Why Is It Believed That "AGT Construction Costs Are High"? — Learning from Domestic and International Examples of Cost-Reduction Through Ground-Level Tracks

When the introduction of an AGT

system is discussed, the "higher

construction cost compared to LRT" is

almost always a major obstacle. A

significant factor behind this is the

fixed assumption that "AGT must be

built on elevated tracks". However, is

it truly necessary to elevate every

single section? Simply reconsidering

this preconception has the potential to

dramatically reduce construction

costs.

A concrete example can be found

around Namiki-Kita Station (between

Torihama and Namiki-Chuo stations)

on the Yokohama Seaside Line.

Although the Seaside Line mostly runs

on elevated tracks, Namiki-Kita

Station and the tracks immediately

before and after it are built at ground

level.

The reason is very simple: there

were no roads crossing the tracks in

this specific section. Choosing ground

-level tracks and a ground-level station

instead of an elevated structure

reduced construction costs,

contributing to the line achieving

profitability early on.

Adopting ground-level tracks is by no

means a rare exception. In Japan, the

Seibu Yamaguchi Line (Leo Liner)

uses ground-level tracks for almost its

entire length, and the Yukarigaoka

Line does so for about one-third of its

route, both avoiding flat intersections

with roads. Furthermore, the Orly

Airport Line in France features

ground-level tracks along its entire line.

Although not an AGT system, the

rubber-tired metro in Mexico City also

utilizes ground-level tracks for many of

its sections, routing intersecting

roads through underpasses to reduce

the construction costs of both tracks

and stations.

The greatest strength of AGT is its

"punctuality, speed, and safety made

possible by dedicated guideways".

However, elevating the tracks is not

the only way to achieve this.

Depending on the surrounding road

environment, the transit system can

run on the ground where space is

ample, and cross roads by putting

them through underpasses. This

flexible combination of "ground-level

tracks and ground-level stations" is a

highly effective approach to controlling

the construction costs of urban transit

infrastructure. Is this not an

indispensable perspective for realizing

sustainable and easily adoptable urban

transit in the coming era?

I hope you look forward to the next

AGT Blog!