【新展開】大成功した新路線の今 激化する混雑と不足する〇〇 建設が決まる巨大施設とは｜ライトライン(芳賀・宇都宮LRT)【小春六花】

【新展開】大成功した新路線の今 激化する混雑と不足する〇〇 建設が決まる巨大施設とは｜ライトライン(芳賀・宇都宮LRT)【小春六花】

Thank you for watching. This time, we will introduce the Haga-Utsunomiya LRT (known as LIGHTLINE), which opened in August last year. We take a closer look at this line, which has been more successful than expected, how it has been used since its opening, and our hopes and fears for the future.

So, I took the Tohoku Shinkansen and arrived at Utsunomiya, 1 hour from Tokyo. There are quite a lot of passengers getting off the Shinkansen, and you can see that there is a demand for commuting. Head to the east exit of this station where the west exit is located.

The opening commemorative notice on the wall to the left after exiting the ticket gate has already been replaced with another one. LIGHTLINE, which has been open for seven months, is becoming a part of everyday life. It passes over the detention line of JR’s conventional lines.

Unlike the previous one, the announcement poster that was there before the opening is still there, but please be careful as some of the content is outdated. And beyond this, there is a light line boarding point.

In addition to the up and down escalators, there is also an elevator behind this building, making it completely barrier-free. Here is what the home looks like.

At this time, trains depart from the left and right track alternately, so although there is a line of people to board the train two trains later, the platform is surprisingly empty.

It would be better for the video if it was so crowded that there was no place to walk, but I guess that’s not the case. We’ll see how the rush intensifies. The number of people waiting for the next train on the track 1 side increases.

On the other hand, all the seats in the cars on track 2 are occupied, and some people are standing in front of the door. Just before the train departs, the line waiting to board on this side is quite long.

The reason it doesn’t move even after the door is closed is because the train is running back at the point ahead. The next train is coming to the next platform, track 1. On the light line, the door is closed once during turnaround, and the door is opened once the driver has moved on.

This applies to all trains, not just during rush hours. As soon as the doors open, passengers board at once. The next train is arriving on track 2. There are some passengers standing, but the train is empty considering it’s a morning rush hour train. By mistake, the train on track 1 departed.

There are a lot more passengers here. More and more passengers are waiting for the train doors on track 2 to open. Once the driver has finished preparing, the doors open and passengers board first.

Since it depends on whether or not you can sit down, you can feel the brutal atmosphere even from a distance. This train is more crowded than the previous train that left 8 minutes ago.

There are people right next to the rear door near the pedestrian deck, so it might be difficult to board from a stop along the way. The queue for the next train extends from the middle of the platform. When I went down that escalator again, I saw this difference in about 20 minutes.

This congestion is now a problem on the Light Line. There are two guides on the platform who are constantly monitoring the platform. There are markings on the floor to guide you to the boarding position.

This is for track 2, but the row for track 1 is too long and is encroaching on the track 2 side. Riding in line is important, but this can lead to trouble. On the other hand, this is the only place where you can transfer to other lines.

It is strange that the morning outbound trains on such lines are so crowded, but this is one of the characteristics of the LIGHTLINE. The LIGHTLINE is a 14.6km line that starts from the east exit of Utsunomiya Station and passes through Utsunomiya City and neighboring Haga Town.

We are conscious of the demand for industrial parks along the line, which is why we are stopping south along the way. Because of the high demand, the down trains on weekday mornings are crowded.

It was the first time in 75 years that a new tram had opened in a city that did not have a tram in Japan, and it became a hot topic of conversation. The reason it became a hot topic is because this line is very different from traditional streetcars.

Traditional streetcars often had tracks on the road, making them susceptible to traffic jams. Not only can you not expect fast delivery or punctuality, but many of the bus stops are relatively simple and not barrier-free, so they are not very safe. In addition, most of the vehicles had steps, and barrier-free accommodation was delayed.

Because there are many small vehicles, the number of passengers per train is limited, and management efficiency is low. For these reasons, streetcars have been phased out across the country. LRT stands for “Light Rail Transit”, and is positioned as a solution to these issues.

First, we will increase the ratio of tracks that are separated from roads (dedicated tracks), and prevent cars from entering the tracks even if they run in the same area as roads. This improves delivery speed and punctuality.

The bus stop is covered and wide enough for wheelchairs to pass each other, and there are ramps at the entrances and exits. The vehicle has a low floor and is completely barrier-free.

With a three-car train and a capacity of 159 passengers, it boasts one of the largest transport capacities of any streetcar in Japan. In addition, five of the 19 stops in total are positioned as “transit centers”, connecting points with surrounding transportation.

Parking lots and bicycle parking lots are provided, which is also one of the features of LRT. The concept for the Light Line took shape in 2001. The route candidates will be narrowed down and decided on one that is almost the same as the current route.

A management company was established in 2015, and maintenance work will begin in 2017. After that, the opening was postponed twice, and finally opened on August 26th of last year. Please watch the video that follows the progress of construction in the overview section.

In parallel with the construction of the Light Line, redevelopment was carried out at the east exit of Utsunomiya Station.

The urban area of ​​Utsunomiya was originally located on the west side of the station, and even after a main street was built on the east side and more buildings were built, the east exit did not develop.

This area was originally the site of the Japanese National Railways, and this can be seen in the location of the roads. We have attracted conference halls, commercial facilities, hotels, and event spaces here.

Even after opening, they have put a lot of effort into promoting the store, and there is a PR booth on the opposite side of Utsunomiya Station. You can see dioramas and easy-to-understand materials, and the staff will teach you various things.

The LIGHTLINE uses a framework called a “publicly installed upper and lower separation system”. Under this agreement, Utsunomiya City and Haga Town will develop and own the facilities, as well as maintain and manage them, and the operating company will lease and operate the facilities. Meanwhile, this route costs 68.4 billion yen.

Half of the cost is covered by government subsidies, and the rest is paid by Utsunomiya City and Haga Town. Of this amount, Utsunomiya City plans to repay 28.2 billion yen over 20 years, accounting for up to 1.3 billion yen per year (0.7% of the budget size).

The cost was previously expected to be around 48 billion yen, but with the addition of land acquisition costs and ground reinforcement work, the cost has increased by about 1.4 times. Although there were some concerns about the Light Line, usage has steadily increased since its opening.

As of six months later, it had been used by approximately 2.27 million people, 1.2 times the original estimate. In particular, the number of users on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays is about three times higher than previously predicted, and demand is also being discovered for purposes other than commuting to work or school.

We will introduce the current and future of LIGHTLINE. Due to worsening congestion, we are increasing the number of trains or changing the schedule at certain times. The timetable prepared before the opening of the restaurant shows signs of partial revisions.

And the floor information was added from the 26th to the 28th of last month. If you are paying cash, you will need to take a numbered ticket on the platform, get on the train, and exit through the first door. There is no ticket issuing machine inside the train.

Some people didn’t know this rule and were confused when getting off. On the other hand, if you are using an IC card, touch the green IC card reader when getting on the bus and the yellow IC card reader when getting off the bus.

Basically, there is an attendant only at the first door, but you can get on and off from all four doors on one side, which is called the “trust boarding system”. Regular fares range from 150 yen to 400 yen. Please note that only one location has changed.

The approved content is the same as the submitted content, so it seems like it was simply changed after it was created. Additionally, one-day tickets have been on sale since November last year. In addition to discount services at restaurants along the line, there is also a gyoza ticket set for an additional 300 yen.

The train departs from the east exit of Utsunomiya Station, greeted by an elegant departure melody, the voice of the guide, and an announcement from the platform next door. The next train is entering the next train, track 2.

There were many people standing inside the car, and it was so crowded that it was difficult to move between the doors. The chime inside the car has a gentle melody, perfect for the morning.

A little less than 200m from the starting point is a dedicated track, and from there it runs in the middle of the road. You will pass the first stop, Higashi-shukugo. This is because the platforms for the in and outbound lines are staggered across intersections.

The purpose of this is to secure a dedicated right-turn lane before the intersection to avoid traffic jams. The next station, Ekihigashi Park, has the same platform layout. On the other hand, here are the words “Tochigi Bank Utsunomiya East Branch”.

The names of companies that have paid advertising fees and acquired naming rights are used as sub-names. Of the 19 stops, 11 are subject to these naming rights. The branch building was rebuilt prior to the opening of Lightline, consolidating neighboring branches.

On the other hand, across the street from this lot is an apartment complex that was built before the Light Line opened. There are no more model rooms, and it seems like everything has been sold. Just as I thought, 1 housing unit was cancelled.

There are examples like this, but even before the opening of the LIGHTLINE, construction of condominiums has continued in the section near the starting point, which was originally an urban area. Between 2018 and 2022, 22 buildings of six or more stories were submitted to the city on the east side of Utsunomiya Station.

This is an increase of six cases compared to the previous five years. This apartment is about 300m away from the bus stop, and is located halfway between it and the next bus stop.

I was worried about whether the show would sell well just before the show opened, but it was sold out about three months after the show opened. There are other condominiums being built in the surrounding area, which is likely to spur an increase in the number of LRT users.

You will pass through an overpass between the next stop and the next stop. Lanes are being reduced one by one to accommodate LRT. Bridge girders do not take LRT loads into account, so LRT vehicles are designed with bridge standards in mind. And from here on, things change a bit.

This large apartment building existed before the LIGHTLINE opened. In the section up to the aforementioned overpass, the original road was renovated to allow the tracks to pass through, but in the section beyond the overpass, the road was widened to accommodate the construction of the LIGHTLINE.

Because the track was widened to avoid large buildings, the track twists left and right. The time it took to acquire the land was the reason for the first postponement of opening. Many land acquisition procedures can only be done face-to-face, and these have been delayed due to the pandemic.

We have arrived at Utsunomiya University Yoto Campus, one of the transit centers.

On the morning outbound train, the number of passengers has been increasing little by little at the stops up to this point, and a few people are getting off here, but the number of people getting on is about the same, so the occupancy rate remains the same. And this stop is unlike any other.

Yes, the platform is wide and the pillars are thick. At a typical bus stop, the platform and ramp are about 1.4m wide, but the platform here is 2.7m wide and the ramp is about 2m wide. Because we expected a large demand, we have plenty of equipment, and we also have digital signage.

On the south side, there is a transfer hub for nearby transportation. With the opening of the LIGHTLINE, bus routes were also significantly reorganized. With the Light Line running 256 times on weekdays and 216 times on holidays, buses in parallel sections have been largely abolished, and in some places, bus stops have disappeared entirely.

On the other hand, new loop routes centered around the transit center have been established, and by directing surplus buses and crews there, the transportation function of the entire region is being strengthened.

It is said that it will take three years for the new bus route to establish demand, so things are still not going well, but I hope it will be used in the future. There is also a bicycle storage area here.

All bicycle parking spaces at transit centers are free of charge, except for the east exit of Utsunomiya Station. Prior to the opening of the LIGHTLINE, the fare system for the parking lot of Bell Mall, a commercial facility to the south, has changed.

Although it is a transit center, it was not possible to construct a new parking lot because the area was in an urban area. This is to prevent people who do not use the mall from parking their cars. Meanwhile, here is what it looks like during the day.

It is used quite often by people going to Bell Mall, and the platform is also crowded. It seems that choosing a facility with plenty of space was the right decision. After about 3km of running on the combined track, things change. There is a guardrail between it and the road.

The guardrail is replaced by a sturdy fence, which increases in height as the road slopes uphill, whereas the road slopes downhill. Yes, we will leave the road at this point. Of the light line, 9.5km of the track runs parallel to the road, and the remaining 5.1km is an independent track.

There are places where overpasses are built into these boundaries. This way, there is no risk of contact with cars, and there will be no traffic congestion on the roads. The trajectory then turns again in an S-curve and descends to the ground.

The reason why I was driving so slowly was because I was passing through a point here. Next is Hiraishi stop. Unlike its predecessors, this stop, built in the middle of rice fields and fields, is the operational base for the Light Line. This is a “2-sided, 4-track” structure with 2 platforms and 4 tracks.

By the way, this rail is a grooved rail unique to streetcars. This is an unusual combination, as most gravel-covered tracks have H-shaped rails. This is also one of the transit centers.

There is not only a bicycle parking lot, but also a parking lot and a boarding area for general cars, which were not available at the neighboring stop. On the other hand, there are no bus routes here. Adjacent transit centers share roles by taking advantage of the surrounding environment and location characteristics.

On the other hand, since this parking lot was often full, it will be added to the north side of the stop. The white lines in the existing space have been redrawn, increasing the number of cars that can be accommodated. That’s not all.

Plans are underway to construct a comprehensive park on approximately 3.6 hectares of land to the north of the bus stop. A basic development policy was formulated in August 2020, and discussions using the private sector’s vitality were underway.

There are plans to introduce various sports facilities and regional development functions that utilize local agricultural products. In November of last year, a business operator was decided to maintain and operate the park.

The construction cost is expected to be around 2.51 billion yen, with the city planning to cover up to 90% of the cost. Further investment continues even after the opening of the Light Line. On the other hand, the large-scale bus stop was built here not only to maintain the adjacent park.

Yes, there is an LRT depot on the opposite side of the park. The siding line branches off from the main line at the bottom of the stop and connects to the depot.

The state of the depot and the section beyond here, as well as new movements surrounding the light line, will be continued in the second part. Thank you for your viewing.

●ライトラインの再生リストはこちら

●チャプター
0:00 オープニング
0:17 宇都宮駅
1:10 朝ラッシュの混雑
3:50 LRTと旧来型の路面電車の違い
5:51 開業までの経緯
6:47 運営方式・建設費・開業後の実績
8:11 ダイヤ修正
8:29 悪化する混雑・乗車システム
9:27 沿線の様子
10:46 マンション開発
11:43 道路工事
12:40 宇都宮大学陽東キャンパス(トランジットセンター)
14:48 立体交差
15:31 平石停留場(トランジットセンター)
16:20 施設拡張・公園整備計画

●当チャンネルについて
このチャンネルでは、鉄道の路線や駅、車両などを丁寧に解説しています。
全ての動画にYouTubeの字幕をつけているので、字幕オンでもご視聴いただけます。
首都圏を中心にしつつ、日本全国出張します。

●チャンネル登録はこちら
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGN9HBXYwSUThdIgHSm9znQ/?sub_confirmation=1

●お仕事のご依頼・リクエストはこちら
takagirailwaycontact@gmail.com

●ナレーション
CeVIO AI 小春六花
https://tokyo6.tokyo/koharurikka/

#ライトライン