Elevation of track through Mukainada on Sanyo Main Line

[yakumo381]

My recent trip to Japan took me down to Hiroshima where I spent some free time at Mukainada station photographing freights being banked up and down the Sanyo Main Line through Tenjingawa into Hiroshima.

 

Whilst there I noticed that the old houses behind the station on the south side were being demolished (the old houses on the north side were cleared away a couple of years ago) and that this sign was visible.

 

It appears not only is the old JNR station to be replaced but that the track is to be elevated through the station with new buildings all around. This will have the benefit of eliminating the road crossings at each end of the station but presumably may also negate any need for banking engines such as the remaining EF67 and the EF210-300's currently in use.

 

Presumably the engineering work required is also going to disrupt both freight and passenger traffic for some time whilst it takes place.

 

If you want the opportunity to see banking engines in action on the main line then you had better get to Hiroshima sooner than later!

[Kiha66]

Interesting, is the elevating of the line to reduce the sudden steep sections into an overall gentle grade?

[railsquid]

1 hour ago, yakumo381 said:

Presumably the engineering work required is also going to disrupt both freight and passenger traffic for some time whilst it takes place.

I don't know the specifics of this project, but every single such project I've seen involves minimal disruption, usually by building the elevated section for one running line next to the existing lines, moving the line to the elevated section, then building the other half of the elevated section in the space previously vacated. Or when space is really at a premium, build the new section above the existing lines (they did the Keikyu line around Kamata station like that).

[kvp]

1 hour ago, Kiha66 said:

Interesting, is the elevating of the line to reduce the sudden steep sections into an overall gentle grade?

Unless the mountains up the line will be somehow removed or tunneled through, i don't think this short inner city section would really matter. This seems more like a city reconstruction project, where newly built elevated lines, highrises and wide roads replace older single family buildings that were squeezed together as much as possible leaving only narrow alleys between them.

 

I've walked around the station on Google maps street view, including along the main access roads in their 2013 state and the narrow streets and small houses had a completly different feeling, more late Showa than modern day. Most of the area was already removed on the 2016 view and i'm talking about the station building side, because the other side was mostly cleared on the 2013 views. (the Google car got stuck and had to back out of several smaller streets and many of them were only accessible on foot or with a kei car/truck)

[lesliegibson]

Interesting Yakumo. Do you have any idea of the time scale for this work? We are going back to Hiroshima in May of 2019 and fear that I will have missed the freights being banked through Mukainada!. 

Some great videos on Youtube of this happening.

Regards Les

[railsquid]

Umm, looking into this becausr curious about the EF 67s, this is just some urban planning driven by Hiroshima, it will make no difference to the stretch of line in the mountainous areas where banking is required (Senohachi, https://ja.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/瀬野八 )

Edited December 5, 2017 by railsquid

[Sacto1985]

I still think they'll keep the banking (helper) engines on eastbound freight runs because the Senohachi grade is just about Japan's steepest mainline railroad grade. and they'll operated from Hiroshima all the way east to at least Saijo Station.

[bikkuri bahn]

The purpose of the elevation is almost entirely non-railway related- most of these elevation projects are initiated (and majority-funded) by the municipalities where the line runs through.  In this case, the purpose is to improve road traffic flow, improve connectivity between neighborhoods on both sides of the tracks, and reduce accidents with elimination of grade crossings.  The section is too short to have any effect on banking operations, the primary grade being outside the urban area.

Hiroshima Prefecture pdf relating to the project:

http://www.pref.hiroshima.lg.jp/uploaded/attachment/177738.pdf

 

[westfalen]

I spent an afternoon and evening there in 2012 and you wouldn't have thought you were so close to downtown Hiroshima. Even though the banking engines will remain we will lose another old JNR era station to urban development.

[kvp]

1 hour ago, westfalen said:

I spent an afternoon and evening there in 2012 and you wouldn't have thought you were so close to downtown Hiroshima. Even though the banking engines will remain we will lose another old JNR era station to urban development.

Not to mention the already demolished middle Showa era (post ww2 to 60ies) neigbourhood with the little streets. The station had two main access roads, both only usable with kei cars. On the other hand, when i see the general state of the houses on photos taken during demolishment, i understand why the local government wants to get rid of the whole neighbourhood.

 

One of the main access roads to the station square: (these houses are mostly gone now)

 

The station building itself is still in good condition and i assume looks more or less the same as in the JNR era:

 

[yakumo381]

This was one of the last houses left standing on the North side back in 2012, now demolished, looks just like someting out of Kato Diotown. Great position if you were a RailFan and commuted into Hiroshima - straight out of bed and into the station...

 

[yakumo381]

Also the South side exit. The North side exit has been replaced with a brick built but temporary construction.

[yakumo381]

On 05/12/2017 at 8:58 PM, railsquid said:

Umm, looking into this becausr curious about the EF 67s, this is just some urban planning driven by Hiroshima, it will make no difference to the stretch of line in the mountainous areas where banking is required (Senohachi, https://ja.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/瀬野八 )

 

It's a long project 10 to 15 years, if I've read it right, so depending on when they formally started that's quite a few years to go.

 

Will be interesting to see how they plan the track moves during construction of the elevated section through Mukainada as there would be significant disruption if they lose any track capacity at peak times given the number of through and stopping commuter trains as well as the freights.

[railsquid]

5 minutes ago, yakumo381 said:

 

It's a long project 10 to 15 years, if I've read it right, so depending on when they formally started that's quite a few years to go.

 

Will be interesting to see how they plan the track moves during construction of the elevated section through Mukainada as there would be significant disruption if they lose any track capacity at peak times given the number of through and stopping commuter trains as well as the freights.

 

It usually involves preparing the connection between old and new track sections as much as possible, then a very very busy night shift.

[kvp]

6 hours ago, yakumo381 said:

Will be interesting to see how they plan the track moves during construction of the elevated section through Mukainada as there would be significant disruption if they lose any track capacity at peak times given the number of through and stopping commuter trains as well as the freights.

Based on the drawing posted above and compared to the current map, the tracks will be shifted two tracks away from the station. This means constructing a new elevated double track section between the newly build side road and the current tracks, then moving half of the traffic over there (tracks 3 and 4), then constructing the other double track section in place of tracks 3 and 4 of the station, then removing tracks 1 and 2 along with the building. I base this theory on the location of the hospital, the crossings and the newly built parallel roads. On the picture it's possible to see a row of houses between the road that is passing between the hospital and the museum and the tracks. Currently the two touch at the curve. Also the parallel road on the other side of the tracks is shown running right next to the elevated tracks, while currently there is a two track wide empty area between the road and the current tracks.