At the so-called "railroad crossing that does not open" in Adachi-ku, Tokyo, the construction of the elevated railroad track, which had been underway for 10 years in the wake of an accident in which four people were hit by a train and was killed or injured, was completed. The railroad crossing that has become unopened has been resolved.
Near Takenotsuka Station on the Tobu Railway in Adachi-ku, Tokyo, there is a "railroad crossing that does not open" where the barrier does not open for more than 50 minutes per hour at peak times. Two people who crossed the railroad crossing were hit and died, and two people were seriously injured.
In the wake of the accident, Adachi Ward and Tobu Railway spent about 63.6 billion yen on the construction to elevate all five tracks at that time in 10 years, and the elevation was completed by the early morning of the 20th. Railroad tracks that did not open were also removed.
Keiko Kayama, who lost her 75-year-old mother in an accident 17 years ago, said, "We should welcome the progress of safety measures, but the railroad crossing disappears and we forget about the accident that my mother died. I'm afraid that it may be. I would like to continue to appeal for safety measures at railroad crossings. "
A man who lives nearby and has a young child said, "I often wait 5 or 10 minutes during the morning rush hour, so I'm happy that it will be resolved. I think it will increase, so I want to be careful about accidents. "
"Unopened crossing" 539 locations nationwide 454 people died in 5 years
According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, as of October last year, there were 539 "unopened crossings" nationwide, and many remain in urban areas such as the Tokyo metropolitan area and Kansai.
There are ways to eliminate railroad crossings, such as elevated railroad tracks and underground railroad tracks, but railroad operators and local governments are quite expensive, and it is inevitable that construction will take a long time, and the understanding of the residents is also necessary. The current situation is that we cannot proceed.
Under these circumstances, the number of accidents at railroad crossings is endless, and in the five years up to last year, 1077 accidents occurred nationwide, killing 454 people and injuring 386 people.
Keiko Kayama, the bereaved family
While the bereaved families of the railroad crossing praise the elimination of the "railroad crossing that does not open" and the progress of safety measures, they are also concerned that the memory of the accident will be weathered by the disappearance of the railroad crossing.
Keiko Kayama (66) from Yokohama City lost her mother Toshie Takahashi (75 at the time) in a railroad crossing accident near Takenotsuka Station on the Tobu Railway 17 years ago.
Kayama still visits the site every month on her mother's anniversary, and 17 years after her accident, she put flowers on the flower stand near the site on the 15th of this month. For her hand, she quietly put her hands together.
Mr. Kayama said, "I have been asking you to eliminate the dangerous railroad crossing, and you should welcome the elimination of the railroad crossing that does not open, but when it disappears, the memory of the accident and the thoughts on safety may be forgotten. Isn't it? My mother isn't coming back and I have mixed feelings. "