Travel

Kyoto Station set for major upgrade

KYOTO, Dec 28 (News On Japan) - In an effort to alleviate ongoing congestion at Kyoto Station, JR West has unveiled plans to install new ticket gates and passageways, scheduled for completion by 2031.

Kyoto Station, the gateway to Kyoto, sees an average of around 180,000 people using JR conventional lines each day. The passageway connecting the north and south, lined with ticket gates for JR local lines, Shinkansen, and Kintetsu, is constantly crowded.

JR West and the City of Kyoto announced on Wednesday, "By opening new ticket gates, we plan to create a lively atmosphere on the west side."

New ticket gates will be installed on the crowded north-south passageway's west side. Additionally, a new passageway will be built between the station's north side and a building under development, aiming to reduce the number of people using the current passageway by about 20%.

Kyoto Station is currently experiencing overcrowding on the Sagano Line heading towards Arashiyama. In a timetable revision starting March 2024, the number of trains between Kyoto and Saga-Arashiyama during the day will increase from four to five per hour, the same as before COVID, along with a boost in the number of train carriages, while new ticket gates and passageways aim to relieve platform congestion.

With a total construction cost of about 19.5 billion yen, funded by JR West and the City of Kyoto with the aid of national subsidies, the project is expected to be completed by fiscal 2031.

Source: YOMIURI

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