New Lines and Infrastructure in Greater Tokyo

Feature

Japan Railway & Transport Review 42 • December 200550

Tsukuba Express—Introduction to Stations

Kazunobu Yamada

Line Overview, Station Design

and Mobility

General overviewThe Tsukuba Express—Greater Tokyo’snewest commuter rail line—began serviceon 24 August 2005. The line starts inAkihabara, Tokyo (the city’s so-calledElectric Town) and terminates in TsukubaScience City, Japan’s centre for high-tech

development (Fig. 1). The fastest trainstravel the 58.3-km distance in 45 minutes,passing through four prefectures: Tokyo,Chiba, Saitama and Ibaraki.The line is quickly becoming a majortransit option for rail passengers travellingbetween the centre of Tokyo and north-east Greater Tokyo. Each of the 20 stationshas been designed with its own identity.Seven stations offer connections to other

lines and the added convenience forcommuters will undoubtedly reducecongestion on JR East’s Joban Line andother older lines (Table 1). The line alsooffers improved transit options for peopleliving and working near the line.

Preparing for developmentThe operator, Metropolitan IntercityRailway Company (MIRC), took advantageof the Special Measures Law forCoordinated Development of ResidentialAreas and Railways in Metropolitan Areas(approved in June 1989 and enforced fromSeptember that year), which facilitatessimultaneous construction of railways anddevelopment of residential land for largehousing projects.The law promotes railway developmenthand-in-hand with development of landnear the proposed right-of-way, making iteas ie r to promote s imul taneousdevelopment of railway land, roads, parks,residential land, and other urban facilities.The railway construction company and itspartners in the public sector buy up landlots during the preliminary stage and theselots are f inally assembled and/orsubstituted for other lots to create acontiguous stretch of land purchased bythe railway operator.

Designs and signsMIRC established a Design PlanningCouncil for Signs and Other Features to:• Define design concepts for four

elements—advertising, station furniture,signage and station buildings—all ofwhich follow MIRC’s overall brandimage strategies

• Develop basic principles for overalldesign and individual station design

• Determine implementation designpolicies for major parts of the fourelements, and identify where thesepolicies are to be implemented

• Ensure that the basic principles andimplementation design policies arefollowed

Figure 1 Tsukuba Express Route

Tsuchiura CityTsuchiura

TsukubaJR EastJR East’sJoban LineJoban Line

Tsukuba City

Midorino

Kanto Railw

Kanto Railway Joban Line

Miraidaira

Moriya

Toride

Ibaraki Prefecture

Tobobu Noda Line

u Noda Line

Tobobu Isezaki Line

u Isezaki Line

Nagareyama-otakanomori

Kashiwanoha Campus

Kashiwa

Nagareyama Central Park

Minami Nagareyama

JR E

ast

JR E

ast’s

Musash

ino Line

Musash

ino LineMabashi

MatsudoYashio

Rokucho

AoiKeisei main lineeisei main line

Kita Senju

JR EastJR East’sSobSobu Lineu Line

Minami Senju

Asakusa

Shin OkachimachiAkihabara

Misato-chuo

Kashiwa-Tanaka

Tsuchiura

Kenkyu-gakuen TsukubaJR East’sJoban Line

Tsukuba Express

Banpaku-

(Science City)

kinenkoen

Midorino

Kanto Railway Joban Line

Miraidaira

Moriya

Toride

IBARAKI PREFECTURE

Tobu Noda Line

Tobu Isezaki Line

Nagareyama-otakanomori

Kashiwanoha CampusKashiwa-Tanaka

KashiwaCHIBA PREFECTURE

Nagareyama Central ParkSAITAMAPREFECTURE Minami Nagareyama

JR E

ast’s

Musash

ino LineShin Matsudo

MatsudoYashio

Rokucho

AoiKeisei main line

JR E

ast’s

K

eiyo

Lin

e

Kita Senju

JR East’sSobu Line

Minami Senju

Asakusa

Shin OkachimachiAkihabara Tokyo

Shinjuku

TOKYOPREFECTURE

Misato-chuo

Japan Railway & Transport Review 42 • December 2005 51

A committee of members was established,representing relevant divisions and thoseof project partners, and obtainedparticipation of the architectural anddesign firms, Koken Architects, Inc. andRei Design & Planning.The committee’s work can be summarizedas follows:• Developed brand image for Tsukuba

Express• Decided overall colour scheme

Brand image colours are b lue(representing safety and reliability) andred (speed and energy), while brightwhites are used as keynote colours forstation concourse walls and ceilings(simplicity and space free of busycolours). Station signs have a redbackground, boarding instructionalsigns a blue background, and alightingi n s t r u c t i o n a l s i g n s a y e l l o wbackground.

• Decided sign font size, pictographs,station name sign designs for exits/entrances, platforms, and stationnumbers

• Developed consensus on station space

design plans and service facility plans• Compiled infrastructure construction

and accessibility design standard,i l lus t ra t ions fo r in f ras t ruc tureconstruction design standards, and

established safeguards to ensures t a n d a r d s f o l l o w e d d u r i n gimplemen ta t ion p lann ing andconstruction

Universal Design for accessibilityThe Tsukuba Express was planned whenaccessibility needs were well understood,so it presented a perfect opportunity fordeveloping stations that incorporateUniversal Design principles.In the planning stages, the Japan RailwayConstruction, Transport and TechnologyAgency (JRTT) kept Universal Designprinciples in mind, and during discussionswith the future operator, ensured thatstations would be user friendly.Service counters were constructed next toautomatic wickets, making passagewaysuser friendly. The service counter windowpermits eye contact between passengersand staff, and the counter is low enoughfor eye contact with wheelchair users.Wide wickets provide easy access forwheelchairs, and an intercom installedoutside the wicketed area permits goodpassenger–staff communications.

Table 1 Tsukuba Express Profile

Total line length 58.3 km, Akihabara to Tsukuba

Travel time Fastest service, 45 minutes between Akihabara and Tsukuba

No. of stations 20 (7 in Tokyo, 2 in Saitama, 5 in Chiba, and 6 in Ibaraki prefectures)

Track gauge 1,067 mm

Maximum design speed 130 km/h

Power systems DC section: Akihabara�Moriya (1,500 V)AC section: Moriya�Tsukuba (20,000 V)

Connections Akihabara Station(JR East�s Yamanote, Keihin-Tohoku and Sobu lines, Tokyo Metro�sHibiya Line)

Shin Okachimachi Station(Tokyo Metropolitan Government�s Oedo Line)

Minami Senju Station(JR East�s Joban Line, Tokyo Metro�s Hibiya Line)

Kita Senju Station(JR East�s Joban Line, Tobu Isezaki Line, Tokyo Metro�s Hibiyaand Chiyoda lines)

Minami Nagareyama Station (JR East�s Musashino Line)Nagareyama-otakanomori Station (Tobu�s Noda Line)Moriya Station (Kanto Railway�s Joso Line)

Operator MIRC

Construction JRTT

Service counter next to passageway at Akihabara Station (JRTT)

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Platform screens along the platform edgewith moveable gates prevent boardingand alighting passengers (especially thevisually impaired) becoming jammedbetween carriages or falling on the track.The screens have an intercom system foremergency communications with stationstaff. Signs on the screens indicate carnumbers, information on station stops,boarding/alighting locations. These areone design element in sign policiestargeting smooth flows.All stations have the same design ofplatform bench with generous personseating width. There are two types ofbenches—one providing ample backsupport, and another with a higher seat topermit easier sitting down and standing up.In some cases, the two types are located

Platform screen with moveable gate (JRTT) Underground station bench (JRTT)

Signs in front of station toilet (JRTT) Handrail with Braille and voice guidance (JRTT)

Figure 2 Standard Floor Plan and Station Toilets

Child�s seat is also

riser for changing clothes

installed in the Men�stoilet.

Multifunctional toilet withbaby chair and fold-down

Handrail with Braille andvoice guidance

Warm-water system

Japanese-style toilet

Western-style toilet

Urinal

Urinal for small boys

Washbasin

Diaper changing table

Baby chair

Maltifunctional toilet

Warm-water system

Multifunctional toilet with multipurpose toilet seat

Japan Railway & Transport Review 42 • December 2005 53

side-by-side as a unit. The seat material isnon-combus t ib le a luminium forunderground stations and a pleasingrecycled material for aboveground stations.The station designers went out of theirway to ensure convenient, accessiblefacilities for users with all needs, such asmultifunctional toilets and multipurposetoilet seats (including seats for children).A warm-water system is available forostomates. Both the men’s and women’stoilets have easy-to-use multifunctionalstalls, a diaper changing table and aclothing-change corner. The women’stoilets even have a urinal for small boysaccompanying their mothers and a fold-down riser for changing clothes (Fig. 2).Braille signs and voice guidance areinstalled at toilet entrances, giving easy-to-understand information on toilet layoutand facilities.

Hybrid station structural designA ‘hybrid’ structure was developed forelevated stations with separate platformsto reduce construction time and cost andpermit more design flexibility.Figure 3 shows typical conventional andhybrid structures. Parts shaded greyindicate supporting structures whileunshaded parts indicate architecturalstructures. In the hybrid structure, theelevated supporting structure is covered

Figure 3 Simplified Cross Sections of Conventional andHybrid Structures

Supporting structuresArchitectural structures

Conventional structure Hybrid structure

Figure 4 Comparison of Construction Costs ofConventional and Hybrid Structures

Construction cost for supporting structures

Construction cost for architectural structures

Conventional

Hybrid structure

structure constructioncost index = 100

construction cost: 97

by the platform superstructure andenclosed within the station façade. Thesupporting and architectural structures arepinned together by horizontal bracesunder the platform, ensuring that onlyhorizontal forces are transmitted. If thepillars are aligned in straight lines, verticalforces are exerted at the same pitch as thesuperstructure’s vertical elements.Since the structural behaviour of thesupporting structure is different from thatof the architectural structure, rollersupports are used at contact points wherethe platform flooring supports andarchitectural frames meet, so that if anexternal force deforms the architecturalframe, the platform is not pushed towardthe track.The hybrid structure offers a number ofadvantages. First, pillars on the outerwalls of station buildings can berelatively thin. This makes it possible toinstall staircases and escalators closer tothe façade, which in turn makes itpossible to provide a wider spacebetween staircases/escalators and theplatform edge. Second, staircases andescalators can be constructed inside thesteel pillar framework of the architecturalstructure, making it possible to locatethem freely without restriction by thelocation of elevated track pillars orbeams. In other words, placement of

station component elements is relativelyrestriction-free, station buildings canhave a relatively compact design, andconcourse ceiling height is unrestricted,creating opportunities for greaterflexibility of space. Third, as Figure 4shows, the cost of a hybrid structure isslightly less than that of a conventionalstructure.The hybrid structure permits erection ofthin steel frame pillars for external walls,

Staircase in hybrid structure (constructed adjacent tobuilding façade) (JRTT)

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offering a slimmer design. A typicalbenefit of this design is a glass curtain wallusing glazing for various effects andcreating an open, airy atmosphere.The slimmer external pillars and glassfaçade permit entry of good natural light—another advantage of the hybrid structure.

Design and Layout of Four

Aboveground Stations

Kashiwanoha Campus StationKashiwanoha Campus Station is the line’s13th station from Akihabara Station, theTokyo terminus. It is in Kashiwa City inChiba Prefecture, an area well known forits research and academic institutions that

are among the most advanced in theworld, and for its natural beauty, parks andwatercourses. Two design concepts,science and nature, were blended underthe themes of wind, rhythm and flow, forthe station building’s external skin, whichis actually the most imposing element ofthe building. The western façade haspanels made of Glass-fibre ReinforcedConcrete (GRC) finished on the outsidewith a urethane coating, while the easternfaçade is covered with extrusion-moldedcement panels, with the same type ofcoating on the outside. The panels areattached directly to pillars forming thestructural framework at 5-m intervals,serving as both external skin and theinterior wall. Although the GRC panelswere made from a small number of molds,diversity is assured by different openingconfigurations. The maximum height ofthe façade from ground level is about17 m. A hybrid structure was chosen inthis station.

Moriya StationMoriya Station is in Moriya City in IbarakiPrefecture. It is the 15th station fromAkihabara Station and was constructednext to an existing station of the samename serving the Joso Line operated byKanto Railway Co., Ltd. The station is

Open feeling inside hybrid structure (JRTT)

Exterior wall of hybrid structure (JRTT) Naturally lit concourse (JRTT)

Japan Railway & Transport Review 42 • December 2005 55

elevated on three levels. Users movealong a public corridor on the groundlevel to the concourse on the second leveland the platforms on the third. Two islandplatforms serve the four tracks and apublic corridor on the second levelpermits easy transfers with the Joso Line.The public corridor linking the two railsystems is nearly square and each cornerhas an elevator, double bank of escalators,and a staircase. The public corridor isconnected to a pedestrian deck.The station serves as the southern gatewayto Ibaraki Prefecture, which is noted forits open green spaces. The station takesopenness and floating as its designthemes—trusses for the platform housingare supported by ball joints to create anopen, floating feeling, and triangular wall

Kashiwanoha Campus Station façade (JRTT) Kashiwanoha Campus Station concourse (JRTT)

Moriya Station external view (JRTT) Moriya Station platform (JRTT)

Moriya Station concourse (JRTT)

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frames made by the trusses are either leftopen or filled with panels that look likeyacht sails.

Miraidaira StationMiraidaira Station is in Ibaraki Prefectureon the border between Ina Town andYawara Village. It is the next station afterMoriya Station and the 16th counting fromAkihabara Station. It is the only stationbuilt over a cutting. The surroundingInayawara uplands are known for theirlush greenery and archaeological finds,including old tombs and shell moundsindicating that people have lived heresince the Jomon (13,000 BC to 300 BC),Yayoi (300 BC to AD 300) and Kofun(300 to 538) periods. Remains of ancientbuildings of uncertain date have also beenunearthed. These discoveries wereconsidered significant enough to use as adesign tool to convey a sense of historicimportance and community. The hugegently pitched roof supported bylaminated beams is about 13 m at itshighest point and is now a local landmark.The platforms are on Lower Level 1 withthe concourse on the ground floor and theupper part of the station office on thesecond floor. Floor slabs over theconcourse form the second floor that willaccommodate shops in the future. Usersenter the expansive roofed area and followthe concourse to the wickets.The supports for the large roof are150 x 550-mm laminated larch arches,providing a 20-m span. Skylights at thetop of the arch and a 6-m diameter openingin the middle of the inner concourse floorlet light onto the platforms.

Kenkyu-gakuen StationKenkyu-gakuen Station is in Tsukuba Cityin Ibaraki Prefecture. It is the 19th stationfrom Akihabara Station and is the laststation before the Tsukuba terminus.Tsukuba ‘Science City’ is close by, so thestation is expected to become the centreof the repidly developing Katsuragi

Miraidaira Station concourse (JRTT)

Miraidaira Station platform (JRTT)

Miraidaira Station external view (JRTT)

Japan Railway & Transport Review 42 • December 2005 57

district. Urban planners see the area as asubcentre, combining comfortableresidential districts with the functions ofa major urban centre. The area’s futurepotential inspired the design of dynamicroof girders and a cloth-like roof over theplatform.During the day, sunshine filtering throughthe Teflon roof material bathes theplatform in soft light. At night, theplatform lighting is reflected back, creatingan illuminated enclosure encompassingthe entire platform level. This and otherfeatures ensure that the station willbecome a much-admired local landmark.The 6-m high ceiling over the concoursegives a feeling of liberated space and theextra height permitted construction of amezzanine, serving as a gallery.

Design and Layout of Two

Underground Stations

Akihabara StationAkihabara Station is the Tokyo terminusand is an important transit hub for transfersto JR East’s Yamanote, Keihin-Tohoku andSobu lines, and Tokyo Metro’s HibiyaLine. The station has one abovegroundlevel and four underground levels. Thewickets are located at Lower Level 1,while the island platform is at LowerLevel 4. The total station area is about16,600 m2. There are 27 escalators, aswell as two elevators each with capacityfor 18 people.Entrance/Exit 1 is a stand-alone structure,but will be incorporated into a hotel thatwill be built later. Entrance/Exit 3 wasconstructed as part of the existing YodobashiCamera building. Entrance/Exit 2 faces anopen area serving road transportation andis intended to remain as the only entrance/exit exclusively representing the TsukubaExpress above ground.A geometrical design emphasizing straightlines was chosen for this undergroundstation to help users orient themselves andintuit direction. This eases transfers to

Kenkyu-gakuen Station external view (JRTT)

Kenkyu-gakuen Station platform (JRTT)

Kenkyu-gakuen Station concourse (JRTT)

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New Lines and Infrastructure in Greater Tokyo

Akihabara Station outer concourse (JRTT)

Akihabara Station platform (JRTT)

Akihabara Station Entrance/Exit 2 (JRTT) Asakusa Station outer concourse (JRTT)

other lines and raise convenience levels.The straight-line design also creates amental image of high speed that theTsukuba Express is known for.The high concourse ceiling creates afeeling of unrestricted space that wouldnot be generally expect underground. Itis finished with laminated aluminiumcomposite panels and the feeling ofopenness is further augmented by highwalls with milky-white glazing for theupper section, and large light-colouredtiles for the lower.The platform features a butterfly ceilingdesign that contrasts with the horizontallines on walls on the far side of the tracks.The Tsukuba Express colours and logohelp users orient themselves and indicatethe station’s importance as the line’sTokyo terminus.

Asakusa StationAsakusa is one of the most famous touristspots in Tokyo with attractions includingAsakusa Temple, the Kaminari (Thunder)Gate, and many shops leading to thetemple. Asakusa Station is the newgateway to this important district. Annualfestivals here include New Year’s visits totemples and shrines, the Sanja Festival,and the Samba Carnival. As a station, thestation’s usage levels fluctuate widely andare very high during festivities.The station has one aboveground level

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and four underground levels. The totalstation area is about 14,000 m2. Thewickets are located at Lower Level 1 whilethe island platform is at Lower Level 4.Machinery rooms, including thesubstation occupy Lower Levels 2 and 3.Until about 1955, Asakusa was one of theliveliest districts where Japanese popculture and working-class customs andbehaviours were defined. The station’sdesign blends the old Asakusa traditionswith the ultra-modern image of theTsukuba Express.People passing through the concoursefrom Entrance/Exit 1 to Lower Level 1 arestruck immediately by the collage andcollection of colourful murals illustratingscenes in the Asakusa district from the late1800s to the mid-1900s. Glassworks infront of the wickets and stairwell wallsfeature panels humourously depictingpeople identified with the district. Otherdecorative elements include glass-blockwalls and a glass-cloth ceiling, adding tothe bright, lively atmosphere.The platform walls on the far side of thetracks are superb, with scenes idealizingAsakusa—cherry trees in full bloom,fireworks over the Sumida River, theSamba Carnival and the Sanja Festival.With artwork like this, more than a fewpassengers get off to relax for a fewminutes on the platform. ■

Kazunobu Yamada

Mr Yamada is Director of the Architecture Division in the Equipment Department of the Railway

Construction Headquarters at the Japan Railway Construction Transport and Technology Agency

(JRTT). He joined JNR in 1975 after graduating in architecture from Nagoya Institute of Technology.

He became Equipment Department Director at the Kanto Branch of the Japan Railway Construction

Public Corporation (JRCC) in 1998, and has been in his present post since 2000 (name changed to

JRTT in 2003).

Asakusa Station inner concourse (JRTT)

Decorative wall at platform level on far side of track at Asakusa Station (JRTT)