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A growing shortage of truck drivers and possible traffic restrictions during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics have prompted delivery services to consider shipping parcels via the Tokyo subway system.
A feasibility study will be conducted this autumn on Tokyo Metro Co.'s Yurakucho Line and Tobu Railway Co.'s Tobu Tojo Line, which links up with the Yurakucho Line.
Yamato Transport Co., Japan Post Co. and Sagawa Express Co. will take part in the experiment.
If the plan becomes a reality, it would be the first subway freight service in Tokyo.
Using the subway system will enable delivery companies to maintain stable delivery times without being affected by traffic congestion.
Anticipating traffic restrictions during the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, the companies are considering alternative transportation networks.
The flow of trucks to central Tokyo may be restricted as a result of countermeasures against terrorism and traffic congestion. The subway freight service is expected to complement the role of trucks.
“If subway freight trains serve as a substitute for trucks in central Tokyo, where there is a high demand for delivery services, it will alleviate the growing shortage of truck drivers,” said a high-ranking transport ministry official.
While future plans call for dedicated freight trains, conventional subway trains will be used for the experiment to transport parcels during operating hours.
The packages will be unloaded at three stations in central Tokyo--Yurakucho, Ginza-itchome and Shintomicho--to examine the flow of transportation and delivery.
If the subway freight service expands to all of Tokyo Metro’s nine lines, the entire city will be covered.
However, securing work areas for unloading parcels in the subway can pose logistical problems because subway stations are not designed for freight transportation.
To operate freight trains in the subway system, railway firms will be required to file a notification of change in their basic operational plans based on the Railway Business Law, according to the transport ministry.
(THE ASAHI SHIMBUN)
