New Tokaido line

Abstract

This paper describes the technical features of the New Tokaido Line and is composed of seven sections. Section I presents the historical and social background of the construction of the NTL. Section II describes the technical and economic studies on the relation of the NTL to the existing narrow-gauge line and its social and economic influences, etc., which were used in making the fundamental decisions about track gauge, route, maximum train speed, motive power, etc. Section III presents the features of the operation control system. Section IV gives a comparison with the narrow-gauge line, describes the features of ground facilities such as the roadbed, bridges, tunnels, track, buildings, power source, overhead equipment, signaling facilities, and communication facilities, and mentions a study on high-speed train operation of similar facilities conducted by the Railway Technical Research Institute and on the test run section. Section V discusses the trend of traffic since the inauguration of the new line and the measures taken to solve the problems involved in the facilities in the face of an increase of traffic. Section VI describes the present state of maintenance of facilities and the problems involved. Finally, a general view of the planned New San-yo Line as an extension and improvement of the New Tokaido Line is presented in Section VII.