Developments by Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI) (Photos: RTRI)

Sale of former railway land by JNR Settlement Headquarters (JNRSH)

JNRSH disposes of land and other assets inherited from the former JNR, a task previously carried out by Japan Railway Construction Public Corporation (JRCC). JNRSH acquired the assets and work of the Japanese National Railways Settlement Corporation (JNRSC), which was established in 1987 as a result of the JNR privatization and division. (Photos: JNRSH)
・JNRSH Work
・Land parcels JNRSH working to sell
・Sale of land inherited from former JNR
Of the 9,238 ha of land inherited from JNR, 98% (9,054 ha) was sold between April 1987 and the end of March 2006, netting approximately ¥7 trillion. The total still held in FY2006 is approximately 184 ha and JNRSH is continuing to make concerted efforts to sell this land.(Continued on p.35)
・Sold land is being redeveloped as core centres of urban development.

・History of JNR Settlement Headquarters (JNRSH)
・Balance and settlement of long-term debts at dissolution of JNRSC
・Breakdown of income and expenditure of JNRSH

20 Years of Ticketing Terminals by JR Systems (Photos: JR Systems)

M Series
・This series of early MARS seat reservation and ticketing terminal series sold a full range of tickets, including passenger tickets, seat reservations, etc.
・It had functions for handling pre-set route sales and ticket editing and issued tickets quickly using online distributed processing.
・Sales results, such as number of tickets issued, proceeds, etc., and various sales statistical data could be output online.
・Credit card sales were supported too.

MR 1/2
April 1992～
・This new model achieved greatly reduced costs by using a general-purpose UNIX-based computer.
・It had Japanese kana-character based train and station search functions as well as help functions, offering much improved usability.
・The latest information on new train services, stations, etc., could be downloaded automatically using an SKS screen touch panel.

MR11/12
November 1995～
・Further cost reductions were achieved by using high-performance Windows-based PCs.
・Operating efficiency was increased too with help functions for automated journey advice, etc.
・This model was the first terminal to support data input using a mouse.

MR20
January 1998～
・This terminal was based on the same concept as the MR12, but added touch-panel input for better operability.

MR31/32
May 2003～
・This terminal is based on the same concept as the MR20 but integrates the touch console with the CPU for a reduced footprint and better space efficiency.
・High usability and lower costs were achieved by simplification through use of a direct thermal printing method.
・Communications costs were cut by using IP network communications.
・And faster processing speeds are achieved by using dual redundant hard disks (RAID).


MV1
February 1994～
・This was the first terminal with a dedicated interface for operation by passengers at the ticket wicket themselves and it supported both ticket issuing and reservations.
・More terminals were made available by using the MR series terminals as servers and sharing communications circuits.

MV10
September 1996～
・Based on experience gained from the MV1, in addition to handling seat reservations, unreserved seats, and passenger tickets, this model also had functions for through ticketing and free journey breaks and transfers.
・As well as issuing through Edmonson tickets and season passes, it also issued ticket books for reserved seats.

MV30
May 2002～
・The MV30 inherited the functions of the MV10 but offers expanded functions, such as better usability and support for IC cards.
・This model reduces the workload of station staff by using two rolls of ticket paper and a function allowing replenishment of coin change while tickets are being sold.
・It cuts communications costs by using an IP-network connection, eliminating the need for shared communications for servers.
・Faster processing speeds are achieved by using dual redundant hard disks (RAID).

MV40
September 2003～
・This terminal has very similar functions to the MV30 but it cannot accept cash payments and is a stand-alone low-cost compact model.
・High usability and lower costs are achieved by simplification through use of a direct thermal printing method.


MD1
April 1995～
・This terminal was developed using the server functions of the MR terminal and the editing function of the L model. It also had a dedicated interface for vacant seat display terminals.
・It achieved lower communications costs by sharing communications circuits with the MR server model.
・It combined the Vacant Seat Information controller and Vacant Seat Information Display developed by the travel agent business.

MD10
April 1995～
・This terminal was the successor to the MD1 and adopted a standard interface for connecting other equipment, such as displays, to cut costs and reduce the setup workload at installation.
・The display could be divided into two vertical and two horizontal fields.
・It also supported VSD.

MD30
October 2002～
・This successor to the MD10 cuts communications costs by using an IP-network connection, eliminating the need for shared communications for servers.
・The displays use the latest thin high-resolution plasma display panels and liquid crystal displays.
・Although the MD1 and MD10 data could only be updated by downloading, the MD30 terminal program can also be updated.

History of SoftBank Telecom (Photos: SoftBank Telecom)