Keiyo Line

The Japanese love big civil engineering projects and happily this runs to building new main lines too.

In the 1970s many new communities were created around Tokyo Bay with major land fill schemes and in 1990 they were joined by a new main line - the Keiyo Line - from Tokyo central station to Soga. It is about 30 miles long with seventeen stations including one at Urayasu for Tokyo Disneyland and also a station to serve the new 'Information City' at Kaihin Makuhari. Forty years ago most of these places were just sea bed, and the new route runs a couple of miles south of the previous coastal Sobu Line!

Also most of the track was built elevated so that they don't have to worry about building at ground level later.

Here's an East Japan 205 EMU on a stopping train on a sweaty dull May afternoon at Chiba Minato (Port), no doubt with those big air conditioning units on the roof roaring away at full throttle. Everyone waiting for the doors to close and a bit of coolness to relax in.