JAPAN: Plans are being drawn up to extend the future Utsunomiya light rail line through the urban area on the west side of the JR East station and Tohoku Main Line.
The extension would run about 5 km northwest to serve the Takaragi district, terminating in the vicinity of the conference centre and hotel in Komanu.
This would also make the Oya Temple and water gardens more accessible to visitors, supporting ambitions to put all city facilities within easy reach of public transport.
Planning applications are to be submitted in 2024 and construction is expected to start in 2026 with a view to completion by the early 2030s.
Meanwhile, the opening of the 14·6 km, 19 stop 1 067 mm gauge light rail line which is under construction between the east side of Utsunomiya station and Shimotakanezawa in the Haga district has been postponed from March 2023 to August 2023 because of delays completing the section through road junctions in the Notakaya district.
Commissioning work is now expected to begin in November 2022, comprising test runs and driver familiarisation.
Once the line opens, urban bus services will be rerouted to feed passengers onto the trams at the nearest stop, avoiding bus and tram routes paralleling each other.
