Friday 20 September 2013

Tokyo Night Walk: Gate Bridge and New Train

EMU JR East E233-7000 series arrives at Shinonome Station on the Tokyo Waterfront Railway
 
Further to Rainbow Bridge, I am going to show you the other gorgeous night view in Tokyo. Look at the following photo. It is the night view of Tokyo Gate Bridge. This bridge was opened last year, and is a 2.9km long road bridge across Tokyo Bay. Unlike Rainbow Bridge, it is not a part of the express road (Trans-Tokyo Bay Highway), but a toll free local street.

Due to two kinds of restrictions, the designing of the bridge was very difficult. One of them is the Aviation Law. The bridge location is close to Tokyo International Airport; therefore, it is prohibited to construct a tall suspension bridge. Another restriction is to secure vertical clearance for large vessels to enter the Port of Tokyo. Consequently, a truss-type design was adopted. The shape of the bridge became similar in appearance to a dinosaur. So, Tokyoites call this bridge "Dinosaur Bridge". Currently, it is brightly lit in the evening.

To visit this new landmark bridge, get off at Shin-Kiba Station on the Tokyo Waterfront Railway. Recently, a new train, the EMU JR East E233-7000 series debuted on the line. This model will replace the old EMU JR East 205 series soon. The shining stainless steel body with green-colored stripe is perfectly fresh. Most trains are directly operated into the JR East Saikyo Line for Omiya and Kawagoe.

The beautifully lit up bridge and the shining new train on the Tokyo Waterfront Railway... night walk in Tokyo is full of attractions.

 
Night view of Tokyo Gate Bridge near Shin-Kiba Station on the Tokyo Waterfront Railway