Tobu Skytree Line Explained

Tobu Skytree Line
Native Name:東武スカイツリーライン
Native Name Lang:ja
Color:1E90FF
Type:Commuter rail
System:Tobu Railway
Locale:Kantō (Tokyo and Saitama Prefecture)
Stations:30
Open:March 17, 2012
Owner:Tobu Railway
Depot:Kasukabe
Linelength:41km (25miles)
Electrification:1,500 V DC
Speed:110round=5NaNround=5
Website:https://www.tobu.co.jp/en/
Map State:collapsed

The is a section of the Tobu Isesaki Line operated by the private railway company Tobu Railway, extending from Asakusa Station in Tokyo to Tōbu-Dōbutsu-Kōen Station in Saitama Prefecture. Some trains from the line continue to the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line and Tokyo Metro Hanzōmon Line. This section was branded the Tobu Skytree Line on 17 March 2012 in conjunction with the opening of the Tokyo Skytree Tower (which Tobu Railway owns).

Description

Track:
  • Quadruple: − 1.3 km, − 18.9 km[1]
  • Double: Rest of the line

    Note that Oshiage Station is officially an extension or part of Tokyo Skytree. The double tracks between Oshiage and Hikifune are thus the third and fourth tracks of the Tokyo Skytree − Hikifune section.

    Operation

    All-stations "Local" services operate from to, and, and onward to on the Tōbu Nikkō Line.[2] Some peak-hour Local services from Asakusa terminate at Takenotsuka, Kita-Koshigaya, or Kita-Kasukabe.[2]

    Through trains

    The Skytree Line has trains that inter-run with two Tokyo Metro subway lines. One is the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line connected at, with all-station stop "Local" trains only. The other is the Tokyo Metro Hanzōmon Line at Oshiage, running as either local, semi-express or express trains within the subway line and the Tokyu Denentoshi line. Beyond, the terminus of the Hanzomon Line, nearly all trains continue to and from the Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line, down to the terminus of .

    To the north, trains run via the Yagan Railway to the Aizu Railway's Aizutajima Station.

    Service patterns

    Stops and operated sections are as of 2013.

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

    Between Asakusa and Kita-Koshigaya, Kita-Kasukabe, Tōbu-Dōbutsu Kōen, Kuki, Tatebayashi (Isesaki Line) or Minami-Kurihashi (Nikkō Line). 6 cars.

    (SmE)

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

    (SE)

    Between Asakusa and Tōbu-Dōbutsu-Kōen, Kuki, Tatebayashi (Isesaki Line) or Minami-Kurihashi (Nikkō Line). 6 cars.

    (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. Charged for seat reservation and rapid service. Mainly through to the Nikkō Line for the Nikko area named,, and and and and . Some through to Isesaki from Asakusa, sole direct service named and . Some through to/from Kuki from/to Ebisu on Hibiya Line, sole direct service named . Some through to Kasukabe from Asakusa, sole direct service named . Some through Ōmiya/Kashiwa from Asakusa, sole direct service named .

    Stations

    No.StationJapaneseDistance (km)LSSESmESEELETransfersLocation
    Japanese: 浅草0.0S
    • 1
    S
    • 2
    S
    • 2
    KN・KG/R/RV/SL/UL/KFTaitōTokyo
    Japanese: とうきょうスカイツリー1.1SSSKN・KG/R/RV/SL/UL/KF[3]  Sumida
    Japanese: 押上-  S S
    Japanese: 曳舟2.4SSSSS*KN・KG/*RM/*RV RM/*RV KG・KN/SL/UL/*KF Tobu Kameido Line
    Japanese: 東向島3.2SS S  
    Japanese: 鐘ヶ淵4.2SS S  
    Japanese: 堀切5.3SS S  Adachi
    Japanese: 牛田6.0SS S  Keisei Main Line(Keisei Sekiya)
    Japanese: 北千住7.1SSSSSSKN・KG/RM/RV RM/RV KN・KG/SL/UL/KF/TH
    Japanese: 小菅8.2 S     
    Japanese: 五反野9.3S     
    Japanese: 梅島10.5S     
    Japanese: 西新井11.3SSSSS Tobu Daishi Line
    Japanese: 竹ノ塚13.4S     
    Japanese: 谷塚15.9S     SōkaSaitama
    Japanese: 草加17.5SSSSS 
    Japanese: 獨協大学前19.2S     
    Japanese: 新田20.5S     
    Japanese: 蒲生21.9S     Koshigaya
    Japanese: 新越谷22.9SSSSSUL/TH Musashino Line(Minami-Koshigaya)
    Japanese: 越谷24.4SSSSS 
    Japanese: 北越谷26.0SSS   
    Japanese: 大袋28.5SSS   
    Japanese: せんげん台29.8SSSSSUL/TH 
    Japanese: 武里31.1SSS   Kasukabe
    Japanese: 一ノ割33.0SSS   
    Japanese: 春日部35.3SSSSSKN・KG/RV KG・KN/SL/UL/KF/TH Tobu Urban Park Line (TD-10)
    Japanese: 北春日部36.8SSS   
    Japanese: 姫宮38.4SSS   Miyashiro
    Japanese: 東武動物公園41.0S
    *3/*5
    S
    *3/*4
    S
    *3/*4/*6
    S
    *3/*4
    S
    *3/*4/*6
    RM/RV RM/TH
    Notes:

    Rolling stock

    Current

    As of July 15 2023

    Former

    History

    The first section of the Isesaki Line was opened by the present company in 1899 between Kita-Senju and Kuki utilising steam motive power. In 1902, Tobu extended the line south to have a maritime connection at present Tokyo Skytree (then Azumabashi (吾妻橋), later renamed Asakusa) in downtown Tokyo, and north to Kazo. The following year a further northern extension to Kawamata (then on the south bank of Tone River) was opened. Further northward extension progressed, and in 1910 the line arrived at Isesaki. In 1931, a bridge over the Sumida River was built and present Asakusa Station (then Asakusa Kaminarimon (浅草雷門)) 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 started in 1924 on the section of Asakusa and Nishiarai, and in 1927 completed as far as Isesaki. The distance of over 100 km 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 Teito Rapid Transport Authority (帝都高速度交通営団, Teito Kōsokudo Kōtsū Eidan), 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 Oshiage, 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.

    The former Skytree Train and Kirifuri limited express, Rapid, and Section Rapid services were discontinued from the start of the revised timetable on 21 April 2017.[7]

    See also

    Further reading

    External links

    Notes and References

    1. Book: Terada, Hirokazu . ja: データブック日本の私鉄 . Databook: Japan's Private Railways. Neko Publishing. 19 January 2013. Japan. 222. 978-4-7770-1336-4.
    2. Tobu Timetable, 16 March 2013 p.2-65
    3. At this station, you can ride any of the Limited Express trains bound for Asakusa Station without Limited Express Tickets.
    4. ja: 2006東武鉄道通勤車両カタログ . 2006 Tobu Railway Commuter Rolling Stock Catalogue. Tetsudō Daiya Jōhō Magazine . 35. 263. 21–26. Kotsu Shimbun . Japan. March 2006 .
    5. Web site: http://railf.jp/news/2017/07/08/201500.html . ja: 東武70000系が営業運転を開始 . Tobu 70000 series enters revenue service . 8 July 2017. Japan Railfan Magazine Online. Koyusha Co., Ltd.. Japan. ja. https://web.archive.org/web/20170709010351/http://railf.jp/news/2017/07/08/201500.html . 9 July 2017 . live . 9 July 2017.
    6. Web site: http://railf.jp/news/2017/03/26/204500.html. ja: 東京メトロ13000系が本格的な営業運転を開始 . Tokyo Metro 13000 series enters full revenue service. 27 March 2017. Japan Railfan Magazine Online. Koyusha Co., Ltd.. Japan. ja. https://web.archive.org/web/20170327025845/http://railf.jp/news/2017/03/26/204500.html . 27 March 2017. live . 27 March 2017.
    7. Web site: http://news.mynavi.jp/news/2017/04/20/346/ . Ueshin . Daisuke . 20 April 2017 . Mynavi News . Mynavi Corporation . ja . ja:東武スカイツリーライン快速・区間快速ラストラン、300型が最後の定期運行 . Final run for Tobu Skytree Line Rapid and Section Rapid and last regular runs for 300 series . Japan . https://web.archive.org/web/20170427140644/http://news.mynavi.jp/news/2017/04/20/346/ . 27 April 2017 . live . 27 April 2017.