18 hours ago
Yamanashi picks magnetic-marker transit system for ‘Fuji Tram'
An artist's rendition of the 'Fuji Tram' (Provided by Yamanashi Prefecture)
KOFU--A rubber-tired tramway guided by magnetic markers embedded in the road has emerged as the likely new transit system for climbers and visitors on Mount Fuji, the Yamanashi prefectural government here said.
The prefecture said June 5 that it had comprehensively evaluated multiple options based on safety, cost, emergency response capabilities and visitor management potential for the tentatively named 'Fuji Tram.'
It concluded the magnetic guidance system offers the greatest advantages in managing visitor flow and addressing overtourism concerns at Mount Fuji, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The proposed Fuji Tram will connect the base of Mount Fuji with the 5th Station, a key waypoint for climbers and tourists located at an elevation of 2,300 meters on the 3,776-meter mountain.
This transit service will operate on the Fuji Subaru Line, a scenic 30-kilometer toll road ascending the mountain's northern slopes from Lake Kawaguchiko to the 5th Station.
Once the Fuji Tram is operational, general vehicles will, in principle, be banned from using the Fuji Subaru Line.
This measure aims to manage visitor numbers on Japan's highest peak, which has been overwhelmed by crowds in recent years.
To safeguard Mount Fuji's environment and scenic landscape, the prefectural government set four key criteria for the transit system: (1) the ability to navigate sharp curves and steep gradients; (2) access for emergency vehicles; (3) absence of overhead wires to preserve the natural scenery; and (4) zero exhaust emissions.
The administration evaluated five candidate transportation systems: a magnetic guidance system for rubber-tired tram-like vehicles; an optical guidance system that follows painted white lines on the road; a next-generation light rail transit (LRT) system; Translohr, a rubber-tired tram guided by a single central steel rail embedded in the road; and conventional buses.
The magnetic guidance tram was judged the superior option.
The white-line guidance system was rejected due to its vulnerability to adverse weather and snowy conditions in Mount Fuji's environment.
Because the magnetic guidance system does not require conventional railroad tracks, its estimated implementation cost is 61.8 billion yen ($430 million), less than half the 134 billion yen projected for the LRT system. The prefecture abandoned the LRT option last fall
The Fuji Tram is also envisioned to function as a secondary transit link connecting a planned new station in Kofu for the Linear Chuo Shinkansen, a high-speed magnetic levitation railway currently under construction, with Mount Fuji and other locations throughout Yamanashi Prefecture.
'We want to advance the plan as swiftly as possible,' Yamanashi Governor Kotaro Nagasaki said at a news conference on June 5. 'We will promptly clarify the type of business entity and business model to pursue.'
