I recently visited the New Shuttle for the first time in two years. What's new with this AGT (Automated Guideway Transit) line?
Let me review the New Shuttle. It's a rubber-tyred automated guideway transit (AGT) system in Saitama Prefecture, about 30 kilometers north of Tokyo. The formal name is the Ina line of Saitama New Urban Transit Company. Connecting Omiya and Uchijuku, its operating length is 12.7 kilometers. The route was opened in 1983 beside the JR East's Tohoku and Joetsu Shinkansen track. The track is mostly double, but partly single. The power supply is 600V three-phase alternate current. Instead of an overhead catenary, three rigid wires are installed along the track. Unlike the other AGT lines such as the Yurikamome, Nippori-Toneri Liner and Seaside Line, a driver operates each train. It's not a driver-less operation. For your information, the definition of the Automated Guideway Transit is a transportation system that runs on rubber tires by applying guide wheels to the guide rails in the center or side walls of the track. It doesn't necessarily mean driver-less operation. You can see three rigid wires for power supply and a guide rail in the top photo.
In commemoration of the 40th anniversary, all trains of the New Shuttle have been displaying 40th anniversary stickers since last August. We can see illustrations of both the retired model, EMU 1000 series (later modified to the 1010 series), and the latest model, EMU 2020 series, on the sticker. Time really flies. Congratulations on the 40th anniversary of the New Shuttle!
