Japan considers Chinese tram for Mt Fuji as environmental concerns derail original tram plan

Japan the local governor said Monday that he has abandoned plans to build a light rail line along Mount Fuji and is instead considering a Chinese-made bus and tramway.

The government is now considering a water-powered transport system developed Chinathe Russian state railway company CRRC, as well as alternatives from Japanese firms.

China’s autonomous high-speed rail (ART) resembles a tram with its various sections, but has more in common with a bus, running on rubber tires and on a road instead of rails.

A prototype hydrogen-powered ART vehicle that officials are considering for use on Mount Fuji. Photo: SCMP

The Fuji Tram option will significantly reduce construction costs while allowing authorities to control summer overcrowding and reduce CO2 emissions, Yamanashi Governor Kotaro Nagasaki said at a news conference when he unveiled the project.

“With due respect to the leading company, I wish Japanese firms would take up this project, and it would be even better if their production base was located in Yamanashi,” he said.

In recent years, the number of visitors to Japan’s most famous mountain has increased dramatically, and the authorities are trying to reduce the impact on the environment.

Crowd control measures and a 2,000 yen ($13) entry fee have limited the number of people climbing Mount Fuji this summer to about 178,000 climbers, according to preliminary data, compared with more than 200,000 last year.