Some services on the Yamanote Line will be suspended today and tomorrow. I went to see the construction site at Shibuya Station. This is the last of the five construction periods, “more spacious and easier to use” – Travel Watch

JR East will suspend service throughout the day on some sections of the Yamanote Line due to station improvement work at Shibuya Station.

On November 18th, the outer route of Osaki → Shibuya → Shinjuku → Ikebukuro will be suspended, and on the 19th, the inner route of Ikebukuro → Shinjuku → Shibuya → Osaki will be suspended. Construction will take place from the first train to the last train on both days (52 hours in total). Please note that the number of trains running outside this area will be reduced, so please check the service information before heading out on weekends.

If you wish to use the line between Ikebukuro and Osaki during the suspension period, it is recommended to use the Saikyo Line or Shonan-Shinjuku Line (or take a long detour on the Yamanote Line towards Tokyo Station).

If you have a ticket, commuter pass, or coupon for a suspended section, you will be transferred to Tokyo Metro (all lines), Toei Subway (all lines), Rinkai Line (all lines), etc.

The site was opened to the press on the morning of the 18th, the first day of construction. The track switching has been carried out four times in the past, but this will be the fifth and final one.

Previous work has included relocating the platform for the Saikyo Line and making the inner and outer platforms of the Yamanote Line the same, and this project will raise the height of the tracks and platform to ensure ceiling height for the east-west free passage under the tracks. Something for. The current passageway is 2.1m at its lowest point, but it will eventually be possible to secure a ceiling height of 2.6m or more.

The work will be carried out over a two-day period of approximately 330 meters, centering around the inner and outer platforms of the Yamanote Line, and will raise the track height by up to 22 centimeters. Previous work has increased the height by up to 30cm, this time the maximum height is 22cm, and future regular work will increase the height to 41cm, so the total height will increase by a maximum of 93cm.

Additionally, the Shinjuku side of the platform will be extended by approximately 26m, and the vehicle stopping position will be moved closer to Shinjuku (approximately 1 car length), while the Osaki side will be made into a passageway of approximately 25m. This will enable the construction of elevating equipment (stairs, etc.) that connects the Hachiko exit ticket gate and the National Highway south exit ticket gate.

By dividing the center of the platform with a fence and using one side as a construction area and the other as a business area for vehicles and passengers, and reversing both areas on Saturdays and Sundays, we achieved a short construction period of two days while avoiding a complete suspension of both the inner and outer routes. ing.

Therefore, approximately 4,600 people including JR employees and workers will be working on these two days. There is one maintenance vehicle used for transporting and dispersing ballast, and approximately 17 land-rail vehicles that can run on the tracks, including dump trucks, overhead line work vehicles, and unic (crane trucks).