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Continuing the conversation from last thread, which of Tokyo's rail bottlenecks do you think are fixable, and which will be difficult to fix? And not in the Japanese ちょっと難しいなぁ、しょうがない kind of way, but actually impracticable. Like turning the Nippori-Toneri Liner into heavy rail, or 15-car sets on the Yamanote, or quad-tracking the Keio or Toyoko Line.
> Odakyu
Extending the quadruple track section from Shimokita to Noborito was a good step forward, and sorely needed. However I wonder if there's enough demand to hav8e a middle express track as far as Shin-Yurigaoka (for Tama Line thru trains) or even Hon-Atsugi.
> Seibu
I'm kind of surprised that Seibu Line still has problems with congestion at Hibarigaoka, Shakujiikoen and Nerima despite the quadruple track section and connections to Yurakucho/Fukutoshin Line .
> Tozai. Chuo-Sobu, Keiyo, Rinkai
I don't see a way forward to reduce congestion on the east-west lines. 6 door cars aren't possible because of the anti-suicide platform edge doors; rolling stock with wider cars/doors (E233-5000/7000, E231-500, 15000 series) helped but didn't solve the core problem of capacity shortage.
Another option is to space out demand with flexible work schedules. Tokyo Metro ran pilot projects in 2017 and 2019, where Tozai Line commuters who took the train earlier in the morning earned points, but doing this long term would require a generational shift in Japanese work culture. There's still the expectation that everyone arrives at the office at 8am on the dot for group calisthenics, to sing the 社歌, etc. WeWork also tried to make flexible coworking space popular in Japan outside of Shinjuku and Shibuya, backed by SoftBank and MbS's billions, and we all know what happened.
Maybe quad-track Keiyo and have it run thru the Rinkai Line? But JR East would have to buy TWR to make it happen. And considering TWR is drowning in debt, I don;t see that happening anytime soon.
