Tokaido Freight Line viaduct

[KenS]

I've been looking at freight, and in particular the Tokaido Freight Line lately, and I've turned up something that puzzles me. Hopefully someone here will known the answer.

 

South of Tsurumi the Tokaido Freight Line branches off from the main line for about 16 km. Most of that distance is underground, except for two sections. One is the Yokohama-Hazawa Freight Station. It's the other that puzzles me. Just north of Oguchi station on the Yokohama line the freight line crosses a valley on a viaduct.  I haven't found any pictures of this, but looking at Google maps and Streetview it appears that the viaduct is fully enclosed, with sides and a roof.

 

My question: why do this? Is it just for noise abatement for the residents, or is there some other reason like high winds?

 

Google Maps view of viaduct (horizontal box structure)

[bill937ca]

I looking at the Japanese Wikipedia for the Tokaido Freight Line I can make out 'protests' and ' a strong movement against environment degradation' along with 'complete grade separation'.  It looks like there was community opposition to the line from at least 1966.

 

 

http://translate.google.com/translate?js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=1&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fja.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2F%25E6%259D%25B1%25E6%25B5%25B7%25E9%2581%2593%25E8%25B2%25A8%25E7%2589%25A9%25E7%25B7%259A&sl=ja&tl=en

[bikkuri bahn]

Is it just for noise abatement for the residents

 

Likely, this line traverses a densely populated residential area at this point.  Given that many freights in the Kanto region operate in the wee hours, residents likely demanded such noise abating measures, much like the treatment expressways get in the metropolitan area.

[miyakoji]

Because of noise and vibration concerns, there was opposition to the Nanpo Freight Line in Nagoya, which cost JNR an arm and a leg and was then never used.