Following the only railway crossing between Komagome and Tabata stations, I am going to show you the other unique spot on the JR East Yamanote Line today.
Please look at the picture. It is a railway underpass between Tamachi and Shinagawa stations. It looks to be a railway underpass like any other, but it has only a slight amount of head clearance. Its height limitation is 1.5 meters. Only sedans can narrowly pass through this underpass. Adults have to duck their heads to get through there. The length of the underpass is about 230 meters. It passes through not only the Yamanote Line, but also the other lines, namely the Keihin-Tohoku Line, the Tokaido Main Line, the Yokosuka Line and the Tokaido Shinkansen. The inside of the underpass is dark even during the daytime.
I wonder why it is so narrow. It was probably originated from the topography. The railway between Tamachi and Shinagawa stations was originally located on the sea. In other words, the track was constructed on reclaimed land more than 100 years ago. The height above sea level was almost zero so that the underpass must have been constructed above sea level to prevent the risk of flooding. It was impossible to pump out water from the underpass at that time.
I found a signboard set at the entrance that said this underpass was planned to be cleaned soon. I am looking forward to seeing the reborn underpass soon.
