The nation's 54 railway companies on Thursday launched a two-month campaign aimed at stemming a rise in violence against station staff and train crew.

The companies will place about 50,000 campaign posters in trains and an additional 7,000 at stations ahead of the alcohol-fueled bonenkai year-end party season.

In fiscal 2008, violent attacks on employees among 16 major private railway companies nationwide hit a record 236, a more than three-fold increase over fiscal 2000.

About 60 percent of the 752 cases reported in fiscal 2008 by these and seven other operators, including JR East, JR Tokai and JR West, were perpetrated by drunken passengers.