Thursday, Jan. 5, 2012

East Japan Railway Co. may build the first new station on the Yamanote Line since 1971, sources said Wednesday, adding the site would be between Shinagawa and Tamachi stations.

JR East is looking to start building the 30th station on the Tokyo commuter loop line in fiscal 2014 as part of its redevelopment of 50 to 75 percent of a 20-hectare rail yard located between the two stations in Minato Ward, the sources said.

A committee set up by JR East and other parties is currently examining the project, and it would take 10 years to complete the new station and surrounding facilities, a JR East official said.

The 2.2-km section between Shinagawa and Tamachi stations, which trains cover in about three minutes, is the longest stretch on the Yamanote Line in both distance and time.

Construction of the new station would start after work to extend the Joban, Tohoku and Takasaki lines to Tokyo Station from Ueno Station, connecting them directly with the Tokaido Line, is completed in fiscal 2013, the official added.

The redevelopment area under study is close to Haneda airport and Shinagawa Station, which is expected to be selected as Tokyo's terminal for the magnetically levitated train line slated to start operating between the capital and Nagoya in 2027. In December, the area was designated as a special zone to attract foreign businesses and research and development facilities.

The last Yamanote Line station to open was Nishi-Nippori in Arakawa Ward in 1971.

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