Some more Tokyo Metro TV commercials

[bikkuri bahn]

Last night watching TV Tokyo's "Cambria Kyuden" program, there was this CM for Tokyo Metro. It's part of their "Metro wa susumu, susumeru" series focusing on infrastructure improvements.

It's a stylized depiction of the Tozai Line. Starting at about 0:10 is the section of line between Kudanshita and Iidabashi, where a flat junction causes a bottleneck with turnback operations. The pocket track will be converted to a passing track, allowing through trains to proceed while a turnback train is reversing in an ecs move. At about 0:18 is Minami Sunamachi Station. The current station is quite restricted in space as it was built with caisson method tunneling, and is quite congested with passengers during the rush hours. Another platform will be built, allowing what is called "sougou hacchaku", or near simultaneous arrival and departure, which lessens headways and should clear out the crowds faster at this spot.

 

Tokyo Metro info on infrastructure projects, the above projects on p. 8:

http://www.tokyometro.jp/corporate/profile/scheme/pdf/plan_h27_2.pdf

 

To add, a CM from Metro's "Anzen. Anshin. Metro no Me" series focusing on the work of individuals and their departments:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RaFEQObvYc

Edited July 10, 2015 by bikkuri bahn

[bikkuri bahn]

With a bit more research into "sougo hacchaku", it's likely the reason for running this operation is not to reduce headways but rather to maintain the exisiting headways but provide more time to load passengers at congested stations.  The standard dwell time in Tokyo Metropolitan area stations is 30 seconds, but with sougo hacchaku the dwell time can be increased to 1 minute while maintaining the existing headway.  This apparently is done at the Tokaido Line up platform at Yokohama Station, where 1 minute dwells are allowed for 3 minute headways.  From personal experience I can attest to the congested conditions at this location.

[kvp]

Looking at the track diagram in the video, the new platform will be used for the right to left trains and the old one for the left to right. The middle track can be used by both directions and doors could open on either side. This means the crowding can be reduced and up to two trains can stopped from one direction, allowing one train to depart while the other is arriving. This is very efficient and depending on the flow of passengers, the middle track can be assigned to either one direction or the other. The only danger is if some planner tries to use the middle track in an alternate fashion, first stopping one train from one direction, then another from the other.

 

Btw, this track arrangement was very popular for smaller european model layouts in the 1970-ies to 1980-ies as you can cram the turnouts into a single column on both sides. I've seen it implemented at a few real metro stations, but for some reason never seen them in use.

[katoftw]

Looking at the track diagram in the video, the new platform will be used for the right to left trains and the old one for the left to right. The middle track can be used by both directions and doors could open on either side. This means the crowding can be reduced and up to two trains can stopped from one direction, allowing one train to depart while the other is arriving. This is very efficient and depending on the flow of passengers, the middle track can be assigned to either one direction or the other. The only danger is if some planner tries to use the middle track in an alternate fashion, first stopping one train from one direction, then another from the other.

Very normal process across the world.  Now they have have 2 platforms for the peak direct ion travel.  Currently it is an island platform with 1 up and 1 down road.  Now they have the option to have 2 ups and 1 down or vice versa depending on peak traveling direction.  If dwell time is 60 seconds, then they can basicly stack trains 60 seconds closer to each other in peak if required.

 

If depends on how Tokyo Metro utilize this platform layout.  They may be attempting to tighten their timetable by 60 seconds to get more trains in.  Or they may just need the ability to stack trains closer to each other by 60 seconds if their are delays on the network.