Tohoku and Niigata Region Shuichi Takashima
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Railwa Railway Operators Railway Operators in Japan 3 Tohoku and Niigata Region Shuichi Takashima The 739.2-km Tohoku main line (Tokyo– Station in Niigata Prefecture to Akita, Overview Aomori) runs mostly between Tohoku’s passing through several large cities. eastern highlands and the Ou Range Several north–south lines serve the General description of Tohoku forming the central spine of the Tohoku Pacific coast but the most important is region region. The main line passes through the the 343.1-km Joban Line linking Nippori The Tohoku region of Japan is comprised prefectural capitals of Fukushima, Sendai Station in Tokyo and Iwanuma Station of six prefectures in the northern part of and Morioka to terminate in Aomori. near Sendai. Other lines serve the the main island of Honshu: Aomori, The 484.5-km Ou main line (Fukushima– sparsely populated Pacific coastal district y Akita, Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima and Aomori) branches from the Tohoku main but face severe financial difficulties. Yamagata. Tohoku is the rice basket of line at Fukushima, crosses the mountains As mentioned, the north–south lines form Japan, producing more rice than any to the west and then turns north, hemmed the basic traffic corridors and connect other region. Even so, Tohoku is often in by mountains on both sides. It passes with a number of east–west branch lines. Operators viewed as ‘the boonies’ as its old name through the prefectural capitals of Niigata is linked to Tokyo via the Takasaki of Michinoku (end of the road) implies. Yamagata and Akita to terminate at and Joetsu lines, and the Shin’etsu main Of course, the old name springs partly Aomori. line. Steep, high mountains separate from prejudice, but it is true that the The 271.7-km Uetsu main line follows Niigata from Tokyo, so the first line topography is noted for its uplands and the Sea-of-Japan coast, avoiding the steep between the two cities made a wide high, steep mountain ranges. These inland mountains. It runs from Niitsu detour to the west through Nagano. Later conditions combined with heavy winter snows make transport difficult and have created a poor regional economy. Even Railway Lines in Tohoku and Niigata Regions today, average incomes in the region are lower than in other parts of Japan. Reliable transport is an important part of overcoming these disadvantages and TTsugarusugaru Line Ominato Line development of transport networks is TTsugarusugaru Railway closely linked to regional development. Gono Line Aomori Hirosaki The neighbouring Niigata Prefecture is Konan Towada Railway Sightseeing really part of Japan’s Chubu central Hachinohe Electric Railway region, but since eastern Niigata Akita Inland Hanawa Hachinohe Line Line Prefecture is tied closely to Tohoku’s Through Oga Line Railway Tohoku transport network, I include it in this TazawakoTazawako main line Akita Line Akita Morioka discussion. Niigata Prefecture is also a Shinkansen Sea of Japan Iwaizumi Line large rice producer. Uetsu main line Ou main Yamada Sanriku Railway line Line The seven prefectures have a total area Yuri Highland Railway Kitakami of about 80,000 km2 and a total Line Rikuusai Line Kurihara Den'en Kamaishi Line population of some 12 million. Railway Shinjo Tohoku Shinkansen Aterazawa Rikuuto Ofunato Line Hakushin Line Line Kesennuma Line Outline of railways Line Ishinomaki Line YYamagataamagata Senzan Line Many of Tohoku’s high mountain ranges Niigata Railway YamagataYamagata Senseki Line Yonesaka Sendai Line run north–south, so east–west traffic is Echigo Line YamagataYamagata Shinkansen Pacific Ocean forced to cross rugged highlands. Due Joetsu Shin'etsu Ban'etsusai Shinkansen main line Line Abukuma Express to the topography, the transport corridors TadamiTadami Line Fukushima Fukushima Aizu Transport Hokuetsu WWakamatsuakamatsu Joban Line Shinkansen lines generally have a north–south alignment. Aizu Railway Express Koriyama We get a better idea of the transport Joetsu Line Mini shinkansen lines JR Conventional lines Suigun network if we visualize it as three north– Line Ban'etsuto Line Private lines south trunk lines (Tohoku, Ou and Uetsu Closed lines main lines), and a number of east–west branch lines crossing the region. 40 Japan Railway & Transport Review 29 • December 2001 Copyright © 2001 EJRCF. All rights reserved. construction of long mountain tunnels solved this problem. After the Tohoku and Joetsu shinkansen were opened in 1982, they took much of the intercity passenger traffic that had been carried by the non-shinkansen lines. However, since shinkansen trains do not carry freight, freight trains now play a greater role on these lines. This article on urban transport focuses on Sendai, the largest city in the Tohoku region and the prefectural capital of Miyagi Prefecture. Sendai has extensive suburbs and benefits from frequent railway services. It also has a subway. Railways play a very minor role in local transport outside the major population centres with most residents depending on cars. In the Tohoku region, passengers using public transport (including buses) Series E2 for Yamabiko services on Tohoku Shinkansen and Asahi services on Joetsu Shinkansen (JR East) are mostly young or elderly—in other words, people without driving licences. Trains are at an advantage only when a Tohoku is also served by 11 small and In 1980, Sendai’s population was 664,000 motor vehicle is inconvenient, such as medium private railways. The City but had risen to more than 1 million by when travelling long distances or in large Transportation Bureau operates the 1999. (However, it should be noted that cities where roads are often very Sendai subway. Sendai absorbed several neighbouring congested. Consequently, railways in towns and small cities during this period.) sparsely populated regions are in extreme In 1989, Sendai was the first city in the financial difficulties. Interurban Transport Tohoku region to be named an ‘ordinance-designated city.’ Under this Railway operators Tohoku and Joetsu shinkansen designation, Sendai has greater The majority of railway lines in the The Tohoku and Joetsu shinkansen both administrative powers and enjoys the Tohoku region are operated by JR East, opened in 1982. Right from the start, JNR status of ‘metropolis’ (only 12 cities in which took over the region’s rail network knew these shinkansen would not be Japan have this designation). In 1980, from Japanese National Railways (JNR) profitable because of the relatively minor Niigata’s population was 145,000 but at the 1987 privatization. JR East also economic role played by the areas they had risen to 195,000 in 2000. Elsewhere, serves the Tokyo metropolitan area where serve. The motive behind their too, the fast shinkansen trains have it enjoys a huge and stable captive construction was to establish closer ties developed tourism and contributed to market. The shinkansen and other with Tokyo and promote regional local economies. Many skiers take the intercity operations are doing relatively development. Consequently, the two trains from Tokyo to Niigata Prefecture well in Tohoku as are services in the shinkansen stand in stark contrast to the and ski resorts and hotels have sprung Sendai area. Even so, JR East’s Tohoku Tokaido (Tokyo–Osaka) and San’yo up near Echigo Yuzawa Station on the operations are a huge financial burden (Osaka–Fukuoka) shinkansen, which Joetsu Shinkansen. because of the many long, hardly used were built to serve areas of high Therefore, it is true to say that the lines. JR East cannot abandon these economic activity. economies of the Tohoku region and unprofitable lines easily because of their The Tohoku and Joetsu shinkansen will Niigata have been stimulated to some important social role, so it continues to soon have been in operation for two extent by almost 20 years of shinkansen operate them while trying to rationalize decades and we should ask whether they operations. Of course, during this same services as much as possible. have achieved their original goals. period highways and open roads also Copyright © 2001 EJRCF. All rights reserved. Japan Railway & Transport Review 29 • December 2001 41 Railway Operators saw development, so we cannot give the commuters. Today’s shinkansen rolling Prefecture) would take the Tohoku shinkansen all the credit for the upturn. stock can be roughly divided into six Shinkansen to Fukushima where they Even so, the overall development of the types, including trains that can run on transferred to the conventional Ou main region’s transport network has forged both shinkansen and conventional lines. line. It was soon realized that this stronger links with Tokyo and improved inconvenient transfer could be eliminated the local economies. Through services on both if a train could be developed for use on The shinkansen trains have also changed shinkansen and conventional both the shinkansen line and the Ou main over the same 20-year period. When the lines line to Yamagata; planning based on this two shinkansen lines opened, the When the Tohoku Shinkansen began concept began in earnest in 1986. To maximum speed was 210 km/h but the operation in 1982, most through services offer through services, major track maximum speed increased to 275 km/h on conventional lines from Tohoku to modifications would be required due to due to development of new rolling stock. Tokyo’s Ueno Station were stopped and the different track gauges—1435 mm for The fastest trains now travel between replaced by connections to some of the the shinkansen track and 1067 mm for Tokyo and Morioka in about 2 hours 25 new shinkansen stations. For many the narrow-gauge track to Yamagata. minutes, and between Tokyo and Niigata passengers this meant an inconvenient Infrastructure modifications and in about 1 hour 40 minutes. transfer and wait at a shinkansen station manufacture of rolling stock were The original Series-200 shinkansen with the result that travel to the final entrusted to a new company rolling stock is being replaced gradually.