Gourtto STORY (Autumn 2021 issue)

The City of Yokohama, Transportation Bureau magazine "Gurutto" introduces people who work on municipal subways and buses under the title "Works STATION." This series focuses on the backside of municipal transportation, which is hard to know in daily life. We will deliver interviews that did not fit in the magazine as a web-only article! This is an interview with Hiroki Sekiguchi of the Vehicle Section of the Technology Management Department and the Green Line 6-caring Secretariat.

Since the opening of the Green Line in 2008, customer use has been steadily increasing. However, due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic, usage has been significantly reduced at this time.
On the other hand, in preparation for the recovery of passengers in the future, from the viewpoint of town development along the railway line, we will continue to shift to six cars so that vehicles currently operating in four-car trains can be operated in six-car trains. We will promote the improvement of the depot, the extension of the station platform, and the production of increased vehicles. That is the Green Line 6-car project.

State of extension of the platform at Kawawacho Station

Construction will begin full-scale from the end of last year, and the construction of the inspection garage (a building that inspects vehicles that operate daily) in the depot, the extension of the station platform, and the installation of platform fences will be almost completed this year. . A new vehicle will be installed, tests will be conducted in the training room, test runs on the main line, and driver training, and the first six-car train will start operation around the summer of next year. Currently, 10 out of 17 trains are planned to be converted to 6 cars, and it will proceed at a pace of 3 trains in 2022, 3 trains in 5, and 4 trains in 6.

State of the inspection room

[To ensure the execution of the 6-car business]
It was in October 2020 that Sekiguchi was in charge of six cars. Before joining the 6-caring secretariat, Mr. Sekiguchi was involved in vehicle inspection and supervision in the Niiba Kenkyu District and Kawawa Kenshu District. Inspections were conducted to check the various functions of the vehicle, and to correct the wheels by shaving the wheels.

"Actually, the wheels of the train have been cut down at a pace of about a year. If the shape is biased while driving, there is a risk of derailing etc. It also affects riding comfort and noise, so we regularly cut and clean it. "

Practical experience involving such vehicles has also led to the current work.

On the other hand, one of the major roles is to coordinate in cooperation with many departments. "When it comes to construction, I also came here and studied. That's a particularly difficult part," says Sekiguchi.

Mr. Sekiguchi answers the interview

Even for construction only, the facility section, which is responsible for civil engineering-related facilities, the electricity section, which is responsible for overhead lines, traffic lights, station lighting, etc., the construction section, which is the extension of the repair storage, and the actual site Kawawa The four departments, the Depot and the Maintenance Management Office, which manages the entire Green Line, cooperate. Currently, in addition to the construction of depots, installation of platform fences is underway. At the station, construction is being carried out little by little at night.

"We share the goal of promoting the safety and security of six cars with each department in the construction-related section. However, there are various issues, such as whether there is no obstacle to operation. We want to proceed with the business safely and reliably while proceeding with daily operation. "

How does the vehicle change?
How is the vehicle that can be said to be the leading role in six cars made? Six-car conversion is literally realized by incorporating two cars into the conventional four-car formation. "The new two cars will be ordered by a vehicle manufacturer. In addition to being comfortable for customers, safety and ease of use for drivers are also essential. It is also our important task to check these things one by one."
It's not the same as an existing one, but something easier to use. Vehicles that have been made over time are starting to emerge at manufacturing plants.

When electricity is passing through the overhead line, "In" is lit for safety.

Various tests will be conducted even after the vehicle embedded in the middle is completed. In addition to the performance of the vehicle itself, such as the structure of the vehicle body, brakes, and acceleration, tests that are actually tailored to the operation schedule are also important points. "Municipal Subways have introduced ATO (Automatic Train Operation, Automatic Train Driving Equipment). When it comes to 6 cars, the stop position itself will change, and its settings will change a little. It can be considered by desk calculations to some extent, but there are many parts that you cannot understand unless you actually drive and adjust it. "

In addition to vehicles and platforms, we are also undergoing major construction work in line with the shift to six cars.

[Easy to use for everyone]
In this way, each department in Transportation Bureau is working together to promote the six-car business. Mr. Sekiguchi works daily so that he can smoothly cooperate with each department. In addition, platform construction is being promoted as a construction that can be seen by customers using the station. For example, at Kawawacho Station, as the stop position is shifted by 3 meters, all the platform fences are removed once, temporary ones are made, moved overnight, and then the platform fences are installed and expanded. 3 meters can seem like a small number, but it requires steady adjustments such as shifting tiles and Braille blocks.

"Although it's a short period of time, there's no home door, so we're discussing how to ensure the safety of our customers. Especially for those who are blind, there is a risk of falling, so Transportation Bureau works together to ensure the safety of our customers by providing public information to organizations for the visually impaired, assigning security guards and deciding how to support station staff."

The 6-caring project is a project involving many people, from departments involved in vehicles and construction, to drivers and station staff involved in actual operation, and customers who use municipal subways every day. Mr. Sekiguchi is a powerful person under the edge, who puts it together. An era in which safety and security are required due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I would like to look forward to the day when the 6-car train, which is easier to use and evolved, appears.