Katsushika City has announced a “New Transportation System Concept Utilizing the Shinkin Line” and has decided that passenger operations on the Shinkin Line will be based on a BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) system using dedicated roads. The project will be implemented in phases, with the aim of opening in the late 2030s.
The Shinkin Line is a branch line of the Sobu Main Line that branches off from near Shinkoiwa Station and runs to Kanamachi Station via the Takasago area, which is also served by Keisei Electric Railway and Hokuso Railway. Normally, only freight trains are operated on this line, but the district believes that passenger service will improve the convenience of the area. The district will own the facilities and rolling stock, while a private operator or third-sector company will be in charge of the operation.
The current Shin-Kin Line is a single track, but land has been secured for a double track. In examining the project, we estimated that the line would remain single track and be shared by both passengers and freight (Cases A and B), that a new dedicated passenger track would be constructed (Cases C and D), and that a dedicated road would be constructed instead of steel track (Cases E and F).
As a result, it was determined that the new dedicated rail line proposal, which has the lowest project cost and can secure a maximum of 10 trains per hour, is superior. The shared use of the rail line would have the shortest travel time, the largest number of passengers, and a B/C (benefit/cost) ratio of more than 1, but due to the small subsidy, the accumulated fund balance would not turn into a surplus. The proposal for a new passenger line would require a large amount of money for land acquisition, and the B/C ratio would be less than 1.
In addition, the difficulty of constructing an elevated Kanamachi Station connection when using a rail line is a key factor in favor of a dedicated rail line. The plan also calls for the use of ordinary roads north of Takasago as a phased development to achieve early realization of the project.
In addition, an image of the driving space was also unveiled at this announcement. The company claims that it will use advanced-design articulated vehicles and will also utilize automated driving.
© Source travel watch