2026年11月のコラムを追加しました

Many regular users of the Tsukuba Express probably already know about its official app, the TX
App. With station timetables, station maps, and real-time train locations, it comes in very handy both for everyday travel and when trains are delayed. JR and Tokyo Metro have similar apps, but the TX App has a special touch: it even tells you the model of each train currently running on the line. For the TX-2000 series, it goes so far as to distinguish the later additions to the fleet. *
At home, my child sometimes asks, “Is a red-and-blue one coming?” ** Thanks to the app, I can give an accurate answer without having to think, “Well, the next train is bound for Tsukuba, so statistically speaking…” ***It really makes me appreciate the value of information. Apparently, when I was little, I used to give my parents a hard time at stations on the Chiyoda subway line by insisting, “I want to ride a blue one!” **** An app like this would certainly have come in handy back then.
Here is another tip that might be a little more practical. Have you ever boarded a local train from
Kashiwanoha-campus toward central Tokyo, expecting to get a seat, only to find it surprisingly
crowded? Some local trains start at Moriya, while others start at Tsukuba. By the time they reach Kashiwanoha-campus, the former tends to be fairly empty, while the latter often have most of their seats taken, or so it seems to me. The TX App makes it easy to check where a train starts its journey, helping you work out which local trains are likely to have seats available. It seems the app has recently added even more features, including crowding information for individual cars, so I am looking forward to finding more ways to make the most of it.