JR East Omiya Branch will carry out bridge replacement work on the Utsunomiya Line, which will result in the suspension of train services on some sections, from May 4th (Sun) to May 5 (Mon/Holiday), 2025.
In order to prevent flooding in the basin of the Nakagawa River, a Class A river, Saitama Prefecture is carrying out river improvement work to widen the river. The Furutone River Bridge between Higashi-washinomiya Station and Kurihashi Station on the Utsunomiya Line crosses this widened section, so JR has been carrying out reconstruction work to lengthen the bridge since March 2022, which was commissioned by the prefecture.
This time, due to construction work to switch the inbound tracks to temporary tracks, all trains will be suspended between Kuki Station and Koga Station from around 22:00 on April 4 (Sun) to around 7:40 on April 5 (Mon). Those with pre-purchased JR tickets or commuter passes can use alternative transportation on Tobu Railway, Tokyo Metro, or Toei Subway. Bus replacement transportation will be provided on two sections: between Kuki and Kurihashi Stations via Higashi-washinomiya Station, and between Kurihashi and Koga Stations, but the number of buses will be limited and it is expected to take a considerable amount of time, including transfers.
Before construction began, JR announced the final direct trains between Kuki Station and Koga Station on 4 (Sun). According to the announcement, for the outbound direction, the last trains to run directly to Koga Station will depart Ueno Station at around 20:54, Shinjuku Station at around 20:51, and Omiya Station at around 21:31, and will then turn around at Kuki Station or Shiraoka Station. For the inbound direction, trains departing Utsunomiya Station at around 21:09 and Oyama Station at around 21:35 will run directly to Kuki Station, then switch to turning around at Koga Station. The number of trains running on the Utsunomiya Line will be significantly reduced during construction hours, even outside of the sections that are suspended.
Construction will now move on to the construction of a new bridge at approximately 90 meters in length, roughly three times longer than the current one. The temporary line will be gradually converted into the main line from 2028 onwards, with construction scheduled to be completed around 2031.
