Eastern Kanagawa Rail Link

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Contents

Sōtetsu–JR Link Line
BSicon CONTg.svg
BSicon BHF.svg
Kawagoe
JR Kawagoe Line
BSicon LSTR.svg
BSicon BHF+GRZq.svg
Ōmiya
BSicon LSTR.svg
BSicon BHF+GRZq.svg
Akabane
BSicon LSTR.svg
BSicon ABZg+l.svg
BSicon CONTfq.svg
BSicon BHF+GRZq.svg
Ikebukuro
JR Yamanote
Freight Line
BSicon BHF.svg
Shinjuku
BSicon BHF.svg
Shibuya
BSicon BHF.svg
Ebisu
BSicon BHF+GRZq.svg
Ōsaki
BSicon ABZgl.svg
BSicon CONTfq.svg
JR Yamanote Freight Line Arrow Blue Right 001.svg
BSicon BHF.svg
Nishi-Ōi
BSicon BHF.svg
Musashi-Kosugi
Arrow Blue Left 001.svg
to Shin-yokohama
(since March 2023)
BSicon exCONTgq violet.svg
BSicon exSTR green.svg
BSicon STRl.svg
BSicon exSTR+r violet.svg
BSicon CONTfq.svg
BSicon GRZq.svg
BSicon exBHF green.svg
Hazawa
yokohama-kokudai
BSicon exSTR green.svg
BSicon STR+l.svg
BSicon exSTR green.svg
BSicon CONTfq.svg
BSicon BHF+GRZq.svg
Nishiya
Sōtetsu Main Line
BSicon LSTR.svg
BSicon BHF.svg
Futamata-gawa
BSicon ABZgl.svg
BSicon CONTfq.svg
BSicon LSTR.svg
BSicon KBHFe.svg
Ebina

Key to symbols

service boundary
BSicon GRZ.svg
BSicon BHFq.svg
BSicon BHFq.svg
existing rail network
stations omitted for brevity
BSicon LSTRq.svg
BSicon exBHFq green.svg
since 30 November 2019
Sōtetsu–Tōkyū Link Line
BSicon CONTg.svg
Ogawamachi
BSicon BHF.svg
Tōbu Tōjō Line
BSicon LSTR.svg
BSicon KBHFa.svg
Urawa-misono
Wakōshi
BSicon BHF+GRZq.svg
BSicon LSTR.svg
BSicon LSTR.svg
BSicon BHF+GRZq.svg
Akabane-iwabuchi
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon CONTr+f.svg
BSicon KBHFa.svg
BSicon LSTR.svg
Nishi-takashimadaira
Kotake-Mukaihara
BSicon BHF.svg
BSicon POINTERf@lgq.svg
BSicon LSTR.svg
BSicon POINTERg@rfq.svg
BSicon LSTR.svg
central: TS Mita Line
right: TM Namboku Line
BSicon LSTR.svg
BSicon BS2l.svg
BSicon BS2r.svg
Shibuya
BSicon BHF+GRZq.svg
BSicon BHF+GRZq.svg
Meguro
BSicon LSTR.svg
BSicon LSTR.svg
Tōkyū Meguro Line
BSicon KRWl.svg
BSicon BS2+l.svg
BSicon KRW+r.svg
BSicon BS2c4.svg
BSicon HST.svg
Den-en-chōfu [info]
Tōyoko and Meguro
Lines run in parallel
BSicon LSTR.svg
BSicon BHF+GRZq.svg
Hiyoshi [info]
BSicon STRl.svg
BSicon exSTR violet.svg
BSicon CONTfq.svg
Tōyoko Line to Yokohama
and Motomachi-Chūkagai
Arrow Blue Right 001.svg
Shin-tsunashima
BSicon exBHF violet.svg
Shin-yokohama
BSicon GRZq.svg
BSicon exBHF violet.svg
BSicon LDER.svg
BSicon STR+l green.svg
BSicon exSTR violet.svg
BSicon CONTfq green.svg
Hazawa
yokohama-kokudai
BSicon BHF green.svg
BSicon STR+l.svg
BSicon STR green.svg
BSicon CONTfq.svg
Sōtetsu Main Line
to Yokohama
Arrow Blue Right 001.svg
Nishiya
BSicon BHF+GRZq.svg
Sōtetsu Main Line
BSicon LSTR.svg
Futamata-gawa
BSicon BHF.svg
BSicon KRWgl.svg
BSicon KRW+r.svg
Sōtetsu Main Line
BSicon LSTR.svg
BSicon LSTR.svg
Ebina
BSicon KBHFe.svg
BSicon KBHFe.svg
Shōnandai

Key to symbols

service boundary
BSicon GRZ.svg
BSicon BHFq.svg
BSicon BHFq.svg
existing rail network
since 18 March 2023
BSicon exBHFq violet.svg
BSicon BHFq green.svg
since 30 November 2019

The Eastern Kanagawa Rail Link (Japanese : 神奈川東部方面線, romanized: Kanagawa Tōbu Hōmen Sen) is a strategic railway project in Japan to improve the railway network connectivity and passenger convenience between the eastern Kanagawa Prefecture and Tokyo Metropolis, as well as access to Tōkaidō Shinkansen at Shin-Yokohama Station.

The new infrastructures of this project are constructed and owned by the Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency (JRTT), which is an Independent Administrative Institution governed by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, while operation is divided between Sagami Railway (Sōtetsu), JR East and Tōkyū Railways.

In its finalized form, this railway project comprises 2 major portions:

Background

Similar railway plans which proposed to connect different existing passenger railways for through service around the eastern Kanagawa regions had been devised before the Eastern Kanagawa Rail Link. In 1983, a team of experts of civil engineering, environmental management, railway, etc. proposed numerous public transit plans in a study of Kanagawa transportation infrastructure provision. Among those plans were new railroads which would connect Sōtetsu and/or Shin-yokohama with the Tōkaidō Freight Line for Haneda Airport, as well as Tsurugamine, Yokohama-Hazawa, Shin-yokohama and Ōkurayama to allow through service between Sōtetsu and Tōkyū. [1]

The project which is codenamed the "Eastern Kanagawa Rail Link" began its infancy from the Transport Policy Review Forum  [ ja ] in January 2000. In the initial proposal, a new railroad would connect Futamata-gawa of Sōtetsu to Ōkurayama of Tōkyū Railways via Shin-yokohama. Originally Sōtetsu, which was only operating within Kanagawa Prefecture and did not have any through service with other railway operators, was not interested in this plan, because a through service via Shin-yokohama would divert passengers away from its Yokohama hub terminus. However, as the population decline led to ridership drop of Sōtetsu, the rail company became more favorable towards the plan which improves connectivity with the Tokyo Metropolis and Saitama Prefecture. In September 2004, the Sōtetsu–JR Link Line plan was formally announced which would provide a more direct access to Shinjuku, Tokyo from areas served by Sōtetsu between Nishiya and Ebina. [2]

In May 2005, the Urban Railroad Convenience Improvement Act  [ ja ] was passed by the parliament of Japan and went into effect on 1 August 2005 with the aim of encouraging many different railway operators of major metropolitan areas of Japan to provide better and more convenient passenger experience via new railroads which would enable through services between different operators. The new law also stipulates a model which separate the construction/maintenance (整備主体) and operation (営業主体) of infrastructure to different entities. [3]

Under this new law, in June 2006, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism approved the initial maintenance and operation plans of the Sōtetsu–JR Link Line (SJLL) and Sōtetsu–Tōkyū Link Line (STLL) submitted by the Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency (JRTT). The SJLL was green-lighted on 21 November 2006 and STLL on 11 April 2007. [4]

Financing

The Eastern Kanagawa Rail Link project was funded one-third from the national coffer, one-third from the local governments (both prefectural and municipal), and one-third from private loan. The JRTT coordinated the construction of this project, owns the completed rail infrastructure, and is responsible for its maintenance. Sōtetsu and Tōkyū collect the revenues from operating the railways owned by JRTT, and then they pay JRTT a portion of those revenues for maintenance and loan reimbursement for this project. [4]

Both Sōtetsu and Tōkyū Railways applied to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism for an additional fare charge of using the new railways. This was due to the high cost of construction and the drop in estimated ridership from the initial projection, resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. [5]

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References

  1. 神奈川の交通体系の将来構想 (PDF) (in Japanese), Kanagawa prefectural government, August 1983, retrieved 24 March 2023
  2. 相鉄とJR相互直通へ 乗り換えなしで新宿に 西谷〜羽沢間の接続案浮上, Kanagawa Shimbunsha, 8 September 2004
  3. 都市鉄道等利便増進法(平成十七年法律第四十一号) (in Japanese), e-Gov法令検索, retrieved 15 March 2023
  4. 1 2 整備手法(都市鉄道等利便増進法) (in Japanese), Sōtetsu–JR Link Line, Sōtetsu–Tōkyū Link Line, retrieved 15 March 2023
  5. 相鉄・東急直通線、輸送需要予測を下方修正 相鉄線では3割減少、事業費の償還計画を変更する事態に, Kanagawa Shimbunsha (in Japanese), 30 December 2022, retrieved 17 March 2023 via Yahoo News