In 1995, the total rail system, including the JR group and other companies, comprised 27,318 operation kilometers, transporting 22,709,000,000 passengers and 76,945,000 tons of freight. Along with the development of automobile and air transportation, important railway services have gradually shifted to long-distance intercity transport, such as the Shinkansen, and commuter lines.
Commuter lines carry people from their homes in the suburbs back and forth to work.
Because of the rise in land prices, more people have been moving to suburbs in search of affordable housing. Commuting can also be quite time-consuming. Nine cities in Japan currently operate subway systems. The first to be constructed, a section of Tokyo's Ginza line, began operation in 1927. There are 13 subway lines in Tokyo, and they currently carry more than 8 million passengers per day.