The is a manually operated, rubber-tyred people mover system in Saitama Prefecture, Japan.
The system's only route is the , which runs north from Ōmiya Station in Saitama to Uchijuku Station in Ina. The line was built as part of an agreement to address local opposition to the construction of elevated viaducts for the Shinkansen through the area. The New Shuttle runs alongside the Shinkansen for most of its route.
Between Ōmiya and Maruyama, the line is double-tracked and runs alongside the viaduct shared by the Tōhoku Shinkansen and Jōetsu Shinkansen. Between Maruyama and Uchijuku, it continues alongside the Jōetsu Shinkansen on a single track. The New Shuttle's depot is located within the Y-shaped junction formed by the Tōhoku and Jōetsu Shinkansen lines at Maruyama.
It is operated by the third-sector railway company , whose shareholders include East Japan Railway Company (40%), the Saitama prefectural government (35%), various banks (15% collectively), Tobu Railway (5%), and the municipalities served by the line (5% collectively).
Stations The stations on the line are as follows. All stations are located in Saitama Prefecture.
Colour/No. Name Distance in km (mi) LocationBetweenstationsTotal Ōmiya-ku, Saitama Kita-ku, Saitama Ageo Ina
The line's depot is located near Maruyama Station.
Rolling stock , the following train types are used on the line, all formed as six-car sets.
2000 series The 2000 series fleet consists of seven 6-car sets, numbered 01 to 07. Built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, the trains have stainless steel bodies with different colours on the front ends and bodyside stripes. The cars retain the length of the previous fleet but are wider and have ceilings higher to provide additional capacity and reduce crowding.
Set 01 entered service on 22 May 2007. Set 07 was delivered in December 2014, completing the fleet. Set Car numbers LiveryDate introduced 01 2101 2201 2301 2401 2501 2601 Reddish-purpleMay 2007 02 2102 2202 2302 2402 2502 2602 OrangeMarch 2010 03 2103 2203 2303 2403 2503 2603 GreenFebruary 2011 04 2104 2204 2304 2404 2504 2604 YellowDecember 2011 05 2105 2205 2305 2405 2505 2605 BlueDecember 2012 06 2106 2206 2306 2406 2506 2606 RedDecember 2013 07 2107 2207 2307 2407 2507 2607 Cherry blossom pinkDecember 2014
2020 series The 2020 series fleet consists of six 6-car sets, numbered 21 to 26. Built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the trains are marketed by the manufacturer as Urbanismo-16, referring to their gross weight of per car. The cars have aluminium bodies, carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer front ends, and lightweight bogies, making them approximately lighter than earlier series. Their hexagonal cross-section bulges slightly outward on both sides, allowing the seatbacks to be angled for greater comfort. Each set has a different accent colour corresponding to one of the colours in the company's logo, as part of a seven-colour scheme developed for the fleet. The 2020 series received a Good Design Award in 2016 for its design, including its use of interior space and safety and comfort features.
Set 21 entered service on 4 November 2015. Set 26 was delivered in November 2024, completing the fleet. Set Car numbers Livery Date introduced 21 2121 2221 2321 2421 2521 2621 "Green crystal" November 2015 22 2122 2222 2322 2422 2522 2622 "Bright amber" February 2016 23 2123 2223 2323 2423 2523 2623 "Pure ruby" June 2016 24 2124 2224 2324 2424 2524 2624 "Golden topaz" February 2019 25 2125 2225 2325 2425 2525 2625 "Twilight amethyst" February 2020 26 2126 2226 2326 2426 2526 2626 "Rainbow" November 2024
Former rolling stock The 1000 series was produced by Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Niigata Iron Works and entered service when the line opened in 1983, initially comprising two six-car sets and seven four-car sets. Beginning in 1994, additional cars were built to lengthen the 1000 series to six-car sets, which were renumbered as the 1010 series. Four six-car 1050 series sets were also introduced from 1994 to expand the fleet. The last 1010 series set was retired on June 26, 2016. The last 1050 series set was withdrawn on February 15, 2026.
History
In the early 1970s, planning for what became the Tōhoku and Jōetsu Shinkansen progressed in parallel. However, construction planning took place amid growing public concern over noise and vibration from the Tōkaidō and San'yō Shinkansen.
Opposition developed along parts of the planned Tōhoku and Jōetsu corridors. In Ina, where the two Shinkansen lines were planned to branch, residents opposed the project because the construction would divide the town into three sections. Through the efforts of Misao Kato, then the mayor of Ina, an agreement was reached to construct a transit line as compensation for the affected communities, including residents of the neighboring Ōmiya, Ageo, and Ina municipalities. A standard railway was considered excessive given the anticipated demand along the corridor, so a people mover, then a relatively new technology, was chosen as a medium-capacity option. Residents of Toda, Urawa and Yono received a separate heavy-rail route, the Saikyō Line. To reduce costs, the line was built to be manually operated.
Saitama New Urban Transit Co., Ltd. was incorporated on 1 April 1980, to operate the new line. The company applied for a local railway business license on 4 December 1980 and received it on 3 April 1981. Construction began on 15 October 1981 and was completed in April 1983.快走への軌跡 : ニューシャトル開業10周年記念誌, pp. 20–21.
The first section, between Ōmiya and Hanuki, opened on 22 December 1983. The line initially operated with 1000 series trains, and approximately half of the services ran only between Ōmiya and Maruyama; services north of Maruyama operated at 40-minute intervals during the daytime.
Construction of the remaining section between Hanuki and Uchijuku was delayed by difficulties acquiring land from two landowners along the planned route. Negotiations with one were completed in March 1988, but the other landowner, supported by activists associated with the conflicts over Narita Airport, continued to oppose the project. The landowner and activists constructed a hut beneath the planned guideway and barricaded themselves inside, while also staging protests from a tower above it. On February 17, 1990, Saitama Prefecture invoked eminent domain to clear the hut, and the landowner and activists were arrested for obstruction.快走への軌跡 : ニューシャトル開業10周年記念誌, pp. 34–35.
Rather than seizing the land itself, the prefecture acquired an air right over the property, allowing the guideway to pass above it without acquiring the underlying land. A mesh-fenced shelter was subsequently built around the guideway to prevent the landowner from interfering with operations. Remnants of the hut and protest signs remain beneath the line.
The remaining section between Hanuki and Uchijuku opened on 2 August 1990, completing the line.
On 14 October 2007, Ōnari Station was renamed Tetsudō-Hakubutsukan () to coincide with the opening of the Saitama Railway Museum.
On 16 January 2019, a tire on the rear car of an up train suffered a puncture and blowout and derailed from the guideway between Kamonomiya and Tetsudō-Hakubutsukan. The accident suspended service on the entire line until the following afternoon, with substitute bus services provided during the disruption. Following the accident, the company began installing tire-pressure monitoring systems on its trains in 2020.
See also List of rapid transit systems
References
External links