JR Central is to start construction this month of an extra shinkansen station at Shinagawa in southern Tokyo, for completion in 2003. Two 410m island platforms with four tracks for Tokyo - Osaka Tokaido shinkansen services are to be built adjacent to the existing Shinagawa narrow-gauge station, and three sidings provided for reversing suburban services.
Total cost of the project is ´95bn with ´63bn budgeted for the actual construction on a narrow site 1·9 km long, which will involve the relocation of high-speed lines presently on viaduct to ground level. Extra capacity provided by the passing loops and reversing sidings at Shinagawa will enable JR Central to run 15 trains an hour in each direction between Tokyo and Osaka. o
