The Train to Odaiba

The train to Odaiba, otherwise known as the Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit, TWR or 東京臨海高速鉄道 runs its basic route from Osaki on the Yamaonote line to Shin-Kiba connecting with the Yuraku-cho Line and the JR Keiyo Line.

It is a quick and easy way to get to Odaiba without having to take the monorail from Shinbashi Station.

The route covers 8 stations in the Rinkai Fukutoshin area covering 12.2km and although connects with JR lines, is a private railway service. The company that runs the service was established almost 20 years ago with limited services between Shin-Kiba and Tokyo Teleport starting about 15 years ago, the later stage connecting Osaki commencing about 8 years ago. It just shows how long it takes to develop infrastructure in a city where subways and railway lines are numerous. The number of users of this line is still not anyway near peak travel and no doubt the business plan for the line is measured out in decades not mere years.

As with many companies in Japan, a mascot as well as official logos have been designed. Here is the official mascot for the TWR line.

The TWR have a fairly informative website where you can also buy merchandise such as the mascot. (Japanese language only). They must be doing something right on the promotion side since their site shows they have received almost 6,000,000 hits to it. Not bad for a railway company.

The site contains links to events and attractions in Odaiba.
http://www.twr.co.jp

There are also some links to a free bus service that circles around Odaiba
http://www.hinomaru.co.jp/metrolink/odaiba/index.html

The Rinkai line has many modern stations on its route including Tokyo Teleport with a nice atrium style roof, Tennozu Isle, where JAL and Rakuten have their office buildings. The ringtone for when the doors close at this station is quite unique. Kokusai-tenjijo is where you pass through if you are going to the Big Site for a conference, Shinonome while not so modern is interesting as you can out of the tunnel of darkness into the sunlight and hit the station written as East Clouds 東雲 or Shinonome. A very nice sight.

Tokyo Teleport Station