Eastern Kanagawa Rail Link

The Eastern Kanagawa Rail Link ( ja, 神奈川東部方面線, Kanagawa Tōbu Hōmen Sen) is a strategic railway project in Japan to improve the railway network connectivity and passenger convenience between the eastern Kanagawa Prefecture and Tokyo Metropolis, as well as access to Tōkaidō Shinkansen at Shin-Yokohama Station.

The new infrastructures of this project are constructed and owned by the Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency (JRTT), which is an Independent Administrative Institution governed by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, while operation is divided between Sagami Railway (Sōtetsu), JR East and Tōkyū Railways.

In its finalized form, this railway project comprises 2 major portions:
* Sōtetsu–JR Link Line (SJLL; ja, 相鉄・JR直通線, Sōtetsu JR chokutsū sen): Connecting Sōtetsu and JR East by a new railroad, Sōtetsu Shin-yokohama Line, constructed between and for entering the Tōkaidō Freight Line. This enables through service from (Sōtetsu) to (JR) via , , and alongside the Yamanote Line. It has entered service since 30 November 2019.
* Sōtetsu–Tōkyū Link Line (STLL; ja, 相鉄・東急直通線, Sōtetsu Tōkyū chokutsū sen): Connecting Sōtetsu and Tōkyū Railways with a new railroad, which is divided into Sōtetsu Shin-yokohama Line and Tōkyū Shin-yokohama Line, constructed between Hazawa yokohama-kokudai and via Shin-yokohama. Sōtetsu–Tōkyū Shin-yokohama Station serves as an operational boundary between Sōtetsu and Tōkyū. This enables through services from Ebina or (Sōtetsu) to Shibuya (Tōyoko Line, which continues onward to Fukutoshin Line) and ( Meguro Line, which continues onward to either Namboku Line or Mita Line). Furthermore, the through-running is possible via Fukutoshin Line to (Tōbu Tōjō Line), or via Namboku Line to ( Saitama Rapid Railway Line). This has entered service since 18 March 2023.

Background

Similar railway plans which proposed to connect different existing passenger railways for through service around the eastern Kanagawa regions had been devised before the Eastern Kanagawa Rail Link. In 1983, a team of experts of civil engineering, environmental management, railway, etc. proposed numerous public transit plans in a study of Kanagawa transportation infrastructure provision. Among those plans were new railroads which would connect Sōtetsu and/or with the Tōkaidō Freight Line for Haneda Airport, as well as , Yokohama-Hazawa, Shin-yokohama and to allow through service between Sōtetsu and Tōkyū.

The project which is codenamed the "Eastern Kanagawa Rail Link" began its infancy from the in January 2000. In the initial proposal, a new railroad would connect of Sōtetsu to Ōkurayama of Tōkyū Railways via Shin-yokohama. Originally Sōtetsu, which was only operating within Kanagawa Prefecture and did not have any through service with other railway operators, was not interested in this plan, because a through service via Shin-yokohama would divert passengers away from its hub terminus. However, as the population decline led to ridership drop of Sōtetsu, the rail company became more favorable towards the plan which improves connectivity with the Tokyo Metropolis and Saitama Prefecture. In September 2004, the Sōtetsu–JR Link Line plan was formally announced which would provide a more direct access to Shinjuku, Tokyo from areas served by Sōtetsu between and .相鉄とJR相互直通へ 乗り換えなしで新宿に 西谷〜羽沢間の接続案浮上, Kanagawa Shimbunsha, 8 September 2004

In May 2005, the was passed by the parliament of Japan and went into effect on 1 August 2005 with the aim of encouraging many different railway operators of major metropolitan areas of Japan to provide better and more convenient passenger experience via new railroads which would enable through services between different operators. The new law also stipulates a model which separate the construction/maintenance (整備主体) and operation (営業主体) of infrastructure to different entities.

Under this new law, in June 2006, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism approved the initial maintenance and operation plans of the Sōtetsu–JR Link Line (SJLL) and Sōtetsu–Tōkyū Link Line (STLL) submitted by the Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency (JRTT). The SJLL was green-lighted on 21 November 2006 and STLL on 11 April 2007.

Financing

The Eastern Kanagawa Rail Link project was funded one-third from the national coffer, one-third from the local governments (both prefectural and municipal), and one-third from private loan. The JRTT coordinated the construction of this project, owns the completed rail infrastructure, and is responsible for its maintenance. Sōtetsu and Tōkyū collect the revenues from operating the railways owned by JRTT, and then they pay JRTT a portion of those revenues for maintenance and loan reimbursement for this project.

Both Sōtetsu and Tōkyū Railways applied to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism for an additional fare charge of using the new railways. This was due to the high cost of construction and the drop in estimated ridership from the initial projection, resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

References

{{Reflist, 30em

External links

都市鉄道利便増進事業 神奈川東部方面線
Sōtetsu–JR Link Line, Sōtetsu–Tōkyū Link Line (in Japanese)
* Operating entities:
*
都心とつながる（都心直通プロジェクト）
Sagami Railway (in Japanese)
*
東急新横浜線
Tōkyū Railways (in Japanese)
* Construction entities:
*

Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency (in English)
*

Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency (in Japanese)
* Governing entities served by the railways:
*

Kanagawa Prefecture (in Japanese)
*

- Yokohama Municipal Development Bureau (in Japanese)

Rail transport in Kanagawa Prefecture
Sagami Railway
Lines of East Japan Railway Company
Lines of Tokyu Corporation