Tobu Isesaki Line Explained

Tobu Isesaki Line
Native Name:東武伊勢崎線
Native Name Lang:ja
Color:FF0000
Type:Commuter rail
Locale:Kantō
Stations:26
Daily Ridership:843,495 (2010)[1]
Owner:Tobu Railway
Depot:Tatebayashi
Electrification:1,500 V DC
Website:https://www.tobu.co.jp/en/
Map State:collapsed

The is a Japanese railway line operated by the private railway company Tobu Railway, extending from Tōbu-Dōbutsu-Kōen Station in Saitama to Isesaki Station in Gunma Prefecture. The Isesaki Line can refer to the entire section between Asakusa - Isesaki and Oshiage - Hikifune, but from March 2012, the section south of Tōbu-Dōbutsu-Kōen was branded as the Tobu Skytree Line in conjunction with the opening of the Tokyo Skytree tower.

Descriptions

Track:
  • single: −
  • double: the rest

    Operation

    Service patterns

    Stops and operated sections are as of 2023, February 15.

    (announced as or for short)
    (L) (SSE)

    Between Asakusa and Tōbu-Dōbutsu Kōen, Kuki or Minami-Kurihashi on Nikkō Line.

    (SmE)

    Early morning and late night. Down to Tōbu-Dōbutsu-Kōen, Kuki or to Minami-Kurihashi on the Nikkō Line through from Chūō-Rinkan of Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line via Hanzōmon Line. 10 cars.

    (SE)

    Between Asakusa and Tōbu-Dōbutsu-Kōen, Tatebayashi or Ōta.

    (Ex)

    From morning to night. Down to Tōbu-Dōbutsu-Kōen, Kuki (nearly half to Minami-Kurihashi on the Nikkō Line), through from Chūō-Rinkan on the Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line via Hanzōmon Line. 10 cars.

    (LE)

    Stops not shown for now. Charged for seat reservation and rapid service. Mainly through to the Nikkō Line for the Nikko area named and . Some through to Isesaki from Asakusa, sole direct service named . The 70090 Series Services runs through to Ebisu from Kuki, Home liner service named TH Liner.

    Stations

    No.StationLSSESmESEExTransfersLocation
    東武動物公園OO
    *1
    O
    *2
    O
    *1
    O
    *2
    MiyashiroSaitama
    和戸OOOOO
    久喜OOOOO Utsunomiya LineKuki
    鷲宮OO O 
    花崎OOOKazo
    加須OOO
    南羽生OOOHanyū
    羽生OOOChichibu Main Line
    川俣OOOMeiwaGunma
    茂林寺前OOOTatebayashi
    館林OOO
    多々良O  
    OAshikagaTochigi
    福居O
    東武和泉O
    足利市O
    野州山辺O
    韮川OŌtaGunma
    太田O
    細谷O
    木崎O
    世良田O
    境町OIsesaki
    剛志O
    新伊勢崎O
    伊勢崎ORyomo Line

    Rolling stock

    Current

    Former

    History

    The first section of the Isesaki Line was opened by the present company in 1899 between and utilising steam motive power. In 1902, Tobu extended the line south to have a maritime connection at present (then, later renamed Asakusa) in downtown Tokyo, and north to . The following year a further northern extension to (then on the south bank of Tone River) was opened. Further northward extension progressed, and in 1910 the line arrived at . In 1931, a bridge over the Sumida River was built and present Asakusa Station (then) opened as part of the department store building, the entire line being completed.

    The Asakusa to Nishiarai section was double-tracked in 1912, and the rest of the line was double-tracked between 1920 and 1927, except for the Hanyu to Kawamata section, which was double-tracked when a second bridge was built over the Tonegawa in 1992.

    Electrification was begun in 1924 on the section of Asakusa and, and in 1927 completed as far as Isesaki. The distance of over was then one of the longest electrified railway lines together with the present Kintetsu Osaka Line and Yamada Lines.

    After World War II, the Tobu Lines had no connection to the Yamanote Line or other major lines of the then Japanese National Railways (JNR) to offer efficient transfers to central Tokyo. The sole connection was with the Jōban Line at Kitasenju, which offered poor access to central Tokyo. To solve the inefficiencies of transfers at Kitasenju and notoriously narrow Asakusa, in 1962, the Hibiya Line of the then, known as TRTA, present Tokyo Metro) was built, connecting at Kitasenju.

    Further growing traffic required Tobu to build a second through line to Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line in the 1990s. In 2003, the company built new tracks from Hikifune to connect at, officially an annex station of Tokyo Skytree.

    From the 3 March 2006, timetable revision, less than half of trains originated or terminated at Asakusa, with more trains operating through to Tokyo Metro subway lines.

    From 17 March 2012, the section south of Tōbu-Dōbutsu-Kōen was rebranded as the Tobu Skytree Line.

    References

    This article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia

    External links

    Notes and References

    1. http://www.train-media.net/report/1110/toubu.pdf Tobu ridership in 2010