JAPAN | Railways

[Sopomon]

Originally Posted by pi_malejana

i'm sorry but what does "shin" mean??

It means new

[2co2co]

Sendai station, May 3rd

[quashlo]

Cherry blossoms and trains

Kyūshū-area railways:


Source: kirin0825 on YouTube

On the Ōigawa Railway, a C56 steam locomotive.
Source: rokutetsu on YouTube

Part 1 (2011.04.09):



Part 2 (2011.04.10):



Itabu Station on the Kominato Railway:


Source: MartinXA22 on YouTube

[quashlo]

Originally Posted by 2co2co

...

Thanks. Didn't know they were still working on Sendai Station.

[quashlo]

Originally Posted by pi_malejana

i'm sorry but what does "shin" mean??

Means "new".

For the most part, the Shinkansen is brought into the city whenever possible, but in some cases, this is just not practical, and the Shinkansen station must be built in a separate location from the conventional line station.

For these cases, "shin-" is just part of the de facto naming convention. Think Shin-Yokohama (vs. Yokohama), Shin-Ōsaka (vs. Ōsaka), or Shin-Kōbe (vs. Sannomiya), or more recently, Shin-Aomori (vs. Aomori).

[nouveau.ukiyo]

Originally Posted by quashlo

JICA to begin feasibility studies for Vietnam HSR in May
http://www.nikkei.com/news/category/...08122009000000

I hope I'm not getting to off topic...but I was always wondered why the Japanese want to build this North-South Vietnam line. I think they want it more than the Vietnamese. The line will cost more that the value of Vietnam's yearly GDP. And I have a feeling that the Chinese can build this line cheaper and with more financial assistance than the Japanese. I'm guessing it's all politics; with China rising, Japan is fighting for influence in Asia where ever it can get it, especially in SE Asia and India.

Speaking of India, I think that's the next place Japanese firms should be fighting for contracts. It's too bad the Indians don't have rail ambitions like the Chinese. It's also too bad all the technology Japan sold to the Chinese has been reversed engineered and copied; now the booming business foreign rail companies had there will soon dry up.

[k.k.jetcar]

Yes, it's partly influence, but also makes good economic sense- the domestic Japanese market for railway rolling stock is shrinking, and the opportunities for growth are all abroad. Vietnam is seen as friendly to Japanese investment, as the Vietnamese have no great love for China- just look at history, and current events (i.e. Paracel Islands)

Japan is involved in railway projects in India, and will certainly be in line to build an HSR line there, should the opportunity arise. It is just that India is a bit behind China in economic development, and will require more time and patience.

[riles28]

I think the work in sendai station is to reconstruct the sturcture due to earthquake damage last March 11 devastated quake i remember in news said theres a damage in the deck section of the staion.

[Substructure]

Just found that. Maglev speed at half the cost ?

Japanese Researchers Test Flying Trains

Ground-Effect Robot Could Be Key To Future High-Speed Trains

[Blackraven]

The ultimate plan was to take bullet trains are far up north as possible into Hokkaido (eventually as far as Sapporo)

After Sapporo though, well I don't if that marks the end. Quashlo, what do you think?

In 100-200 years from now, I suppose that it would be time to go cross-country. From the south-west end, you will see a link to South Korea.

Then from the Northern end, a link from the Northern most point of Japan (i.e. the most up north area in Hokkaido) to Sakhalin then into Russian territory.

Then possibly, by year 3000 (if planet Earth is still around), a link between the Japanese mainland and Okinawa

[coth]

There are ideas to connect Sakhalin to Hokkaido, but it cannot be done by Russia alone, as it too expensive.

There are also ideas to connect Sakhalin to continent. Tunnel construction was abandoned in 1950's. Currently there are 3 ideas with no specific plans
- 12km tunnel
- a large dam that will make Far East Maritime climate more warmer (Vladivostok has very similar climate to Moscow, Sapporo and Chicago)
- 7km bridge

[k.k.jetcar]

After Sapporo though, well I don't if that marks the end.

There have been concepts of an eventual shinkansen line to Asahikawa (and even to eastern Hokkaido). However, the reality is that these markets show little promise. The Sapporo-Tokyo air corridor is one of the busiest in the world, so there is potential there for competing high speed rail service. However, the Sapporo-Asahikawa rail corridor has few intermediate cities of any size, and less population density than even prefectures in Tohoku. Asahikawa itself is a city of only 350,000, and like the rest of Hokkaido outside of Sapporo and the Hakodate suburbs, is losing population. The current clockface ltd. express service (super kamui) is quite adequate, and some services continue on to Shin-Chitose Airport. However, if there is an actual decision to extend the network out to Asahikawa, it will likely be a mini-shinkansen service, utilizing the current at-grade route converted to 1435mm gauge (or dual gauge).

[Gag Halfrunt]

There's a project to develop a variable gauge train that will be able to inter-run between Shinkansen lines and the narrow gauge network.

[chornedsnorkack]

When is Hokuriku Shinkansen extension Kanazawa-Fukui due to open?

[PiotrG]

construction hasn't started yet, so don't expect completion date...

[chornedsnorkack]

Originally Posted by k.k.jetcar

Vietnam is seen as friendly to Japanese investment, as the Vietnamese have no great love for China- just look at history, and current events (i.e. Paracel Islands)

Japan is involved in railway projects in India, and will certainly be in line to build an HSR line there, should the opportunity arise. It is just that India is a bit behind China in economic development, and will require more time and patience.

But so is Vietnam. And India is bigger.

[quashlo]

New Wakkanai Station building opens: Part 1

JR Wakkanai Station on the Sōya Main Line in Hokkaidō is widely-known among railfans as the northernmost station in Japan. On 2011.04.03, a new station building opened, replacing the deteriorating older station building. This is a small station, with limited service, and there are only about 120 daily entries (2008).

Old station building (2009.09). The boarded-off section outside the station is now occupied by the new station building, part of the Wakkanai Station Redevelopment Project.


Source: Wikipedia

New station building


Source: http://1-2-no-3.cocolog-nifty.com/himajin/

First, some pictures of the old station building on the night of its last day (2011.04.02):
Source: http://blog.livedoor.jp/sarorunkamuy1981/

Lobby area



Waiting room, where locals and railfans were gathered to see a small piece of railroad history for the last time. As a result, the station seemed a little busier than usual.



There was a small exhibit on display in the waiting room in commemoration of the last days of the old station building.



Destination plates



Whistles used on steam locomotives



Special signage and other items



The old JNR schedule at the station for the now-abandoned 148.9 km Tenpoku Line between Otoineppu and Wakkanai.



With the closure of the old station building, this standing soba noodle shop also closed. Apparently they were very busy their last day, probably from all the railfans and visitors who wanted to have one last meal at the shop. After 5:00 pm, they began offering free soba noodles.

[quashlo]

New Wakkanai Station building opens: Part 2

Next, the new station building, in HDR (?).
Source: wakkanai097 on Flickr

image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr


With the harsh weather, the doors and heater help keep the inside warm.

image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr


16 trains a day (8 arrivals, 8 departures)

image hosted on flickr


The station complex isn’t complete yet. They will now demolish the old station building, build the redevelopment building (which will house a cineplex), and connect it to the new station building. They’ve got a whole bunch of rebar sticking out the sides of the new building which will connect into the redevelopment building. The grand opening is scheduled for next spring.

image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr


The new building features accessibility improvements and will eventually include a relocated bus terminal inside.

[quashlo]

New Wakkanai Station building opens: Part 3

A few videos:

Limited express Super Sōya 1 arrives at and departs the station (2010.07.25). Includes a small tour of the old station building. The section of the line north of Asahikawa is unelectrified.


Source: m6s24hst on YouTube

Sound inside a Kiha 261 Super Sōya limited express leaving Wakkanai, bound for Sapporo.


Source: m6s24hst on YouTube

A meal at the standing soba shop inside the station:


Source: aomonoya on YouTube

[quashlo]

Japan-Vietnam JV wins bridge repair work for North-South Railway
http://www.viet-jo.com/news/nikkei/110518043942.html

Vietnam Railways announced that a joint venture between Japan’s Taisei Corporation (HQ: Shinjuku Ward, Tōkyō) and Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. (HQ: Chūō Ward, Tōkyō) and Vietnam’s Civil Engineering Construction Corporation No. 1 (CIENCO 1) have won the contract for the first package of railway bridge repair work for the North-South Railway. The May 17 electronic edition of the Vietnam Investment Review reported the news.

The contract value of the project (first package) is ¥3.972 billion, and the construction will take place over 30 months starting in mid-June. The work involves eight railway bridges and associated construction of approach roads.

Vietnam Railways is serving as the investment lead for the North-South Railway’s railway bridge repair project, and the total investment will reach 2.471 trillion dong (approx. ¥9.7 billion). Official development assistance (ODA) provided through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and funds issued by the Vietnamese government will be used to cover the costs.