Utsunomiya Light Rail

Utsunomiya Light Rail
Utsunomiya Light Rail
	Utsunomiya Light Rail HU300 series "Lightline"
Overview
Other name(s)	Haga Utsunomiya LRT
Native name	宇都宮うつのみやライトレール
Status	Operational
Owner	Utsunomiya City and Haga Town
Locale	Utsunomiya and Haga, ; Tochigi Prefecture, Japan
Termini	Utsunomiya Station East; Haga Takanezawa Industrial Park;
Stations	19
Website	https://www.miyarail.co.jp/index.html
Service
Type	Light rail
Operator(s)	Utsunomiya Light Rail Co., Ltd.
Rolling stock	HU300 series
History
Opened	26 August 2023; 12 months ago
Technical
Line length	14.6 km (9.1 mi)
Number of tracks	Double track
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	750 V DC
Operating speed	40 km/h (25 mph)
Route map
Route map
	Legend
	This diagram: view; talk; edit;

The Utsunomiya Light Rail (宇都宮うつのみやライトレール, Utsunomiya raitorēru) is a light rail transit (LRT) line serving the Utsunomiya metropolitan area [ja] in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. The 14.6 km line links Utsunomiya, the capital city of Tochigi, with the nearby town of Haga, running between Utsunomiya Station East, a tram stop in front of the East Exit of Utsunomiya Station in central Utsunomiya, and Haga Takanezawa Industrial Park in Haga.

The line is operated by the third-sector railway operator Utsunomiya Light Rail Co., Ltd. [ja] (:宇都宮うつのみやライトレール株式会社かぶしきがいしゃ, Utsunomiya raitorēru Kabushiki-gaisha) and is officially known as the Utsunomiya Light Rail Utsunomiya Haga Light Rail Line (宇都宮うつのみやライトレール宇都宮うつのみや芳賀はがライトレール線せん), although there are no other light rail lines in Utsunomiya.

History

The project was based on the “New Transportation System Concept” proposed in 1993 to relieve traffic congestion, and the introduction of LRT was finalized in 2001. After many years of research and discussion, the project was officially launched in 2013.^[3] Construction started in 2018, with a target opening date of March 2022, but it was eventually moved back to March 2023.^[4] This date was later further postponed to August 26, 2023.^[5] On April 3, 2023, ten round trips a day of driver proficiency training using the new light rail vehicles began.^[6]

On November 19, 2022, an LRT train derailed during a trial run. There were no injuries.^[7]

The line started operation on August 26, 2023. Utsunomiya became the first city in Japan to have a new tram system in 75 years after Takaoka, Toyama.^[8]

Services

Almost all trains are “local” trains that stop at all stations. On weekdays, trains are operated at intervals of 6 to 8 minutes during rush hours (approximately from 6 to 9 and from 5 to 7 pm on weekdays), and at intervals of 12 minutes during other off-peak hours (except during the above-mentioned times on weekdays and holidays). The service is available from 4:00 to 24:00 on weekdays and from 5:00 to 23:00 on weekends and holidays.^[9] The train schedule is aligned with that of the Tōhoku Shinkansen, which arrives at and departs from Utsunomiya Station, and connects with the first train on the same line bound for Tokyo Station and the last train arriving at Utsunomiya Station.The time required from the east exit of Utsunomiya Station, the starting point of the train, to the Haga Takanezawa Industrial Park, the ending point, is approximately 44 minutes on weekday schedules and 48 minutes on holiday schedules.^[10]

On weekday mornings, an "express" train is available in addition to the local train for the Haga Takanezawa Industrial Park direction only. Express trains stop at Utsunomiya Station East, Utsunomiya University Yoto Campus, Hiraishi, Seiryo High School, and each station from Seiryo High School to Haga and Takanezawa Industrial Park, while other stations are not served.

Fares are based on distance and range from 150 yen to 400 yen for adults one-way.^[10] Fares can be paid in cash or by Nationwide Mutual Usage Service-compliant IC cards (Suica, PASMO, and the “totra” IC card issued in Utsunomiya, etc.). When paying with cash, passengers receive a “numbered ticket” from a ticket machine located at the stop, board from the front door of the first car, and disembark from the front door of the first car after inserting the numbered ticket and fare into the fare box. IC card users can board and alight from any door, and touch their card to the IC card reader next to the door when boarding and alighting.^[11]

There are also feeder buses that connect to areas outside the rail line from Utsunomiya Station East, Utsunomiya University Yoto Campus, Kiyohara District Civic Center, Haga Industrial Park Management Center, which can be used in combination with trains.^[12]

Rolling stock

The line is served by the Utsunomiya Light Rail HU300 series [ja], branded Lightline.^[13] Niigata Transys built and delivered 17 sets of three-section low-floor light rail vehicles.^[13]

Stations

No	Station	Japanese	Distance (km)		Transfers	Location
No	Station	Japanese	Between stations	Total	Transfers	Location
01	Utsunomiya Station East	ja:宇都宮うつのみや駅えき東口ひがしぐち停留ていりゅう場じょう	–	0.0	JR East (Utsunomiya Station) Tōhoku Shinkansen JS Shōnan–Shinjuku Line JU Utsunomiya Line ■ Nikkō Line ■ Karasuyama Line	Utsunomiya	Tochigi Prefecture
02	Higashi-Shukugo	ja:東宿郷ひがししゅくごう停留ていりゅう場じょう	0.4	0.4
03	Ekihigashi Park	ja:駅東えきひがし公園前こうえんまえ停留ていりゅう場じょう	0.4	0.8
04	Mine	ja:峰みね停留ていりゅう場じょう	0.7	1.5
05	Yoto 3-chome	ja:陽東ようとう3丁目ちょうめ停留ていりゅう場じょう	0.6	2.1
06	Utsunomiya University Yoto Campus	ja:宇都宮大学うつのみやだいがく陽東ようとうキャンパス停留ていりゅう場じょう	0.7	2.8
07	Hiraishi	ja:平石ひらいし停留ていりゅう場じょう	0.9	3.7
08	Hiraishi-chuo Elementary School	ja:平石ひらいし中央ちゅうおう小学校しょうがっこう前ぜん停留ていりゅう場じょう	0.5	4.2
09	Tobiyama Castle Site	ja:飛とび山さん城跡じょうせき停留ていりゅう場じょう	1.9	6.1
10	Seiryo High School	ja:清陵せいりょう高校こうこう前ぜん停留ていりゅう場じょう	1.3	7.4
11	Kiyohara District Civic Center	ja:清原きよはら地区ちく市民しみんセンター前ぜん停留ていりゅう場じょう	0.8	8.2
12	Green Stadium	ja:グリーンスタジアム前ぜん停留ていりゅう場じょう	0.8	9.0
13	Yuinomori-west	ja:ゆいの杜もり西にし停留ていりゅう場じょう	1.7	10.7
14	Yuinomori-central	ja:ゆいの杜もり中央ちゅうおう停留ていりゅう場じょう	0.5	11.2
15	Yuinomori-east	ja:ゆいの杜もり東ひがし停留ていりゅう場じょう	0.5	11.7
16	Hagadai	ja:芳賀台はがだい停留ていりゅう場じょう	0.7	12.4		Haga
17	Haga Industrial Park Management Center	ja:芳賀はが町まち工業団地こうぎょうだんち管理かんりセンター前ぜん停留ていりゅう場じょう	0.5	12.9
18	Kashinomori Park	ja:かしの森もり公園こうえん前ぜん停留ていりゅう場じょう	0.9	13.8
19	Haga Takanezawa Industrial Park	ja:芳賀はが・高根沢たかねざわ工業こうぎょう団地だんち停留ていりゅう場じょう	0.7	14.5

References

^ ^a ^b Project Shiryou utsunomiya.tochigi.jp
^ "宇都宮うつのみやライトレール株式会社かぶしきがいしゃ".
^ Hirotaka Koike. "宇都宮うつのみや市しのLRT －これまでとこれから" [LRT in Utsunomiya － Looking Back the Past and Exploring the Future] (PDF). Utsunomiya Kyōwa University City Life Studies (in Japanese). Retrieved 9 January 2024.
^ "宇都宮うつのみやライトレールの開業かいぎょうがさらに延期えんきか？…交通こうつう量りょうが多おおい交差点こうさてんでの工事こうじが難航なんこう" [Utsunomiya Light Rail's Opening to be Further Delayed? ...Construction work at a busy intersection encountered difficulties]. news.yahoo.co.jp (in Japanese). 4 June 2022. Archived from the original on 6 June 2022.
^ "3月がつ1日にちからライトラインの試運転しうんてん(第だい二に弾だん)が開始かいしされます".
^ "4/3～習熟しゅうじゅく運転うんてんを開始かいしします".
^ "Next-generation tram derails during trial run". 19 November 2022.
^ "Japan's 1st new tram system in 75 years starts operating north of Tokyo". Kyodo News. 26 August 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
^ "宇都宮うつのみや駅えき東口ひがしぐち時刻じこく表ひょう" [Time table of Utsunomiya Station East] (in Japanese). Utsunomiya Light Rail Co., Ltd. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
^ ^a ^b "LRTについて" [Abouts LRT] (in Japanese). Utsunomiya City office. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
^ "LRT(ライトライン)のご利用りよう方法ほうほう" [How to take the LRT(LIGHTLINE)] (in Japanese). Utsunomiya Light Rail Co., Ltd. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
^ "令れい和わ5年ねん8月がつ27日にち（日曜日にちようび）にバス路線ろせんが変かわりました" [Bus route was changed at August 27 2023 (Sunday)] (in Japanese). Utsunomiya City office. 31 May 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
^ ^a ^b "First Lightline tram arrives". Metro Report International. 1 June 2021.

This article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia.

External links

Official website (in Japanese)

[shiryou-1] Project Shiryou utsunomiya.tochigi.jp

[2] "宇都宮うつのみやライトレール株式会社かぶしきがいしゃ".

[koike-3] Hirotaka Koike. "宇都宮うつのみや市しのLRT －これまでとこれから" [LRT in Utsunomiya － Looking Back the Past and Exploring the Future] (PDF). Utsunomiya Kyōwa University City Life Studies (in Japanese). Retrieved 9 January 2024.

[4] "宇都宮うつのみやライトレールの開業かいぎょうがさらに延期えんきか？…交通こうつう量りょうが多おおい交差点こうさてんでの工事こうじが難航なんこう" [Utsunomiya Light Rail's Opening to be Further Delayed? ...Construction work at a busy intersection encountered difficulties]. news.yahoo.co.jp (in Japanese). 4 June 2022. Archived from the original on 6 June 2022.

[5] "3月がつ1日にちからライトラインの試運転しうんてん(第だい二に弾だん)が開始かいしされます".

[6] "4/3～習熟しゅうじゅく運転うんてんを開始かいしします".

[7] "Next-generation tram derails during trial run". 19 November 2022.

[8] "Japan's 1st new tram system in 75 years starts operating north of Tokyo". Kyodo News. 26 August 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2023.

[9] "宇都宮うつのみや駅えき東口ひがしぐち時刻じこく表ひょう" [Time table of Utsunomiya Station East] (in Japanese). Utsunomiya Light Rail Co., Ltd. Retrieved 16 August 2024.

[about-10] "LRTについて" [Abouts LRT] (in Japanese). Utsunomiya City office. Retrieved 16 August 2024.

[11] "LRT(ライトライン)のご利用りよう方法ほうほう" [How to take the LRT(LIGHTLINE)] (in Japanese). Utsunomiya Light Rail Co., Ltd. Retrieved 16 August 2024.

[12] "令れい和わ5年ねん8月がつ27日にち（日曜日にちようび）にバス路線ろせんが変かわりました" [Bus route was changed at August 27 2023 (Sunday)] (in Japanese). Utsunomiya City office. 31 May 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2024.

[:0-13] "First Lightline tram arrives". Metro Report International. 1 June 2021.

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