Image of completed Toyooka Station (provided by Takasaki City)
On the 27th, Takasaki City in Gunma Prefecture and JR East signed a partnership agreement on sustainable development of the city centered on public transportation. As the first step of the collaborative project, it was decided to set up a new Toyooka Station (provisional name) between Kita-Takasaki and Gunma Hachiman on the Shinetsu Line, and on the same day, a basic agreement was signed to set up the new station. Aiming to open within 2026.
The new station is a petitioned station for which the city will bear the maintenance costs, and will be set up at a point 2.6 kilometers from Kita Takasaki Station and 1.4 kilometers from Gunma Hachiman Station (Nakatoyooka and Shimotoyooka towns in the same city). Takasaki University of Economics is located regarding one kilometer north across the Karasu River, and industrial and residential complexes are also nearby. The unmanned station has two platforms, two tracks, and six cars (extension of 125 meters). A park-and-ride parking lot will be constructed in the square in front of the station. The city estimates that 1,600 people will ride on the trains each day.
With the aim of improving access to the new station and alleviating traffic congestion on surrounding roads, the city plans to build a new road that connects National Route 18 to the vicinity of Takatsugi University on the prefectural road Aramachi Shimo Murota Line via the new station. The plan is to develop the north section of the road from the new station in advance, including the Toyooka Kei Ohashi Bridge (provisional name) that crosses the Karasu River.
In 2006, the city surveyed demand forecasts for new stations. In 2009, we concluded an agreement on outline design with JR East and examined the scale of railway development, etc. In 2010, we will carry out detailed design of the station square and outline design of station facilities. A total of 176 million yen was included in the fiscal 2011 budget, including construction work for the plaza.
The city’s Urban Planning Division said, “In addition to commuting to work and school, we aim to improve convenience for the elderly and other vulnerable people.”
In addition to this, the partnership agreement also includes efforts to build next-generation transportation services, make stations barrier-free, and promote tourism. (Hiromasa Ishii)
