Train melody
A train melody is a melody played when a train is arriving at or about to depart from a train station. In Japan, departing train melodies are arranged to invoke a feeling of relief in a train passenger after sitting down and moving with the departing train. In contrast, arriving train melodies are configured to cause alertness, such as to help travelers shake off sleepiness experienced by morning commuters.
Metro systems in several cities, including Budapest, Tokyo, Osaka, and Seoul mark train arrivals and departures with short melodies or jingles.
Systems similar to these melodies are sometimes used at freight stations to alert workers during switching or departure operations. Systems with similar purposes and functions can also be found at bus stops and amusement park attractions.
History
In 1844, French classical pianist Charles-Valentin Alkan composed Le chemin de fer, a programmatic étude for piano designed to depict the happy journey of train passengers from departing a train station to portraying the train pulling into a second station. It is frequently cited as the first musical representation of railway travel. The joyful melody of Le chemin de fer subsequently has been celebrated as a forerunner to Arthur Honegger's orchestral work Pacific 231, which also represents a locomotive.Japan
There are various theories regarding the origin of train melodies in Japan. A record from 1951 notes that Bungo-Taketa Station on the Hōhi Main Line, operated by the former Japanese National Railways, played the song "Kōjō no Tsuki" via phonograph record during train departures. This is considered one of the earliest examples of a train melody. Notably, Rentarō Taki, the composer of the piece, was born in Taketa, making this an early form of what is now called a "local departure melody".By the 1970s, some major private railway companies had already begun using departure melodies. Keihan Electric Railway began using one in August 1971. This melody was introduced at the suggestion of then-president, and composed by Mutsurō Kimura, who was in charge of the departure bell system. According to Kimura, the melody was inspired by the bugle call he remembered from his days at the Naval Academy, rising in pitch with a brisk tempo to signal assembly after waking. This melody remained in use until June 2007. Before implementing the departure melody, Keihan used to play the NHK time signal before their 00-minute departures of Keihan Limited Express trains at their terminal stations starting in the 1960s.
In Japan, before the widespread use of electronic sounds, a metallic bell with a shrill ringing noise, similar to that of an alarm clock, was commonly used, especially by the JNR. However, the harsh and urgent sound of these bells was unpopular among passengers.
Most of Japan's railway network was owned by the state as the JNR until 1987. The former JNR company was privatized at that time, and the network was split among six major companies in the Japan Railways Group and a range of smaller operators. Under JNR ownership, bells were used at stations to mark the arrival and departure of trains; but privatization gave local managers greater autonomy to customize their station environments. The idea of introducing more melodic alarms was developed, and this quickly spread after passengers reacted positively.
JR East began introducing departure melodies at select stations in the late 1980s, following the privatization and division of the former JNR. From the 1990s onward, they became widespread, especially at stations in the Greater Tokyo Area.
In August 1988, the departure bell was abolished at JR Chiba Station, and in March 1989, newly developed departure melodies by Yamaha were introduced at JR Shinjuku and Shibuya Stations, which together served over 1.5 million passengers daily at the time. This marked the widespread recognition of the "departure melody" concept, especially in the Tokyo area. Replacing the unpopular departure bells, the melodies were promoted as "environmentally friendly", and the Yomiuri Shimbun reported on their introduction under the headline, "Station Melodies Bring Peace of Mind". Thus, departure melodies were initially introduced as a measure to reduce noise pollution and improve passenger services.
According to, a scholar of music history, early departure melodies were created strictly as notification sounds, without any intention of artistic expression. However, since the 2000s, there has been an increasing trend toward incorporating local songs and highlighting composers — emphasizing musical artistry. For example, Watanabe cites JR Hachiōji Station's departure melody "Yūyake Koyake" as a local tune, and the melodies for Keihan Electric Railway, composed and produced by Minoru Mukaiya, as an example of promoting composer identity. CDs compiling departure melodies have also been released.
These "local departure melodies" have spread across stations operated by JR and private railways throughout Japan. They often feature songs associated with local landmarks, works by local composers or singers, or themes from films, TV shows, and anime set in the area. Some melodies are also used in collaboration with nearby facilities as part of promotional campaigns, and are implemented for a limited time.
Watanabe further notes that departure melodies have become a hobby in themselves, enjoyed as independent "works" and forming a cultural phenomenon. He credits train enthusiasts—particularly so-called, for playing a major role by sharing audio recordings on personal websites and video-sharing platforms. At the same time, he refers to incidents where JASRAC requested the takedown of such audio due to copyright infringement. Without taking a stance on the legitimacy of these actions, Watanabe interprets this shift as part of the evolution in which departure melodies, originally conceived as "gentle notification sounds" to replace harsh bells, have come to be appreciated for their musical and artistic qualities.
Characteristics
Originally, the melodies used on Japan's railways sounded more like alarms. However, since the 1990s more attention has been paid to creating tunes which fulfill several criteria: clearly marking a train's arrival and departure, encouraging timely but unhurried boarding and disembarking, making passengers feel calm and relaxed, and standing out above announcements and other noise. Railway companies have established that the ideal length of a train melody, based on the typical dwell time of a train at a station, is seven seconds—so many tunes are designed to fit that length. Hundreds of different melodies—most written specifically for the railways—exist, and many stations or routes have their own characteristic tunes.In Japan, there are two distinct concepts known as the "approach melody" and the "departure melody". The approach melody refers to the music or system used primarily at railway stations to signal that a train is approaching or passing through the station. The departure melody, on the other hand, is used to indicate that a train at the station is about to depart for the next stop.
Traditional chimes or buzzers using metallic electric bells or electronic tones are referred to as "departure bells" and are distinguished from melodic departure tunes.
Some railway vehicles are equipped with external speakers that allow departure melodies or announcements to be played from the train itself, rather than through the station's automated system, using buttons operated by train staff. In some railway lines, station-installed melodies have been completely abolished and replaced by unified "boarding encouragement tones".
Reception
Train melodies have proved to be popular with many people in Japan, with the term ototetsu being used to describe Japanese railfans who have a particular enthusiasm for them. Train carriage and rolling stock manufacturer Nippon Sharyo received permission to use four different train melodies owned by JR East and JR West; and in August 2002 the company released an alarm clock that plays the same lilting melodies heard on Shinkansen, Japan's high-speed railway lines. One tune is designed to invoke the relief a train passenger experiences after sitting down and moving with a departing train, and another is intended to reduce sleepiness, such as that experienced by morning commuters. By September 2002, Nippon Sharyo had sold out the first shipment of 2,000 units, priced at 5,800 yen. In view of the success of the product, the company launched a website dedicated to the clock, featuring the Shinkansen train's melodies. Other companies have manufactured keyrings and straps featuring the tunes.There has also been criticism over the use of melodies on trains and at stations. These focus mainly on noise pollution and the tunes' contribution to it; but one author has also claimed that their use is symptomatic of a paternalistic, bureaucratic attitude towards passengers from the railway authorities, similar to the excessive use of announcements and warnings.
Application
In Denmark
in Denmark uses a jingle by Niels Viggo Bentzon. The jingle is a musical cryptogram of the notes D, E♭ and B♭.In France
in France uses a jingle by Michaël Boumendil:In the United Kingdom
In the past, some National Rail stations in Great Britain used a four-tone British Rail jingle based on Jerusalem:\relative
In Switzerland
The Swiss Federal Railways use three different jingles corresponding to the acronym of the company across three of the four national languages, transposed according to German note-naming conventions, with the final note as a chord. All three are played on the vibraphone:SBB written as "Es - B - B"
CFF written as "C - F - F"
FFS written as "F - F - Es"
In large stations, all three are used; in small ones, only the jingle corresponding to the local language. In some situations, a melody made of all three can be used: