In 1872, passenger service began with a steam locomotive that linked Shimbashi station, in Tokyo, to the nearby city of Yokohama. This set the stage for a nationwide rail network. Now, 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 to and from work from their homes in suburbia.
In 1996 a little over a third of the population had passenger vehicles. Since Japan's construction costs are the world's highest, the tolls for the roads reflect this and are expensive. In 1998, the world's longest suspension bridge was built, the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, that linked Kobe and Awaji Island. Japan Air Lines was begun in 1951 and now provides service all around the world. In 1994, Japan opened Kansai International, an airport that was built on a man-made island, making it the first offshore international airport in the world.