Tsukuba Express—Introduction to Stations
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F New Lines and Infrastructure in Greater Tokyo eature Tsukuba Express—Introduction to Stations Kazunobu Yamada Line Overview, Station Design development (Fig. 1). The fastest trains lines and the added convenience for and Mobility travel the 58.3-km distance in 45 minutes, commuters will undoubtedly reduce passing through four prefectures: Tokyo, congestion on JR East’s Joban Line and General overview Chiba, Saitama and Ibaraki. other older lines (Table 1). The line also The Tsukuba Express—Greater Tokyo’s The line is quickly becoming a major offers improved transit options for people newest commuter rail line—began service transit option for rail passengers travelling living and working near the line. on 24 August 2005. The line starts in between the centre of Tokyo and north- Akihabara, Tokyo (the city’s so-called east Greater Tokyo. Each of the 20 stations Preparing for development Electric Town) and terminates in Tsukuba has been designed with its own identity. The operator, Metropolitan Intercity Science City, Japan’s centre for high-tech Seven stations offer connections to other Railway Company (MIRC), took advantage of the Special Measures Law for Coordinated Development of Residential Figure 1 Tsukuba Express Route Areas and Railways in Metropolitan Areas (approved in June 1989 and enforced from September that year), which facilitates Tsuchiura City simultaneous construction of railways and TsuchiuraTsuchiura development of residential land for large Kanto RailwRailway Joban Line Kenkyu-gakuen Tsukuba housing projects. (Science City) JR EastEast’s’s The law promotes railway development Joban Line a hand-in-hand with development of land y Joban Line Banpaku- Tsukuba City kinenkoen near the proposed right-of-way, making it MidorinoMidorino easier to promote simultaneous development of railway land, roads, parks, IBARAKIIbaraki PREFECTURE Prefecture residential land, and other urban facilities. MirMiraidairaaidaira The railway construction company and its Tsukuba Express partners in the public sector buy up land lots during the preliminary stage and these MorMoriyaiya lots are finally assembled and/or TTororide substituted for other lots to create a oda Line contiguous stretch of land purchased by u NNoda Line KashiwKashiwa-Tanakaa-Tanaka TTobuob N the railway operator. T KashiwKashiwanohaanoha Campus obo b u Isezaki Line Is CHIBA PREFECTURE e z NagareNagareyama-yama- Designs and signs a KashiwaKashiwa k i L otakanomorotakanomorii in NagareyamaNagareyama CentralCentral ParkPark MIRC established a Design Planning SAITAMA e Council for Signs and Other Features to: Minami NagareyamaNagareyama MabashiShin Matsudo PREFECTURE • Define design concepts for four ’s Misato-chuo elements—advertising, station furniture, JR EastEast’s Yashio Matsudo signage and station buildings—all of Musashino Line JR EastEast’s’s SobSobuu Line which follow MIRC’s overall brand Rokucho KKeieiseisei main line image strategies Aoi •Develop basic principles for overall Kita Senju design and individual station design Minami Senju • Determine implementation design Asakusa policies for major parts of the four TOKYO elements, and identify where these Shin Okachimachi eiyo Line JR East’s PREFECTURE K AkihabarAkihabaraa Tokyo policies are to be implemented • Ensure that the basic principles and Shinjuku implementation design policies are followed 50 Japan Railway & Transport Review 42 • December 2005 established safeguards to ensure Table 1 Tsukuba Express Profile standards followed during Total line length 58.3 km, Akihabara to Tsukuba implementation planning and Travel time Fastest service, 45 minutes between Akihabara and Tsukuba construction No. of stations 20 (7 in Tokyo, 2 in Saitama, 5 in Chiba, and 6 in Ibaraki prefectures) Track gauge 1,067 mm Universal Design for accessibility Maximum design speed 130 km/h The Tsukuba Express was planned when Power systems DC section: Akihabara–Moriya (1,500 V) accessibility needs were well understood, AC section: Moriya–Tsukuba (20,000 V) Connections Akihabara Station so it presented a perfect opportunity for (JR East’s Yamanote, Keihin-Tohoku and Sobu lines, Tokyo Metro’s developing stations that incorporate Hibiya Line) Universal Design principles. Shin Okachimachi Station (Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s Oedo Line) In the planning stages, the Japan Railway Minami Senju Station Construction, Transport and Technology (JR East’s Joban Line, Tokyo Metro’s Hibiya Line) Agency (JRTT) kept Universal Design Kita Senju Station (JR East’s Joban Line, Tobu Isezaki Line, Tokyo Metro’s Hibiya principles in mind, and during discussions and Chiyoda lines) with the future operator, ensured that Minami Nagareyama Station (JR East’s Musashino Line) stations would be user friendly. Nagareyama-otakanomori Station (Tobu’s Noda Line) Moriya Station (Kanto Railway’s Joso Line) Service counters were constructed next to Operator MIRC automatic wickets, making passageways Construction JRTT user friendly. The service counter window permits eye contact between passengers and staff, and the counter is low enough A committee of members was established, design plans and service facility plans for eye contact with wheelchair users. representing relevant divisions and those • Compiled infrastructure construction Wide wickets provide easy access for of project partners, and obtained and accessibility design standard, wheelchairs, and an intercom installed participation of the architectural and illustrations for infrastructure outside the wicketed area permits good design firms, Koken Architects, Inc. and construction design standards, and passenger–staff communications. Rei Design & Planning. The committee’s work can be summarized as follows: •Developed brand image for Tsukuba Express •Decided overall colour scheme Brand image colours are blue (representing safety and reliability) and red (speed and energy), while bright whites are used as keynote colours for station concourse walls and ceilings (simplicity and space free of busy colours). Station signs have a red background, boarding instructional signs a blue background, and alighting instructional signs a yellow background. •Decided sign font size, pictographs, station name sign designs for exits/ entrances, platforms, and station numbers • Developed consensus on station space Service counter next to passageway at Akihabara Station (JRTT) Japan Railway & Transport Review 42 • December 2005 51 New Lines and Infrastructure in Greater Tokyo Platform screen with moveable gate (JRTT) Underground station bench (JRTT) Signs in front of station toilet (JRTT) Handrail with Braille and voice guidance (JRTT) Platform screens along the platform edge Figure 2 Standard Floor Plan and Station Toilets with moveable gates prevent boarding and alighting passengers (especially the visually impaired) becoming jammed between carriages or falling on the track. Japanese-style toilet Western-style toilet The screens have an intercom system for Urinal emergency communications with station Urinal for small boys Washbasin staff. Signs on the screens indicate car Multifunctional toilet with Diaper changing table baby chair and fold-down Baby chair numbers, information on station stops, riser for changing clothes Maltifunctional toilet boarding/alighting locations. These are Child’s seat is also Warm-water system installed in the Men’s one design element in sign policies toilet. Multifunctional toilet with targeting smooth flows. multipurpose toilet seat All stations have the same design of platform bench with generous person Handrail with Warm-water system Braille and seating width. There are two types of voice guidance benches—one providing ample back support, and another with a higher seat to permit easier sitting down and standing up. In some cases, the two types are located 52 Japan Railway & Transport Review 42 • December 2005 side-by-side as a unit. The seat material is by the platform superstructure and station component elements is relatively non-combustible aluminium for enclosed within the station façade. The restriction-free, station buildings can underground stations and a pleasing supporting and architectural structures are have a relatively compact design, and recycled material for aboveground stations. pinned together by horizontal braces concourse ceiling height is unrestricted, The station designers went out of their under the platform, ensuring that only creating opportunities for greater way to ensure convenient, accessible horizontal forces are transmitted. If the flexibility of space. Third, as Figure 4 facilities for users with all needs, such as pillars are aligned in straight lines, vertical shows, the cost of a hybrid structure is multifunctional toilets and multipurpose forces are exerted at the same pitch as the slightly less than that of a conventional toilet seats (including seats for children). superstructure’s vertical elements. structure. A warm-water system is available for Since the structural behaviour of the The hybrid structure permits erection of ostomates. Both the men’s and women’s supporting structure is different from that thin steel frame pillars for external walls, toilets have easy-to-use multifunctional of the architectural structure, roller stalls, a diaper changing table and a supports are used at contact points where clothing-change corner. The women’s the platform flooring supports and toilets even have a urinal for small boys architectural frames meet, so that if an accompanying their mothers and a fold- external force deforms the architectural down riser for