Okayama Electric Railway and Okayama City have announced a draft project plan for the “Harenowa Line (tentative name),” which will connect Daewunji-mae to Saidaiji-machi, aiming to open during FY2029.
The Halenowa Line is a 600-meter route that turns left from the Seikibashi Line near the Daewunji intersection, passes near the Okayama Arts Creation Theater (Halenowa), and turns left again at the Shinkyobashi Nishi intersection to join the Higashiyama Main Line. In addition to improving circulation in the city center, the route is also intended to increase the liveliness of the city center as a whole.
All lines are single-track, one-way, left-turn operation. A new circular train system will be established to operate to/from Okayama Station (in front of), with at least three trains per hour during peak hours.
A new “Halenowa-mae” stop will be built in the middle of the line, and a side-reservation system will be adopted in the vicinity, with the tracks placed on the sidewalk rather than in the center of the road. The station is expected to have 700 passengers per day.
The city of Okayama will be responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the facility, while Okayama Electric Railway will own the facility and operate the trains. The city and the national government will each pay one-half of the estimated 2.74 billion yen maintenance costs, and the city will bear all maintenance and management costs, which are expected to total approximately 8 million yen per year. The city will also support the equivalent amount of property taxes.
In addition, a scheme will be introduced whereby Okayama Electric Railway will pay 50% of the surplus amount to the city if the project is profitable after opening, and the city will support 50% of the deficit amount if the project is unprofitable.
Although it would be difficult for Okayama Electric Railway to open a new line on its own, it was determined that the city’s support was necessary to improve public transportation. By keeping Okayama Electric Railway as the actual owner, the city intends to clarify where the responsibility lies in the event of trouble.
© Source travel watch