decline soon as part of a replacement plan.

Vulnerable  VL 

means that likely to be completely withdrawn in a foreseeable future.

Endangered  EN 

means that officially announced or expected to be completely withdrawn within roughly three years.

Critically Endangered  CR 

means that retirement is imminent.

Extinct  EX 

means retired.

Data Deficient  DD 

means there is no enough information. This is applicable to some old trains for tourists, as they could be discontinued suddenly if the owner considers the train difficult to maintain or simply too costly and unprofitable.