The New Shuttle is a Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese human-operated rubber-tyred automated guideway transit

Automated guideway transit

Automated guideway transit is a fully automated, driverless, grade-separated transit system in which vehicles are automatically guided along a "guideway". The vehicles are often rubber tired, but other systems including steel wheels, air cushion and maglev systems have also been used in experiments...

 (AGT) system.

The 12.7-kilometre that runs north from Ōmiya Station

Omiya Station (Saitama)

is a railway station in Ōmiya-ku, Saitama, Japan. It is a major interchange station for the East Japan Railway Company .-JR East:* Tōhoku Shinkansen* Akita Shinkansen* Yamagata Shinkansen* Jōetsu Shinkansen* Nagano Shinkansen...

 in Saitama, Saitama

Saitama, Saitama

' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance...

, along Jōetsu Shinkansen

Joetsu Shinkansen

The is a high-speed railway line connecting Tokyo and Niigata, Japan, via the Tōhoku Shinkansen, operated by the East Japan Railway Company .-History:The program was initiated in 1971 by Niigata-born prime minister Tanaka Kakuei...

 through Ageo

Ageo, Saitama

is a city located in Saitama, Japan.As of December 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 227,127 and the density of 4,986.32 persons per km². The total area is 45.55 km². It is twinned with Ueda, Nagano.- History :...

 to Uchijuku Station in Ina

Ina, Saitama

is a town located in Kitaadachi District, Saitama, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 35,355 and a density of 2,388.85 persons per km². The total area is 14.80 km².-External links:*...

 in Saitama Prefecture

Saitama Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Saitama.This prefecture is part of the Greater Tokyo Area, and most of Saitama's cities can be described as suburbs of Tokyo, to which a large amount of residents commute each day.- History...

 in the Greater Tokyo Area

Greater Tokyo Area

The Greater Tokyo Area is a large metropolitan area in Kantō region, Japan, consisting of most of the prefectures of Chiba, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Tokyo . In Japanese, it is referred to by various terms, including the , , and others....

 is the only route that is run on the system.

The line is operated by , a kabushiki kaisha

Kabushiki kaisha

is a type of business defined under Japanese law.-Usage in language:Both kabushiki kaisha and the rendaku form kabushiki gaisha are used. The "K" spelling is much more common in the names of companies and in English-language legal literature, whereas the "G" pronunciation is dominant in...

 whose major shareholders include the East Japan Railway Company

East Japan Railway Company

is the largest passenger railway company in the world and one of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo....

, Tobu Railway

Tobu Railway

is a Japanese commuter railway company in the Greater Tokyo Area as well as an intercity and regional operator in the Kantō region. It operates in Tokyo, Saitama, Chiba, Tochigi, and Gunma Prefectures...

, banks, Saitama prefectural government and the cities and the town served.

Ina Line stations

• Ōmiya Station
  Omiya Station (Saitama)
  is a railway station in Ōmiya-ku, Saitama, Japan. It is a major interchange station for the East Japan Railway Company .-JR East:* Tōhoku Shinkansen* Akita Shinkansen* Yamagata Shinkansen* Jōetsu Shinkansen* Nagano Shinkansen...
  
  , Ōmiya-ku, Saitama
  Omiya-ku, Saitama
  is a ward of Saitama city, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. It is in the Greater Tokyo Area and about 25 km north of central Tokyo. Ōmiya-ku is surrounded by Nishi-ku , Kita-ku , Minuma-ku , Urawa-ku , Chūō-ku , and Sakura-ku of Saitama city.Ōmiya-ku is the most active commercial and business centre in...
  
  
• Tetsudō-Hakubutsukan Station
  Tetsudo-Hakubutsukan Station
  is a train station located in Ōmiya-ku, Saitama, Japan.-History:* 22 December 1983: Station opens as Ōnari Station .* 14 October 2007: Renamed Tetsudō-Hakubutsukan Station coinciding with opening of the nearby Railway Museum.- Adjacent stations :...
  
   (ex. Ōnari Station, renamed on 14 October 2007 http://www.railway-museum.jp/language/english.pdf)
• Kamonomiya Station, Kita-ku, Saitama
  Kita-ku, Saitama
  is a ward of Saitama city, Saitama Prefecture, Japan, occupying the northern part of the city. It is surrounded by Minuma-ku , Ōmiya-ku , Nishi-ku of Saitama city and Ageo city .-History:...
  
  
• Higashi-Miyahara Station
• Konba Station
• Yoshinohara Station
• Haraichi Station, Ageo, Saitama
  Ageo, Saitama
  is a city located in Saitama, Japan.As of December 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 227,127 and the density of 4,986.32 persons per km². The total area is 45.55 km². It is twinned with Ueda, Nagano.- History :...
  
  
• Shōnan Station
• Maruyama Station, Ina, Saitama
  Ina, Saitama
  is a town located in Kitaadachi District, Saitama, Japan.As of 2003, the town has an estimated population of 35,355 and a density of 2,388.85 persons per km². The total area is 14.80 km².-External links:*...
  
  
• Shiku Station
• Ina-Chūō Station
• Hanuki Station
• Uchijuku Station

History

The people of Ina town, on the branch point of the Tōhoku

Tohoku Shinkansen

The is a Japanese high-speed Shinkansen rail line, connecting Tokyo with Aomori in Aomori Prefecture for a total length of 674 km, Japan's longest Shinkansen line. It runs through the more sparsely populated Tōhoku region of Japan's main island Honshu. It has two spur lines, Yamagata...

 and Jōetsu Shinkansen

Joetsu Shinkansen

The is a high-speed railway line connecting Tokyo and Niigata, Japan, via the Tōhoku Shinkansen, operated by the East Japan Railway Company .-History:The program was initiated in 1971 by Niigata-born prime minister Tanaka Kakuei...

 high-speed railway lines, opposed the latter being routed through their area, complaining that the town would be divided by the new tracks and beset with noise pollution

Noise pollution

Noise pollution is excessive, displeasing human, animal or machine-created environmental noise that disrupts the activity or balance of human or animal life...

.

To placate the residents, new railway lines were planned. The AGT Ina Line was the solution reached for the area north of Ōmiya Station, where the potential demand was not large enough to run heavy rail lines economically. (Currently, the line generates an operating profit.) A heavy rail line (the Saikyō Line

Saikyo Line

The is a railway line between Ōsaki Station in Shinagawa, Tokyo, and Ōmiya Station in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. It is a part of the East Japan Railway Company network...

) was the solution reached for the south of Ōmiya Station.

• 1 April 1980: Operating company is incorporated.
• 22 December 1983: The section between Ōmiya and Hanuki stations opens.
• 2 August 1990: The remaining section between Hanuki and Uchijuku stations opens.
• 14 October 2007: Ōnari Station is renamed Tetsudō-Hakubutsukan Station when the Railway Museum (Tetsudō-Hakubutsukan) opens.