TOKYO, Nov 3 – A proposed light rail transit service connecting the foot of Mt. Fuji to its 5th station would be capable of transporting 3.36 million passengers annually, a recent report by a local government showed, Kyodo news agency reported.
Yamanashi Prefecture is proposing a double-track line operating two-car trains every six minutes for 10 hours per day to disperse the summer influx of tourists while reducing vehicle emissions, according to its interim report.
The line would run along the Fuji Subaru Line, the toll road to the 5th station that serves as the starting point to one of the mountain’s most popular hiking trails.
The prefecture projects capital investment would total 148.6 billion yen ($970 million), deeming it optimal for the prefectural government to construct the tracks while a private company operates the trains.
Assuming 3 million passengers per year at 10,000 yen per person, the transit system is expected to yield a profit of 184.8 billion yen for the prefecture and 420.7 billion yen for the operator over a 40-year period, according to the report.
Due to opposition from local residents, the prefecture plans to outline the project’s future direction by the end of the year after receiving feedback.
“There are challenges, but it is achievable,” Yamanashi Gov. Kotaro Nagasaki said at a press conference in late October.
