## (2) Development of existing railroad lines

In order to push forward the formation of high-speed transportation systems that contribute to the reinforcement of wide-area cooperation between regions and regional invigoration, an increase in the speed of existing railroad lines, through the improvement of railroad bends and the partial introduction of double tracks, is planned, by making the best use of existing railway facilities. From FY 2009, projects on increasing speed, such as the setup of new power supply facilities and the repair of signal and communication facilities, are being implemented on the Sassho Line (from Souen to the Health Sciences University of Hokkaido) of Hokkaido Japan Railway.

## (3) Promotion of technology development

## 1 ) Superconducting magnetic levitation transportation system (Superconducting Linear)

In terms of the technology development of the Superconducting Linear, the trial run on the Yamanashi Test Line has been continuing since 1997. In July 2009, the “Practical Technology Evaluation Committee” consisting of experts, made the comment that “it is an ultra high-speed mass transportation system with foreseeable practical technology establishment in the operational aspect”. Furthermore, technological development that is conducive to cost reduction, is being pushed forward.

## 2 ) Gauge Changeable Train (Free Gauge Train)

The Free Gauge Train is a train that can change the left-right wheel distance automatically by combining with the gauge. If it is put to practical use, direct operation between Shinkansen and old railroads will be possible and user convenience can be increased. Currently, technological development, such as the implementation of indoor experiments, by using the improved new-type train according to the results of various tests taken so far, is being pushed forward.

### 3. Development of airline networks

## (1) Domestic Airlines

## 1 ) Current situation and issues

As part of domestic airline policy, network expansion is being planned through taking hard measures such as airport development and soft measures, such as the promotion of competitiveness, through regulation relaxation. Recently, there has been a tendency to decrease the number of routes but increase the yearly average service frequency per route.

This trend is considered to be the result of airline companies changing from the expansion of the number of routes, taking the demand trend into consideration and concentrating on existing routes. Among these, the route-concentrating Tokyo International (Haneda) Airport is reaching the upper limit of passenger traffic. In order to deal with the trend

## of increasing demand in the future, capacity expansion is an urgent issue for responding to user convenience

## 2 ) Soft measures for enhancing the domestic airline network

In order to plan for the formation and enhancement of regional airline networks, efforts are being made on relaxation measures of landing charges and the allocation of landing/takeoff slots. The slot allocation of Tokyo International (Haneda) Airport is contributing to the formation and the enhancement of the national air network, including adding regional routes to the evaluation items of the Airline enterprises' evaluated slot $ ^{1} $ . Also, the diversion of slots for low-frequency routes is admitted only when airlines use the slot for other low-frequency routes. Moreover, to maintain regional routes, there is a collection of slots for when airlines reduce the service frequency of those routes that are allocated as priority slots to new airlines $ ^{2} $ after FY 2005, unless the airline diverts the slot for use for the landing-fee-reduced route of Tokyo International (Haneda) Airport.

In FY 2009, regarding the 27,000 domestic landing/takeoff timeslots (37 per day) in the $ 1^{st} $ stage (the period from the service started in October 2010 to the half-year after) due to the capacity expansion of Haneda Airport, allocation was carried out in a way that secured the maintenance/enhancement of the regional airline network and ensured the fairness of competition conditions for new airline enterprises under the condition that it will be reviewed in the increased timeslot allocation period of the $ 2^{nd} $ stage.