Tobu Isesaki Line

Last updated
Tobu Isesaki Line
TI
Tobu-Series200 Ryomo.jpg
Tobu Railway 200 series
Overview
Native name東武伊勢崎線
Owner Tobu Railway
Locale Kantō
Termini
Stations26
Website https://www.tobu.co.jp/en/
Service
Type Commuter rail
Depot(s)Tatebayashi
Daily ridership843,495 (2010) [1]
History
Opened27 August 1899;124 years ago (1899-08-27)
Technical
Line length73.5 km (45.7 mi)
Track gauge 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification 1,500 V DC
Operating speed110 km/h (68 mph)
Route map

Contents

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Station
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Through trains destination
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0.0
Asakusa
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Arrow Blue Down 001.jpeg Tobu Skytree Line
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BSicon STR.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon HST.svg
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41.0
Tōbu Dōbutsu Kōen
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Arrow Blue Left 001.jpeg Tōbu Nikkō Line
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43.9
Wado
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47.7
Kuki
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52.1
Washinomiya
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54.8
Hanasaki
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58.5
Kazo
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63.1
Minami-Hanyū
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66.2
Hanyū
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70.5
Kawamata
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72.4
Morinji-mae
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74.6
Tatebayashi
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78.6
Tatara
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81.8
Agata
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83.9
Fukui
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85.1
Tōbu-Izumi
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86.8
Ashikagashi
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88.5
Yashū-yamabe
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91.8
Niragawa
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Tōbu Koizumi Line Arrow Blue Right 001.jpeg
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94.7
Ōta
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97.8
Hosoya
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101.2
Kizaki
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104.1
Serada
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106.3
Sakaimachi
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110.0
Gōshi
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113.3
Shin-Isesaki
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114.5
Isesaki

The Tobu Isesaki Line (東武伊勢崎線, Tōbu Isesaki-sen) 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 41.0 km (25.5 mi) 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: TatebayashiIsesaki 39.9 km (24.8 mi)
double: the rest

Operation

Service patterns

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

Local (普通, Futsū) (announced as Kakueki Teisha (各駅停車) or kakutei (各停) for short) (L)
  • Tōbu-Dōbutsu-Kōen − Ōta. Connection with Express. Three per hour, with one between Kuki and Tatebayashi.
  • Ōta − Isesaki. One per hour per direction, conductorless.
Section Semi-Express (区間準急, Kukan Junkyū)(SSE)
Between Asakusa and Tōbu-Dōbutsu Kōen, Kuki or Minami-Kurihashi on Nikkō Line.
Semi-Express (準急, Junkyū)(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.
Section Express (区間急行, Kukan Kyūkō)(SE)
Between Asakusa and Tōbu-Dōbutsu-Kōen, Tatebayashi or Ōta.
Express (急行, Kyūkō)(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.
Limited Express (特急, Tokkyū)(LE)
Stops not shown for now. Charged for seat reservation and rapid service. Mainly through to the Nikkō Line for the Nikko area named Kegon (けごん) and Kinu (きぬ). Some through to Isesaki from Asakusa, sole direct service named Ryōmō (りょうもう). The 70090 Series Services runs through to Ebisu from Kuki, Home liner service named TH Liner.

Stations

No.StationLSSESmESEExTransfersLocation
TS30 Tōbu-Dōbutsu-Kōen 東武動物公園OO
*1
O
*2
O
*1
O
*2
Miyashiro Saitama
TI01 Wado 和戸OOOOO
TI02 Kuki 久喜OOOOOJU Utsunomiya Line Kuki
TI03 Washinomiya 鷲宮OO O 
TI04 Hanasaki 花崎OOO Kazo
TI05 Kazo 加須OOO
TI06 Minami-Hanyū 南羽生OOO Hanyū
TI07 Hanyū 羽生OOO Chichibu Main Line
TI08 Kawamata 川俣OOO Meiwa Gunma
TI09 Morinji-mae 茂林寺前OOO Tatebayashi
TI10 Tatebayashi 館林OOO
TI11 Tatara 多々良O  
TI12 Agata O Ashikaga Tochigi
TI13 Fukui 福居O
TI14 Tōbu-Izumi 東武和泉O
TI15 Ashikagashi 足利市O
TI16 Yashū-yamabe 野州山辺O
TI17 Niragawa 韮川O Ōta Gunma
TI18 Ōta 太田O
TI19 Hosoya 細谷O
TI20 Kizaki 木崎O
TI21 Serada 世良田O
TI22 Sakaimachi 境町O Isesaki
TI23 Gōshi 剛志O
TI24 Shin-Isesaki 新伊勢崎O
TI25 Isesaki 伊勢崎O Ryomo Line

Rolling stock

Current

Former

History

Overview of the original Asakusa Station terminus (present-day Tokyo Skytree Station) in 1927 Asakusa Station 1927.jpg
Overview of the original Asakusa Station terminus (present-day Tokyo Skytree Station) in 1927
An up express service on the Tobu Isesaki Line formed of a 4-car EMU in March 1940 Tobu Isesaki Line 194003.jpg
An up express service on the Tobu Isesaki Line formed of a 4-car EMU in March 1940

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 was begun in 1924 on the section of Asakusa and Nishiarai, and in 1927 completed as far as Isesaki. The distance of over 100 km (62 mi) 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.

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References

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

  1. Tobu ridership in 2010 Train Media (sourced from Tobu) Retrieved May 28, 2012.