Tokyo plans new subway line connecting central Tokyo with waterfront

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Tokyo plans new subway line connecting central Tokyo with waterfront

An apartment complex is located at the site of the former Olympic Village in the capital's Harumi district on July 23. Takuya Isayama A new subway line connecting central Tokyo with the capital's waterfront by the year 2040 s is planned to meet the needs of commuters in these growing areas, The Asahi Shimbun has learned.

The plan is expected to be announced on November 25 by Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike.

The line will connect Tokyo Station with the Tsukiji district, where the former site of a longtime fish market will be redeveloped, and the Harumi district, where the former Olympic Village was converted into a large-scale apartment complex.

The Tokyo metropolitan government estimates the cost of opening the line to be around 500 billion yen $3.6 billion The new subway line will be around 6 kilometers long and one station will be built approximately every one kilometer of the line, according to sources.

There will be seven stations under the plan. Their provisional names are Tokyo, Shin-Ginza, Shin-Tsukiji, Kachidoki, Harumi, Toyosu-Shijo and Ariake-Tokyo Big Sight.

The growth of the affected areas is apparent, and the metropolitan government is considering connecting the new line with the Haneda Airport Access Line, which connects central Tokyo with the airport and is planned by East Japan Railway Co. The new apartment complex in the Harumi district of the former Olympic Village site is expected to be inhabited by 12,000 residents in total.

The metropolitan government plans to redevelop the former site of the Tsukiji fish market, which was moved to the Toyosu district in the capital in 2018.

The growth of Tokyo Waterfront City has seen the construction of new high-rise apartments in recent years. The population there increased to around 18,000 in 2020 from around 11,000 in 2010 as a result of the increased in the population there.

There are only a limited number of ways to travel from these areas to central Tokyo, despite the growth. The commuting issue has been a priority for the metropolitan government.

Members of the transport policy council under the transport ministry proposed that more consideration be given to opening a new subway line connecting central Tokyo and the capital's waterfront area at a meeting in July 2021.

According to them, such a line is expected to play a role in infrastructure serving as a gateway to Japan for companies and investors from around the world.

Following this proposal, the metropolitan government established a working group to discuss the possibility with transportation ministry officials and experts.