1.
reduced service; thinning out scheduled runs (trains, buses)
The practice of operating fewer trains or buses than usual on a given line, either due to disruption (bad weather, accidents, equipment trouble) or due to planned reductions in service (lower demand, staff shortages).
Due to the heavy snow, reduced service was in effect during the morning commute.
Composed of 間引き (thinning out) + 運転 (operation, running). The verb 間引く originally refers to thinning out seedlings in a garden — removing some so that the rest have room to grow — and is used metaphorically to describe removing scheduled runs from a transit timetable.
Common collocations
- 間引き運転を実施する: to implement reduced service
- 間引き運転を行う: to operate on a reduced schedule
- 間引き運転になる: to go on a reduced schedule
- 間引き運転が続く: reduced service continues
- 一部区間で間引き運転: reduced service on a partial section of the line
Related words
- 運休: service suspension — more extreme; no runs at all
- 遅延: delay — trains still run but behind schedule
- 折返し運転: shuttle operation — trains turn back partway due to a blocked section
- 徐行運転: slow operation — trains run at reduced speed
- 平常運転: normal operation — the baseline
Usage
間引き運転 is one of several standard railway terms heard in Japanese station announcements and news reports during service disruptions. Passengers expect longer waits between trains on the affected line.
Related Words
Related:
運休 (service suspension)
Related:
遅延 (delay)
Related:
折返し運転 (shuttle operation)