So it’s been a little while since I suggested something, this is going to be a big one. I would like to suggest the Narita/Sobu (Rapid)/Yokosuka lines from Narita Airport through Toyko to Kurihama. This route is about 140km with a travel time of around 3hours end to end, however there are a lot of short workings for those that want a quicker drive. Route. The route runs from Narita Airport to Narita city, where it joins the relatively rural Narita line to Chiba. After Chiba the Sobu runs as a wide multi track alignment through the suburbs of Chiba and Tokyo, Rapid services skip about half the stops along this section. On the edge of Tokyo city centre the express tracks enter a tunnel, the line turns to the South to serve the underground part of Tokyo Station. It then remains underground following the Tokaido Mine line before surfacing at Shinagawa. The line then crosses the mainline on a viaduct and enters a double decked section, running underneath the Shinkansen viaduct. This section is very congested as it is also used by services from Shinjuku to the southwest. From Musashi-Kosugi station the line enters a complex series of flyovers which serve to grade separate the various lines on the approaches to Yokohama. After Yokohama the line joins the Tokaido mainline where it provides local service as far as Ofuna where the line’s depot is located. Leaving the Tokaido line the route then heads south through the historic city of Kamakura to Zushi. Here the trains are split, as stations beyond can not accommodate full length trains as they are squeezed between tunnels. At Yokosuka the line becomes single track for the final few km to Kurihama. Services. Ideally the following services will be included. Sobu Rapid from Narita Airport to Kurihama, along with various short workings. (Half hourly at extremities, every 5 mins through central section) - Uses E235 Sobu Local from Chiba to Ryogoku (and possibly a couple of km onwards to Akihabara) Again with some short workings (every 2-3 mins) Uses mostly E231-500 with some E231-0 Shonan Shinjuku line from Osaki to Zushi – while Osaki is just off the route, the Yokusuka line crosses the station throat on a viaduct with the connection joining about halfway to Nishi-Oi station. (Every 15 mins) - Uses E231-1000 (and IRL E233-3000 too) I’ve included these because these can all be done with the E235 and variants of the E231. Trains E235 -1000 Series Entering service in 2020 the E235-1000 series is currently replacing the E217 on Sobu-Rapid/Yokosuka services. The trains come in both 4 car and 11 car versions, with most services being 15 car north of Zushi. That said at Chiba end, it’s not uncommon for the 4-car set to be dropped off at some stations, while the 11 car set serves the branches. The 11-car set contains 2 double deck Green Car trailers. The trains are built by J-TREC based on the Sustina bodyshell with the front ends designed by former Ferrari designer Ken Okuyama. Ordinary class has a metro style interior with toilets in some cars. Internally and externally they are fitted with high resolution full colour displays to improve passenger information. E231 Variants All of these are very similar and with some minor modifications to the model can cover a chunk of services on the route. -0 Series These operate in 10 car formations on some Sobu Local services. This is the basic version of the E231 and has a metro style interior. -500 Series These were formally used on the Yamanote line, before being transferred to the Chuo-Sobu Local service. They have a facelifted cab design and are also fitted with Cab Signalling from their time on the Yamanote, though this is no longer in use. They have a metro style interior but with LCD screens instead of the LED displays fitted to the other E231 units. -1000 Series This is the outer suburban version of the E231. These operate on Shonan Shinjuku line services and on the Tokaido mainline. They come in 5 and 10 car formations with a mix of longitudinal and transverse seating. 10 car sets contain two double deck green cars. These are almost identical to the E235’s Green cars. They have the same front-end design as the 0-series but the headlights have been moved to above the windscreen for better visibility, with the tail lights remaining in the original housing. Over this section all trains are 10 or 15 cars. Other things. Most stations on the Sobu local line, and a couple on the Rapid line are fitted with platform edge gates for passenger safety. These need extra precise stops! The route out of Narita airport is mixed gauge – one track is standard gauge and used by Keisei services, with the other being narrow gauge for JR. Potential DLC E259 Narita Express. These 6 car express units operate the half hourly Narita Express service between Narita Airport and Tokyo in a 12-car formation. At Tokyo the trains are split with half going to Shibuya, Shinjuku and Ikebukero and the other half running to Ofuna. While it would be great to include these from the start, they are very different trains, and the low frequency means they are probably best as a future DLC. E217 These are the outgoing order on this route - new in 1994 these 11 and 4 car sets have been operating the almost exclusively on this route (some spent some time on the Tokaido covering an extended service until enough new units had arrived.) I've kept these as a DLC because they are disappearing fast now so it may be difficult to get references and recordings from the real units Limited Expresses The 255 and E257 trains operate infrequent limited express services between Tokyo and Chiba before serving towns on the Boso peninsular I hope you enjoyed this suggestion. I’m hoping with the wide mix of service types that there will be a lot to keep players interested.
I genuinely love this idea. I love routes that go through aerospace zones (also known as airports and military bases) and this route definitely fits the bill. The Narita Express is one of my favourite Japanese trains so Id love to see it in tsw2. Now length is an issue because 140km would be way to long for tsw2 and 3 hours or drive time seems a tiny bit ridiculous for tsw2. If dtg/justtrains/rivettgames or any of the tsw2 developers could make this I would love it but I don't see it coming until they can make routes longer.
Platform Screen Doors will be a feature of the Route. These are the half-height design like Paris Metro Lines 1 & 13 full height lines 4 & 14 UK Jubilee Line East
Yeah I know 140km was pushing it a little bit. 3 hours is end to end, generally 90 mins either side of Tokyo. The Local service Chiba to Akihabara is about 45 mins. Faster Services are available.
A cab ride for you Some timestamps 00:00 - Leaving Narita Airport - Mixed gauge running with Keisei 08:35 - Joining the Narita line and Narita Station 23:00 - Rural Running 43:00 - Chiba City 45:00 - Multi Track Express section with separate local service 1:20:00 - Entering the Underground section to Tokyo station 1:26:00 - Tokyo station (low level) 1:36:00 - Tunnel exit at Shinagawa 1:41:00 - Junction with Shonan-Shinjuku line (congestion) and double deck section with Shinkansen above 1:46:00 - Overtake! 1:51:00 - Freight Yards 1:55:00 - Flyover junctions to join Tokaido Mainline - many more flyovers approaching Yokohama 1:57:26 - 12 track foot crossing! 2:01:00 - Yokohama 2:19:00 - Leaving the Tokaido Mainline - connecting track to Kamakura depot 2:29:00 - Zushi - Train divides 2:41:00 - Yokosuka 2:51:00 - Kurihama
