FEATURE: Beloved station melodies fade as JR East pursues cost cuts

The distinctive melodies that have long marked train departures across East Japan Railway Co.'s network are steadily falling silent, as the company accelerates a shift toward one-man operations and modernized equipment.For many passengers and communities, the change signals the fading of a small but cherished piece of railway culture.In the Tokyo metropolitan area, JR East's station departure melodies -- once triggered by conductors on the platform -- have been discontinued at a growing number of stations.The move is largely tied to the elimination of conductor roles under one-man operation…READ FULL ARTICLE