| 答え The A. A. Railway Company has been facing difficulty easing rush-hour congestion both on trains and at stations in the Tokyo metropolitan area, company officials said Monday. Despite the company's efforts earlier this year to increase the number of trains which run during morning and evening rush hours, rush-hour crowding does not appear to have lessened. One official at the A. A. Railway research department said in the future the company would employ cars which have five doors instead of the usual four doors, an idea first introduced at the end of November by F. F. Railway. Also, as another congestion reduction method, platforms will be enlarged at train stations where commuters have been complaining about cramped conditions. According to the A. A. Railway Company financial department, the new cars and platform improvements will cost an estimated \20 billion. To implement these projects, authorities at A. A. Railway say it might be necessary to raise train fares by at least five percent. Though company efforts in the past have kept fare hikes to a minimum, the current project may make it impossible to keep fares at their present level, the authorities added. 単語＆フレーズ ◆ ease 緩和する ◆ rush-hour congestion ラッシュアワー時の混雑 ◆ employ 使う * employ は「雇う」という意味だけでなく、新しい今まで使っていなかった何かを「使う」とい う意味でも用いられます。 ◆ as another congestion reduction method もう一つの混雑緩和の方法として ◆ enlarge 広げる ◆ commuter 通勤者 ◆ cramped conditions ぎゅうぎゅうの状態 ◆ 〜 cost an estimated \ 〜に、およそ\ かかる ◆ implement 実行する、履行する ◆ fare hike 運賃の値上げ All Rights Reserved. C 2000 Front Page |