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History
2000
| Mar 1 | Start of "5489 Service" for making train ticket reservations by telephone |
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| Mar 11 | Debut of "Hikari Rail Star" on the Sanyo Shinkansen Line |
| Apr 7 | Modern Transportation Museum and Umekoji Steam Locomotive Museum formed sister museum relationship with the National Railway Museum in York, England |
| Nov 6 | Start of "e5489" service for making train ticket reservations via the Internet |
2001
| Oct 1 | TiS headquarters merged with Nippon Travel Agency |
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| Dec 1 | Enactment of the revised law of JR Corporate Law |
2002
| Jul 1 | Trial use of "Women Only cars" on Gakkentoshi and Osaka Loop lines. "Women Only cars" expanded to other lines in December and also introduced during evening rush hour |
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2003
| Mar 15 | Introduction of Series 683 new model to "Shirasagi" Limited Express |
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| Sep 3 | Opening of Shanghai Representative Office in Shanghai, China |
| Oct 1 | Smoking prohibited on all the station concourses throughout the day |
| Nov 1 | Start of "ICOCA" IC card service |
"ICOCA" automatic ticket gate system
2004
| Mar 12 | Secondary sale of stocks held by the government, resulting in achievement of complete privatization |
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| May 16 | Start of Osaka Station renovation work |
| Jun 21 | Opening of JR-West Customer Center |
| Aug 1 | Introduction of interchangeable use of "ICOCA" and "Suica", and "ICOCA" designed for children |
2005
| Feb 20 | Introduction of automatic ticket gate system on the Sanyo Shinkansen Line |
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| Apr 25 | Accident occurred between Tsukaguchi and Amagasaki Stations on the Fukuchiyama Line (the JR Takarazuka Line) in which a rapid service train derailed and crashed into an apartment, taking the lives of 106 passengers and injuring over 500 more |
| May 31 | Submission of Safety Improvement Plan to Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport |
| Jun 19 | Restart of operation between Amagasaki and Takarazuka Stations on the Fukuchiyama Line (the JR Takarazuka Line) |
| Sep 25 | Combined memorial service and safety gathering held for the victims of the Fukuchiyama Line accident |
| Oct 1 | Introduction of "ICOCA" electronic money service |
2006
| Jan 21 | Introduction of interchangeable use of "ICOCA" and "PiTaPa" |
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| Apr 1 | "Establishment of JR-West Corporate Philosophy" and "Safety Charter" |
| Apr 25 | Memorial service held for "the victims of the Fukuchiyama Line accident" |
| May 23 | Electrically propelled ferry, "the Miyajima-maru", enters service |
| Jun 25 | Opening of "Safety Research Institute" |
| Jul 22 | Application of Shinkansen reservation service "Express Reservations" expanded to the whole line of the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen Lines |
| Oct 21 | Start of DC operation between Nagahama and Tsuruga Stations on the Hokuriku Line and between Nagahara and Omi-shiotsu Stations on the Kosei Line |
"Safety Research Institute" establishment
2007
| Apr 3 | Establishment of Railway Safety Education Center |
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| Jun 1 | "Railway Safety Report" published |
| Jul 1 | Introduction of Series "N700" new model to "Nozomi" Super Express on Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen lines |
| Sep 1 | Introduction of "ICOCA" service at 135 stations on 10 lines in the Okayama and Hiroshima areas |
| Sep 7 | Following presentation of report findings on Fukuchiyama Line Train Accident by Aircraft and Railway Accident Investigation Committee of Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, a list of response measures was formulated and presented to the ministry |
| Oct 1 | Establishment of "JR-West Iwill Co., Ltd.", a new company for the promotion of disabled employment |
N-700-Series Nozomi
Osaka-Higashi Line completion ceremony
2008
| Mar 15 | Opening of the Osaka Higashi Line between Hanaten and Kyuhoji Stations Opening of 7 new stations including Shimamoto Station on the JR Kyoto Line |
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| Mar 18 | Introduction of interchangeable use of electronic money with "ICOCA" and "Suica" |
| Mar 26 | Announcement of Basic Safety Plan |
| Mar 29 | Introduction of interchangeable use of "ICOCA", "Suica", and "TOICA" |
| Sep 15 | End of "J-through" sales |
| Dec 1 | Completion of windbreak fence at Kosei Line between Hira and Omi-Maiko Stations |
2009
| Apr 1 | Establishment of JR-West Anshin Foundation as a general incorporated foundation |
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| Jun 1 | Introduction of Series 683-4000 new model to "Thunderbird" Limited Express |
| Jun 1 | Smoking prohibited on limited express cars in all conventional lines |