Ueno-Tokyo Line cab view videos

[Sacto1985]

The East Japan Railway Company (JR East) just posted on YouTube two official zenmen tenbou videos of the new Ueno-Tokyo Line that directly  connects Tokyo and Ueno Stations:

 

Tokyo to Ueno:

 

 

Ueno to Tokyo:

 

 

I believe both videos were taken from the cab of an  E233-3000 trainset. They were taken just before the start of revenue operations on 14 March 2015.

[Sacto1985]

For those who want to see what the new line looks like in actual service, YouTube member azumatakeshi took these two zenmen tenbou videos during the first day of service:

 

Tokyo to Ueno

 

 

Ueno to Tokyo

 

[Densha]

Interesting to see how they squeezed in this line between all existing infrastructure and buildings. It's all curves and slopes.

[katoftw]

Interesting to see how they squeezed in this line between all existing infrastructure and buildings. It's all curves and slopes.

I was just thinking the same while watching it.  And most of it is slab base also.

[miyakoji]

I wonder what JR East will do with that YT channel.  Lots of potential there for cool stuff, but I suppose they're not thinking of the railfans... :(

[Sacto1985]

Interesting to see how they squeezed in this line between all existing infrastructure and buildings. It's all curves and slopes.

 

It was quite a feat to squeeze in what amounted to a "flyover" track to restore the non-stop connection between Tokyo and Ueno Stations. Technically, this line should have opened two years ago, but the diversion of construction resources due to the Tōhoku earthquake of March 2011 resulted in effectively a two year delay in opening the line.

[JR 500系]

Nice. I actually tried if I was the driver of the train set, there were so MANY speed limits along the way. It'll be like:

 

制限 (Seigen) - 45

2 second later

制限 (Seigen) 解除 (Kaijo)

2 second later

制限 (Seigen) - 50

2 second later

制限 (Seigen) - 65

3 second later 

制限 (Seigen) 解除 (Kaijo)

 

And so on and so forth. The speed limit goes to 105 on the viaduct!

 

Is it me or does the Keihan Tohoku seems amazingly fast passing the E233-3000 featured in JR East second video?

 

[katoftw]

That 233 looks to be doing the regular 90kph when it passes.  The train with video inside was exiting a 40kph zone as it passed.

[railsquid]

Forgot all about this opening, it seems like it's been under construction for ever. Well, I guess I'll try it out some time next week :)

 

One thing I noticed during construction is that they "recycled" the existing steel overbridge at the south end of Akihabara station, and raised one end of it to form the start of the northern incline.

[bikkuri bahn]

I'm looking forward to a cab view video (DVD?) of a ltd. express traversing the flat junction at the Ueno throat tracks. On the Joban Line rapids you can see some wrong way running starting around Okachimachi.  Takasaki and Utsonomiya Line trains are less interesting in this regard.

 

Already there are some complaints from commuters- seems some former 15 car Tokaido Line trains have been replaced by 10 car consists (typically going on to Maebashi and other such destinations)- increasing passenger congestion especially in the already impacted Kawasaki-Shinagawa section.  This may prompt some Kanagawa Pref. commuters to switch to the Yokosuka Line (such as those boarding at Totsuka).

[kvp]

Side view towards the west:

(i'm still looking for the east looking video...)

[Jcarlton]

A 4k zenem  tembou video of the new line between Shinagawa and ueno:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JwyjUG319o
 

[bikkuri bahn]

I rode the length of the line a few times already, a nice view of the Kanda area from high between Tokyo Sta. and Akihabara.  Unfortunately, my last intended ride this past Monday was ruined when a man committed suicide by train at Tsurumi Station at the morning rush, all through operations were cancelled and the Ueno-Tokyo Line was closed, my Tokaido Line train originating at Atami bound for Utsunomiya was cut short at Tokyo, arriving about an hour late there.  I was able to ride the line again in the mid-afternoon, when it was opened to Joban Line through trains only (Takasaki and Utsunomiya Line through service had not been restored as of 3pm).

[Jcarlton]

Tsurumi station is a long way from Shinagawa That's the problem with the Tokyo system.  One glitch sends problem back all over the place. I think that JR East needs to install some universal interlockings in key places and change the signaling so that they can make a line share services and an incident at one station doesn't shut down the entire railroad. 

[railsquid]

I gave it a bash this evening from Ueno to Shinagawa. Kind of weird seeing Odawara and Atami as destinations from Ueno. The raised section certainly has an impressive gradient at both ends. It's also nice to see Shinagawa's once largely vacant expanse of Tokaido line platforms being used.

[Sacto1985]

I wonder has anyone checked on what are the passenger loads on the Yamanote Line and Keihin-Tōhoku Line trains between Shinagawa and Ueno, now that trains coming in from the Takasaki, Utsunomiya and Jōban Lines no longer end at Ueno?

[katoftw]

Ueno and Tokyo Stations must be loving it from a customer safety/usage view on things.  A lot less customers detraining and transferring to other trains.  Less congestion on the platforms/subways/overpasses.

[railsquid]

I wonder has anyone checked on what are the passenger loads on the Yamanote Line and Keihin-Tōhoku Line trains between Shinagawa and Ueno, now that trains coming in from the Takasaki, Utsunomiya and Jōban Lines no longer end at Ueno?

 

Only some trains from those lines continue through to Shinagawa.

 

It'll be interesting to see what affect the new connection has. The Fukutoshin line was originally designed to relieve the Yamanote line, but has apparently created its own demand and not contributed as much to that as originally envisaged.

[Jcarlton]

And going the other way:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgSufDaPMsc
 

[Sacto1985]

Only some trains from those lines continue through to Shinagawa.

 

It'll be interesting to see what affect the new connection has. The Fukutoshin line was originally designed to relieve the Yamanote line, but has apparently created its own demand and not contributed as much to that as originally envisaged.

 

While only some trains continue to Shinagawa (and a small number as far as Atami!), that's still a huge improvement than in the recent past, where everyone had to change trains at Ueno Station to continue to Tokyo, Shinagawa and stations beyond that, which meant a gigantic rush of passengers changing trains at Ueno and woeful overcrowding on the Yamanote and Keihin-Tōhoku Line from Ueno to Shinagawa Stations.

 

As for the combined Fukutoshin subway line/Tokyu Toyoko Line service, I think we saw a major change in the type of passenger loads because with no need to change trains at Shibuya Station to go to central Yokohama and through service from the Tōbu Tōjō Line and Seibu Ikebuburo Line meant a lot more people living in the western wards of Tokyo and parts of Saitama can now directly go to Yokohama more quickly. As such, ridership on the Fukutoshin subway line route is quite high and many riders are not switching in larger numbers from the Yamanote Line.

[kvp]

And here is an interesting night time video of the east looking view from Tokyo to Ueno:

[cteno4]

Always amazes me the variety of buildings and scenes in Japan cities. You can go from a quiet office block then a block of 3-15 story buildings mixed then to a wild lit up block, all crammed right up next to each other! And the amazing stuff w.in a stones throw of the track! That one set of neon signs must be like 10' off the track! Loved the apartment building next door, you could see the glow permeating the rooms and along with the train track 20' away, wow!

 

Makes modeling too easy!

 

Jeff

Edited April 5, 2015 by cteno4

[Guest ___]

Sorry to raise a dead thread, but is the Ueno-Tokyo Line using new platforms at Ueno, or an existing line with new trackage to built to connect existing platforms from Ueno to the new line. Once again Ueno will be Home Station for me while in Tokyo, and I recently saw pix on IG that show the station platforms from street side that look quite different than I remember them from 2008.

[kvp]

This line restores the original north-south connection that was present before the shinkansen tracks were built. It uses the old platforms at both Tokyo and Ueno that previously lead to storage/reversing tracks.

(the dotted part is the relaid section)

[trainsforever8]

Hey guys I have a question but I didn't want to create a new topic just for that, why is it that there are lines that are called 線 which obviously means line in japanese, but others use the english loanword ライン？ For example, instead of calling the Ueno Tokyo line ”上野東京線”, they call it ”上野東京ライン” , does anyone know the reason?