TOKYO SUBWAY HISTORY

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TOKYO METRO Lines - Eidan Subway (8):

GINZA Line (G)

The first subway line in Tokyo, opened in 1927 as a private railway between Asakusa and Ueno (2.2km), extended 1939 14.3km, one more station, Tameikesanno, was opened in 1997. 19 stations, Asakusa - Shibuya.

30 Dec 1927: Asakusa - Ueno (2.2 km)
01 Jan 1930: - Suehirocho (1.1 km)
21 Nov 1931: - Kanda (1.1 km)
29 Apr 1932: Mitsukoshimae (0.7 km)
24 Dec 1932: - Kyobashi (1.3 km)
03 March 1934: - Ginza (0.7 km)
21 June 1934: - Shimbashi (0.9 km)
18 Nov 1938: Toranomon - Omotesando (4.2 km; without Tameikesanno)
20 Dec 1938: - Shibuya (1.3 km)
15 Jan 1939 (no through service): Toranomon - Shimbashi (0.8 km)
16 Sept 1939: through service at Shimbashi
30 Sept 1997: - Tameikesanno -

MARUNOUCHI Line (M)

Opened between 1954 and 1962, 27.4km, 27 stations, Ikebukuro - Ogikubo / Honancho.

20 Jan 1954: Ikebukuro - Ochanomizu (6.4 km)
20 March 1956: - Awajicho (0.8 km)
20 July 1956: - Tokyo (1.5 km)
15 Dec 1957: - Ginza (1.1 km)
15 Oct 1958: - Kasumigaseki (1.0 km)
15 March 1959: - Shinjuku (5.8 km)
08 Feb 1961: - Nakanosakaue (1.9 km; without Nishi-Shinjuku) and then two branches - Shin-Nakano (0.9 km) and Nakanofujimicho (1.9 km)
01 Nov 1961: - Minami-Asagaya (3.1 km; without Higashi-Koenji)
23 Jan 1962: - Ogikubo (1.5 km)
23 March 1962: - Honancho (1.3 km)
18 Sept 1964: - Higashi-Koenji station added
28 May 1996: - Nishi-Shinjuku station added

HIBIYA Line (H)

Opened between 1961 and 1964, 20.3km, 21 stations, (Tobu-Dobtsu-Koen -) Kita-Senju - Naka-Meguro (-Kikuna), on both ends shared service with suburban lines (Tobu-Isezaki Line and Tokyu Toyoko Line).

28 March 1961: Minami-Senju - Nakaokachimachi (3.7 km)
31 May 1962: - Ningyocho (2.5 km) and - Kita-Senju (2.1 km)
28 Feb 1963: - Higashi-Ginza (3.0 km)
25 March 1964: - Ebisu (without Ginza and Hibyia) (8.0 km)
22 June 1964: - Naka-Meguro (2.0 km)
29 Aug 1964: - Ginza and Hibyia added

TOZAI Line (T)

Opened between 1964 and 1969, 30.8km,
22 stations, Nishi-Funabashi - Nakano (- Mitaka).

23 Dec 1964: Takadanobaba - Waseda (1.7 km)
16 May 1966: - Nakano (3.9 km) and - Takebashi (4.1 km)
01 Oct 1966: - Otemachi (1.0 km)
14 Sept 1967: - Toyocho (5.1 km)
29 March 1969: - Nishi-Funabashi (without Nishi-Kasai, Minami-Gyotoku, Myoden) (15.0 km)
01 Oct 1979: - Nishi-Kasai added
27 March 1981: - Minami-Gyotoku added
22 Jan 2000: - Myoden added

CHIYODA Line (C)

Opened 1969/1979, 24km, 20 stations, (Hon-Atsugi on Odakyu Line) - Yoyogiuehara - Kita-Ayase (- Toride).

20 Dec 1969: Otemachi - Kita-Senju (9.9 km)
20 March 1971: - Kasumigaseki (2.2 km)
20 Apr 1971: - Ayase (2.6 km)
20 Oct 1972: - Yoyogikoen (6.2 km)
31.03.1978: - Yoyogiuehara (1.0 km)
20 Dec 1979: - Kita-Ayase (2.1 km)

YURAKUCHO Line (Y)

Opened 1974 - 1988, 28.3km, 24 stations, (Shinrin-Koen on Tobu Tojo Line) - Wakoshi - Shin-Kiba.

30 Oct 1974 : Ginzaitchome - Ikebukuro (10.2 km)
27 March 1980: - Shintomicho (0.7 km)
24 June 1983: - Chikatetsu Narimasu (earlier called Eidan Narimasu) (9.3 km)
25 Aug 1987 : - Wakoshi (2.2 km)
08 June 1988: - Shin-Kiba (5.9 km)

       

On 7 Dec 1994 the 4-track section of the Yurakucho New Line (Kotakemukaihara - Ikebukuro) has been opened (New Yurakucho New Line Ikebukuro Station). This new line is being extended south to Shibuya (8.9 km, scheduled to be completed in 2007 - see Fukutoshin Line below).

HANZOMON Line (Z)

Opened 1978 - 2003, 16.9km, 14 stations

Runs parallel to Ginza line between Shibuya and Aoyama-I-chome.

1 Aug 1978: Shibuya - Aoyama-itchome (2.7 km)
21 Sept 1979: - Nagatacho (1.4 km)
9 Dec 1982: - Hanzomon (1.0 km)
26 Jan 1989: - Mitsukoshi-mae (4.3 km)
28 Nov 1990: - Suitengu-mae (1.3 km)
19 March 2003: - Oshiage (6.1 km)

NAMBOKU Line (N)

Opened 1991-2000, 19 stations, 21.3 km, average station distance 1.3 km, track gauge 1067 mm, 1500 V overhead power supply, 6-car-trains (120 m), headway 5 min peak, 7.5 min off-peak

29 Nov 1991 Akabane-Iwabuchi - Komagone (6.3 km)
26 March 1996 Komagome - Yotsuya (7.1 km)
30 Sept 1997 Yotsuya - Tameikesanno (2.2 km)
26 Sept 2000 Tameikesanno - Meguro (5.7 km; of which 2.3 km and three stations are used jointly with TOEI Mita Line)

From Meguro reciprocal service with Tokyu trains is offered.

To the north the line offers reciprocal service along the new Saitama Railway (28 March 2001; stations: Akabaneiwabuchi - Kawaguchi-Motogo - Minamihatogaya - Hatogaya - Araijuku - Tozuka-angyo - Higashikawaguchi - Urawamisono).

FUKUTOSHIN Line (F)

7 Dec 1994 Kotakemukaihara - Ikebukuro (as Yurakucho New Line) (3.2 km)
[June 2008] Ikebukuro - Shibuya

Intermediate stations between Ikebukuro and Shibuya (from north to south): Zoshigaya, Nishi-waseda, Higashi-shinjuku, Shinjuku-sanchome, Kitasando, Meiji-jingumae. The Fukutoshin Line will share tracks with Yurakucho Line between Wakoshi & Kotake-mukaihara.


3/2003 - Tokyo Metro Lines: total length 183.3 km, 165 stations

Busiest Eidan Subway stations in 1998:

Ikebukuro (518,000 passengers a day), Kita-Senju (364,000), Otemachi (307,000), Ginza (281,500), Shinjuku (277,000), Ueno (234,000), Shibuya (216,000), Shimbashi (215,000).


TOEI Lines (4):

ASAKUSA Line (A)

Partly opened in 1960, since 1968 18.3km, 20 stations, Aoto - Nishi-Magome; through trains from Sengakuji on Keihin-kyuko Line.

04 Dec 1960: Oshiage - Asakusabashi (3.1 km)
31 May 1962: - Higashi-Nihombashi (0.7 km)
30 Sept 1962: - Ningyocho  (0.7 km)
28 Feb 1963: - Higashi-Ginza (1.6 km)
21 Dec 1963: - Shimbashi (0.9 km)
01 Oct 1964: - Daimon  (1.0 km)
21 March 1968: - Sengakuji (2.6 km)
15 Nov 1968: - Nishi-Magome (6.9 km)

MITA Line (I)

Opened between 1968 and 1976, 26.8km, 24 stations, Mita - Nishi-Takashimadaira. An extension to Shirokane-Takanawa and further to Meguro (together with Namboku Line) opened 26/9/2000.

27 Dec 1968: Takashimadaira - Sugamo (2.2 km)
30 June 1972 - Hibiya (2.2 km)
27 Nov 1973: - Mita (2.2 km)
6 May 1976: - Nishi-Takashimadaira (2.2 km)

26 Sept 2000: - Meguro (jointly with Namboku Line) (1.7 km of a separate Mita - Shirokane-Takanawa track)

SHINJUKU Line (S)

Opened between 1978 and 1989, 23.5km, 21 stations, Motoyawata - Shinjuku, through trains from Shinjuku on Keio Line.

21 Dec 1978: Iwamotocho - Higashi-Ojima (4.9 km)
16 March 1980: - Shinjuku (7.3 km)
23 Dec 1983: - Funabori (3.6 km)
14 Sept 1986: - Shinozaki (4.9 km)
19 March 1989: - Moto-Yawata (2.8 km)

O-EDO Line (E)

The newest of all Tokyo subway lines is a ring line with a handle (40.7 km, 36 stations):

10 Dec 1991 Hikarigoaka - Nerima (3.8 km)
19 Dec 1997 - Nerima- Shinjuku (9.1 km)
20 Apr 2000 - Shinjuku - Kokuritsu Kyogi-jomae (National Stadium), (2.4 km)
12 Dec. 2000 - final section (25.4 km) of the entire ring line opened.
2 Nov 2002 - Shiodome station opened

O-Edo-sen means Big Edo Line and Edo was the city's name until 1868.

Total length of TOEI Lines (12/2000): 107 km + 2.3km Mita Line extension to Meguro (shared with Namboku Line)

 

Compiled by Alex Riabov

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