A Train Automatic Stopping Controller (TASC), also known as a , is a train protection system used only in Japan. It allows trains equipped with TASC to stop automatically at stations without the need to operate the brakes manually.

TASC was originally developed in the 1950s and the 1960s as a way of ensuring that trains stop properly at stations, especially if the driver has made a minor driving lapse and stopped with a slight overrun/underrun, which can prove to be an inconvenience for passengers, particularly if the first or last door is partially (or, in rare cases, completely) outside the station. It has also been useful at preventing Signal passed at danger SPADs

Signal passed at danger

A Signal passed at danger , in British railway terminology, occurs when a train passes a stop signal without authority to do so. It is a term primarily used within the British Railway Industry, although it can be applied worldwide.-Categories of SPAD:...

. TASC is also compatible with Automatic train operation

Automatic train operation

Automatic train operation ensures partial or complete automatic train piloting and driverless functions.Most systems elect to maintain a driver to mitigate risks associated with failures or emergencies....

 (ATO) and Automatic Train Control

Automatic Train Control

Automatic Train Control is a train protection system for railways, ensuring the safe and smooth operation of trains on ATC-enabled lines. Its main advantages include making possible the use of cab signalling instead of track-side signals and the use of smooth deceleration patterns in lieu of the...

 (ATC).

Usage

The TASC system is used on the following lines.

• Tokyo Metro Ginza Line
  Tokyo Metro Ginza Line
  The is a subway line located in Tokyo, Japan. It is part of the of Tokyo Metro network. The official name is . It is 14.3 km long and serves the wards of Shibuya, Minato, Chūō, Chiyoda, and Taitō....
  
  
• Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line (Main line converted to ATO in 2010, Hōnanchō branch continues to use TASC)
• Tōkyū Meguro Line
• Tōkyū Ikegami Line
  Tokyu Ikegami Line
  The is a line operated by Tokyu Corporation. It runs through Tokyo, extending from Gotanda Station in Shinagawa to Kamata Station in Ōta.New 3-car 7000 series EMUs were introduced in December 2007, with a total of 19 sets due to be delivered by 2011....
  
  
• Tōkyū Tamagawa Line
  Tokyu Tamagawa Line
  The is a commuter railway line of Japanese private railway operator Tokyu Corporation. It runs between Tamagawa and Kamata in southwest Tokyo, entirely within Ōta ward...
  
  
• Aonami Line
  Aonami Line
  Aonami Line is a railway line in the city of Nagoya connecting Nagoya Station and Kinjō-Futō Station. "Aonami Line" is the official nickname of the operated by the...
  
  
• Osaka Municipal Subway
  Osaka Municipal Subway
  is the metro network in the city of Osaka, Japan, forming an integral part of the extensive mass transit system of Greater Osaka , having 125 out of the 1,108 rail stations in the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto region. In 2010 the greater Osaka region had 13 million rail passengers daily of which the Osaka...
  
   Imazatosuji Line
• Seibu Yūrakuchō Line
  Seibu Yurakucho Line
  is a commuter subway line of the Seibu Railway, a major private railroad in Japan. This line connects the Nerima Station and Kotake-Mukaihara Station in Nerima, Tokyo.-Line Data:* Length: 2.6 km* Track gauge: 1,067 mm...
  
  

In addition, the JR East Yamanote Line

Yamanote Line

The is commuter rail loop line in Tokyo, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company . It is one of Tokyo's busiest and most important lines, connecting most of Tokyo's major stations and urban centres, including the Yūrakuchō/Ginza area, Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Ikebukuro, with all but two of its...

is expected to be TASC-ready by 2017.

External links

• TASC article by Toshihiko Itō