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The depots for this train seem to be in areas that are much more populated (Wikipedia says Mitaka and Toyoda [0]). If Otsuki Station is the station of despair, this would suggest the trains ride empty from Otsuki to the depot. Why couldn’t they allow passengers on that final ride to the depot, requiring them to disembark at Mitaka/Toyoda at the latest?

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C5%AB%C5%8D_Line_(Rapid)

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It’s possible the last train simply parks there for the night. This would mean that you ride the same train back after this misadventure

That would mean the train driver spends the night in the middle of nowhere, I doubt they would agree to that.

Otsuki might still be an booking-on/-off point for train drivers, with a number of drivers based there and regularly starting and ending their turns at that station and presumably living nearby. Or alternatively the train company finds it more convenient ferrying the driver with a taxi or company car to from the regular booking-on/-off point.

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