新宿駅、東西移動容易に　自由通路の供用開始―ＪＲ東

　ＪＲ東日本は１９日、新宿駅の東口と西口を結ぶ東西自由通路の供用を始めた。遠回りする必要があった両出口間を横断できるようになり、移動時間は最大約１０分短縮されるという。
　同社によると、自由通路は幅約２５メートルで長さは約１００メートル。これまで東口と西口間は改札でふさがれていたため通り抜けできず、北側の地下連絡通路か南側の甲州街道を回る必要があった。

　同社は２０１２年から整備工事を開始。東口改札と西口改札の位置を駅構内内側に移設させ、両改札間をつないでいた通路を約８メートル拡張し自由通路を整備した。
　新宿駅の乗降客数は１日平均約１５５万人（１９年度）でＪＲ東管内では最多。駅周辺は商業施設やオフィスビルが林立し、東口は歌舞伎町に近く周辺には伊勢丹新宿店、西口周辺には小田急百貨店や京王百貨店などがある。
　ＪＲ東の担当者は「（通路供用開始で）東西出口間は自由に行き来しやすくなる。街の活性化につながってほしい」と期待を寄せている。（2020/07/19-10:09）

East Japan Railway Co. , or JR East, opened on Sunday a free passageway linking the east and west exits at its Shinjuku Station to improve convenience for pedestrians.
   The 100-meter-long corridor reduces the time for walking between the east and west sides of the station, one of the busiest train stations in Japan, by up to about 10 minutes, according to the railway operator. Previously, people had to detour to get to the east side from the west, and vice versa, blocked by the ticket gates at the exits.
   The passageway, with a width of about 25 meters, was built partly by slightly moving the ticket gates at the east and west exits. Construction work started in 2012.
   The average daily number of users of JR East's Shinjuku Station, which serves the Yamanote, Chuo and other lines, stood at 1.55 million in fiscal 2019, the largest among the stations in the firm's service areas.
   Many commercial facilities and high-rise office buildings are located around Shinjuku Station. The east exit is close to Kabukicho, one of the largest entertainment and nightlife districts in Japan, and an Isetan department store. On the west side are such facilities as Odakyu and Keio department stores.