The New Utsunomiya Tramway
Utsunomiya Light Tram (JLM)
A streetcar named desire for Utsunomiya
The city of Utsunomiya has finally got itself a fast and pleasant means of urban transport with this new tramway with a futuristic look that is changing the city. Departing from JR's main station, the line takes you 15 km to Haga.
The genesis of a long urban project
Since the early 1990s, Utsunomiya had been considering the installation of a light, fast tramway-type means of transport to relieve congestion and supply a city that was growing in size and population: 500,000 inhabitants in the city of Utsunomiya alone, and over 800,000 including the metropolitan area.
The model is based on the Strasbourg network in France. A project then planned to serve the eastern districts of the city, from JR station to the industrial outskirts, the Honda factories in Haga, via the universities on the Yoto campus and over the Kinu River, a tricky point as it required major engineering structures.
Work is due to start in 2018. Despite a year's delay, the Utsunomiya Light Rail line opened in August 2023. It had been decades since there had been a new tramway line in Japan (after Takaoka and Toyama).
The plan is for the line to continue to the other side of JR station, serving the city center, Tôbu station and the Tochigi Fine Arts Museum.
Utsunomiya Light Tram line, Kinu river bridge (JLM)
Success all along the line
As soon as it opened, the population embraced its new mode of transport, which was clean, fluid in the urban environment and highly stylish. A brand-new line that blends in perfectly with the city's urban fabric, the tram's layout has been designed to shake up the ubiquitous role of the private car, with the added bonus of large sections of exclusive right-of-way to ensure good frequency for users, even and especially at peak times, from as early as 5:00 a.m. until midnight.
The frequency isone streetcar every 6 to 8 minutes between 6am and 9am for the rush, and 12 minutes the rest of the day.
So, the success is there, as great as the expectations for this new means of urban transport. The only negative point so far is that the line stops at JR's Utsunomiya station. We need to move to the other side as soon as possible, at least as far as Tôbu station, for easy connections between the two companies.
A magnificent futuristic design
The HU300 series tram, in yellow and black, adopts a bold futuristic line to give a purposeful image to the young city of Utsunomiya. The Utsunomiya Light Rail company logo echoes the streetcar's streamlined shape. All stations have access ramps and the streetcars have low floors to improve accessibility for all, even the mobility-impaired. In this respect, Japan is exemplary.
One section of the line is special, the one that crosses the Kinu river, as large bridges have been built, giving the line a special relief, rising high to provide a magnificent view of the banks of the Kinu, its wide banks, fishermen in all seasons, the beautiful surrounding nature. The tramway almost becomes a tourist train here.
Practical information
Total travel time on the line is around 45 minutes to all 20 stations.
Fares vary according to distance traveled, from a minimum of 150 yen to a maximum of 400 yen. All prepaid IC cards (Suica, Pasmo...) are accepted on board. Present it at a terminal as you enter the streetcar and just before exiting.
From Utsunomiya Shinkansen & Local trains station, it's a short 2-3-minute walk to the streetcar's terminus and the east exit (Utsunomiya Station East).
Utsunomiya Light Rail HU300 inside (RailwayFan)
