Japan Mass Transit & Infrastructure 日本の公共交通機関とインフラ

[Vapour]

In a few months the world’s first maglev commuter line will be running between Nagoya and Toyota city in central Japan. The 8,9km Tobu Kyuryo Line will stop at 9 stations (including termini) providing service for about 30.000 passengers daily according to forecast. Whereas most of the line will be elevated over street level, it will also run through a 1,4km underground section, making it the world’s first underground maglev train. The maximum speed between stations will be 100 km/h, taking 15 minutes to complete the distance.
Shanghai Transrapid maglev train is linking Pudong airport to central Shanghai since 2003 (30 km line with just 2 stations)

Pictures of Linimo, the commercial name adopted:

[AzN8oi]

Only 100km/h per stop? Must be short distances! What a waste, a normal shinkansen would've been good, eh?

[Vapour]

This is a commuter line with stops every ~1km, not a high speed train.

[Trances]

seem like a waste
the shinkansen is great seems just as good
but still for the future of Maglev is like a experiment ?

[Vapour]

Shinkansen again? This is a commuter line, it's just 8,9kms long. Maybe it's a kind of test for future maglev trains. I will visit Nagoya next year, I'll decide then if it's a waste or not

[cjfjapan]

I think this is the line that runs to the 2005 Aichi Expo site in Seto. The line looks like it goes from Fujigaoka, which is the eastern terminus of the Higashiyama (Yellow) subway line to the Aichi Kanjo Tetsudo line, which connects Seto and Toyota (and points beyond)

http://www.linimo.jp/routemap.htm

This seems like a great train, but I wonder if 30K people will really ride it--it reminds me of the train to nowhere in the NE suburbs of Nagoya--will people ride this after the Banpaku?

[Vapour]

That's right, it's the line leading to Aichi Expo 2005. As for its future after the expo, as long as the fares are ok I think people will use it. Moreover, there's no other railway line running in that area.

[Nick]

WOW!!!! That is so cool!!!!!

I never new they were building that.Great to hear.

[drwho]

cool thing!
i think it is good..commuter trains are relaxing

[Jo]

I wonder why they decided to go with maglev technology?
In any case the ride must be really smooth using maglev at sub 100kmh speeds

[superchan7]

What economic considerations were made when choosing the magnetic concept? It doesn't sound practical for any sort of short-distance travel. I thought the advantage was just safety and smoothness at high speed.

[Nick]

Judging by the Ferris Wheel in those pictures,the new Mag Lev line,could be around the Port area?

[Vapour]

Nop Nick, it's quite far from Nagoya harbour.

[mrgazpacho]

Originally Posted by Vapour

That's right, it's the line leading to Aichi Expo 2005.

Oh goody - I will try it out when I go to Expo

[cjfjapan]

The Ferris Wheel might be on the Expo grounds--it looks like it's under construction in the pix.

The Maglev technology may have been chosen to showcase all the new construction in Nagoya; most foreign travelers will probably arrive at the new Chubu Kokusai Kuuko set to open off Tokoname next spring; take the new Meitetsu line to Mei-eki, then the Higashiyama line to the new Linimo--maybe? This will be the way most visitors in arriving by train get there too...

Anyone have pictures of the airport, or the new Toyota Building in front of the JR Towers?

[Vapour]

I've only found this pic so far:



(Toyota Mainichi Building, 247m, 2007)

[Vapour]

The area covered is 5180 m x 4480 m = 23,2 km2

[Vapour]

[Nick]

FOr a city of 12 million(Suburbs included in that figure),the subway and suburban rail system is pretty dense.

[Nick]

Just amazing.

Tokyo defintiely and probalbly Osaka in number two,has the highest desitiy of public rail transport in the world.I can think of a few cites like New York,London and Paris what have two systems going.But Osaka and Tokyo seem to have about 3 or 4 layers of rail blanketing the city