The operator of Tokyo's Yamanote loop line has decided to allow limited outside staff to view real-time footage from security cameras installed in the trains in case of emergency.

JR East Japan Railway has set up security cameras in about 10,000 cars -- nearly all of the firm's Shinkansen bullet trains and conventional trains in the Tokyo area.

Those cameras have been installed to prevent incidents on trains. But access to real-time footage from them has been limited in consideration of passengers' privacy. Currently on local trains, real-time footage can be viewed only in the crew's cabin on each train.

The operator says it will make a change to allow staff at outside control centers to share the footage to improve emergency response capabilities. The footage will be transmitted by radio in real time.

The company plans to test the new system on one Yamanote loop train by the end of March 2024, and will eventually introduce it to the line's other trains.

To protect passengers' privacy, the footage sharing will be available only when an emergency phone system is activated. The company says the number of employees who can view the footage will also be limited.