TOKYO -- Passenger volume among 16 Japanese rail companies not affiliated with the Japan Railways group exceeded 10 billion people last fiscal year for the first time in 22 years, with the flood of foreign tourists providing a major lift.
Total ridership came to 10.095 billion in the year ended in March, a 2.8% increase from fiscal 2014. The data covers nine companies operating in the Tokyo area, five in the Kansai region centering on Osaka, as well as Nagoya Railroad and Nishi-Nippon Railroad.
