Toei Ōedo Line

Toei Ōedo Line
A Toei 12-600 series train on the Ōedo Line
Overview
Other name(s)	E
Native name	大江戸線
Owner	Toei Subway
Line number	12
Locale	Tokyo
Termini	Shinjuku-Nishiguchi Hikarigaoka
Stations	38
Color on map	Ruby (#b6007a)   Magenta (#8B008B)
Service
Type	Rapid transit
System	Tokyo subway
Operator(s)	Toei Subway
Depot(s)	Kiba
Rolling stock	Toei 12-000 and Toei 12-600 series
Daily ridership	933,621 (2016) [1]
History
Opened	10 December 1991;31 years ago (1991-12-10) (First section) 12 December 2000;22 years ago (2000-12-12) (Entire line)
Technical
Line length	40.7 km (25.3 mi)
Number of tracks	Double-track
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge with linear induction motor between
Minimum radius	100 m (330 ft)
Electrification	1,500 V DC (overhead line)
Operating speed	70 km/h (43 mph)
Signalling	Cab signalling, Closed block
Train protection system	New CS-ATC, ATO
Maximum incline	5.0%
Route map Legend km 0.0 Tochomae 0.8 Shinjuku-nishiguchi Seibu Shinjuku Line 2.2 Higashi-shinjuku F Fukutoshin Line 3.2 Wakamatsu-kawada 3.8 Ushigome-yanagicho 4.8 Ushigome-kagurazaka N Namboku Line JR Chūō-Sōbu Line 5.8 Iidabashi T Tozai Line Y Yūrakuchō Line JR Chūō-Sōbu Line N Namboku Line 6.8 Kasuga I Mita Line N Namboku Line (at Korakuen ) M Marunouchi Line (at Korakuen) 7.6 Hongo-sanchome M Marunouchi Line 8.7 Ueno-okachimachi G Ginza Line (at Ueno-hirokoji) H Hibiya Line (at Naka-okachimachi) JR Yamanote Line (at Okachimachi) JR Keihin-Tōhoku Line (at Okachimachi) Tsukuba Express 9.5 Shin-okachimachi Tsukuba Express 10.5 Kuramae A Asakusa Line 11.7 Ryogoku JR Chūō-Sōbu Line 12.7 Morishita Toei Shinjuku Line 13.3 Kiyosumi-shirakawa Z Hanzōmon Line Kiba depot 14.5 Monzen-nakacho T Tozai Line 15.9 Tsukishima Y Yūrakuchō Line 16.7 Kachidoki 18.2 Tsukijishijo 19.1 Shiodome Yurikamome Line JR Yamanote Line (at Hamamatsuchō) JR Keihin-Tōhoku Line (at Hamamatsuchō) Tokyo Monorail (at Hamamatsuchō) 20.0 Daimon 'A Asakusa Line 21.3 Akabanebashi 22.1 Azabu-juban N Namboku Line 23.2 Roppongi H Hibiya Line 24.5 Aoyama-itchome Z Hanzōmon Line G Ginza Line JR Chūō-Sōbu Line (at Sendagaya) 25.7 Kokuritsu-kyogijo JR Yamanote Line / JR Shōnan-Shinjuku Line 27.2 Yoyogi JR Saikyō Line 27.8 Shinjuku M Marunouchi Line S Shinjuku Line thoroughfare to Keio New Line Odakyu Odawara Line Seibu Shinjuku Line Keio Line JR Saikyo Line JR Yamanote Line JR Chūō-Sōbu Line 28.6 Tochomae 29.4 Nishi-shinjuku-gochome 30.6 Nakano-sakaue Marunouchi Line Marunouchi Branch Line 31.6 Higashi-nakano JR Chūō-Sōbu Line 32.4 Nakai Seibu Shinjuku Line 33.7 Ochiai-minami-nagasaki 35.3 Shin-egota 36.9 Nerima Seibu Ikebukuro Line 37.8 Toshimaen 39.3 Nerima-kasugacho 40.7 Hikarigaoka

The Toei Ōedo Line (都営地下鉄大江戸線, Toei Chikatetsu Ōedo-sen) is a subway line in Tokyo, Japan, operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation (Toei). It commenced full operations on December 12, 2000; using the Japanese calendar this reads "12/12/12" as the year 2000 equals Heisei 12. The line is completely underground, making it the second-longest railway tunnel in Japan after the Seikan Tunnel.

On maps and signboards, the line is shown in magenta. Stations carry the letter "E" followed by a two-digit number inside a more pinkish ruby circle.

Overview

The Ōedo Line is the first Tokyo subway line to use linear motor propulsion (and the second in Japan after the Osaka Metro Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi Line), which allows it to use smaller cars and smaller tunnels (a benefit similarly achieved by the Advanced Rapid Transit system manufactured by Bombardier). This technology, though, is incompatible with other railway and subway lines, which can only operate with vehicles utilizing conventional rotary motors, thus preventing Ōedo Line trains from operating through services onto them. Although vehicles with rotary motor propulsion can technically operate on the Ōedo Line, its smaller tunnels and loading gauge prevents such occurrences, hence making the Ōedo Line the first self-enclosed subway line in Tokyo in over 40 years, and the first such line operated by Toei.

The line is deep (as low as 48 metres (157 ft) below ground at points) through central Tokyo, including three underground crossings of the Sumida River. Originally budgeted at ¥682.6 billion and 6 years, the construction ended up taking nearly 10 years and estimates of the final cost of construction range from the official ¥988.6 billion to over ¥1,400 billion yen, making it the most expensive subway line ever built. ^[2] (Yokohama's Minato Mirai Line, however, was even costlier if measured per kilometer.)

Ridership projections originally estimated 1 million users daily, a figure scaled down to 820,000 before opening. At the end of 2006, the line was averaging 720,000 passengers/day. ^[3] However, its ridership has increased by about five percent each year since its opening, following new commercial and residential development around major stations such as Roppongi and Shiodome. According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation, as of June 2009 the Ōedo Line was the fourth most crowded subway line in Tokyo, at its peak running at 178% ^[a] capacity between Monzen-Nakachō and Tsukishima stations. ^[4]

There are plans to extend the Ōedo Line westward from its current western terminus at Hikarigaoka Station through to a new terminus in Ōizumigakuenchō, 1.5 km (0.93 mi) north of Ōizumi-gakuen Station (on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line) then later towards Higashi-Tokorozawa Station (on the Musashino Line). Construction of the first segment to Ōizumigakuenchō is tentatively scheduled for before 2015, and will include the construction of three new stations, temporarily named Doshida station, Ōizumichō station and Ōizumigakuenchō station. ^[5] Following the awarding of the 2020 Summer Olympics to Tokyo, there has been speculation regarding the addition of another 2.7 km (1.7 mi) to the proposed extension in order to extend the line to Niiza where the shooting range for the Olympics is to be located. A decision regarding this matter is expected in 2015. ^[6]

Services

The Ōedo Line runs in a loop around central Tokyo before branching out towards Nerima in the western suburbs, meaning the line is shaped like a figure 6 lying on its side. It is not a true loop line: trains from the western Hikarigaoka terminus run anticlockwise around the loop and terminate at the intermediate Tochōmae Station facing towards Hikarigaoka, and vice versa. The arrangement is very much like the London Underground Circle Line since 2009, but does not share any track segments with other lines.

The full 40.7 km (25.3 mi) trip from Tochōmae around the loop and onward to Hikarigaoka takes 81 minutes. Trains operate once every three to five minutes during rush hours, and once every six minutes during off-peak weekday hours, weekends and holidays. ^[7]

Noise complaints

The Ōedo line is one of the noisiest train lines in the world, with decibel levels reaching 90 decibels frequently along the line. ^[8] However, since the Covid-19 outbreak, noise levels have reached to over 105 decibels. The train line's President insists that infection is a bigger priority [than hearing damage], and therefore the train's windows were opened to create more ventilation, which caused a number of complaints. As of April 2023, the train line had still not resolved to close the windows for fears related to Covid-19 infection. ^[9] Reasons behind the Ōedo line's noise is due to the way it was built, with tight curves and small tunnels to save on costs. ^[10]

Station list

All stations are located in Tokyo.

No.	Station	Japanese	Distance (km)		Transfers	Location
			Between stations	From E-28
E28	Tochomae	都庁前	-	0.0	E Toei Oedo Line (for Hikarigaoka and Roppongi)	Shinjuku
E01	Shinjuku-nishiguchi	新宿西口	0.8	0.8	M Marunouchi Line (M-08) JC Chūō Line (Rapid) JB Chūō-Sōbu Line JY Yamanote Line JA Saikyō Line JS Shōnan-Shinjuku Line OH Odakyu Odawara Line KO Keio Line KO Keio New Line Seibu Shinjuku Line
E02	Higashi-shinjuku	東新宿	1.4	2.2	F Fukutoshin Line (F-12)
E03	Wakamatsu-kawada	若松河田	1.0	3.2
E04	Ushigome-yanagicho	牛込柳町	0.6	3.8
E05	Ushigome-kagurazaka	牛込神楽坂	1.0	4.8
E06	Iidabashi	飯田橋	1.0	5.8	T Tozai Line (T-06) Y Yūrakuchō Line (Y-13) N Namboku Line (N-10) JB Chūō-Sōbu Line	Bunkyō
E07	Kasuga	春日	1.0	6.8	I Mita Line (I-12) M Marunouchi Line (Korakuen : M-22) N Namboku Line (Korakuen: N-11)
E08	Hongō-sanchōme	本郷三丁目	0.8	7.6	M Marunouchi Line (M-21)
E09	Ueno-okachimachi	上野御徒町	1.1	8.7	G Ginza Line (Ueno-hirokoji: G-15) H Hibiya Line (Naka-okachimachi: H-17) JY Yamanote Line JK Keihin-Tōhoku Line (Okachimachi)	Taitō
E10	Shin-okachimachi	新御徒町	0.8	9.5	Tsukuba Express (02)
E11	Kuramae	蔵前	1.0	10.5	A Asakusa Line (A-17)
E12	Ryōgoku	両国	1.2	11.7	JB Chūō-Sōbu Line	Sumida
E13	Morishita	森下	1.0	12.7	S Shinjuku Line (S-11)	Kōtō
E14	Kiyosumi-shirakawa	清澄白河	0.6	13.3	Z Hanzōmon Line (Z-11)
E15	Monzen-nakacho	門前仲町	1.2	14.5	T Tozai Line (T-12)
E16	Tsukishima	月島	1.4	15.9	Y Yurakucho Line (Y-21)	Chūō
E17	Kachidoki	勝どき	0.8	16.7
E18	Tsukijishijō	築地市場	1.5	18.2
E19	Shiodome	汐留	0.9	19.1	Yurikamome (U-02)	Minato
E20	Daimon	大門	0.9	20.0	A Toei Asakusa Line (A-09) JY Yamanote Line JK Keihin-Tōhoku Line (Hamamatsuchō) MO Tokyo Monorail
E21	Akabanebashi	赤羽橋	1.3	21.3
E22	Azabu-juban	麻布十番	0.8	22.1	N Namboku Line (N-04)
E23	Roppongi	六本木	1.1	23.2	H Hibiya Line (H-04)
E24	Aoyama-itchōme	青山一丁目	1.3	24.5	G Ginza Line (G-04) Z Hanzomon Line (Z-03)
E25	Kokuritsu-Kyōgijō	国立競技場	1.2	25.7	JB Chūō-Sōbu Line (Sendagaya)	Shinjuku
E26	Yoyogi	代々木	1.5	27.2	JB Chūō-Sōbu Line JY Yamanote Line	Shibuya
E27	Shinjuku	新宿	0.6	27.8	S Toei Shinjuku Line (S-01) JC Chūō Line (Rapid) JB Chūō-Sōbu Line JY Yamanote Line JA Saikyō Line JS Shōnan-Shinjuku Line OH Odakyu Odawara Line KO Keio Line KO Keio New Line
E28	Tochomae	都庁前	0.8	28.6	E Toei Ōedo Line (for Iidabashi)	Shinjuku
E29	Nishi-shinjuku-gochome	西新宿五丁目	0.8	29.4
E30	Nakano-sakaue	中野坂上	1.2	30.6	MMb Marunouchi Line (M-06)	Nakano
E31	Higashi-Nakano	東中野	1.0	31.6	JB Chūō-Sōbu Line
E32	Nakai	中井	0.8	32.4	Seibu Shinjuku Line	Shinjuku
E33	Ochiai-minami-nagasaki	落合南長崎	1.3	33.7
E34	Shin-egota	新江古田	1.6	35.3		Nakano
E35	Nerima	練馬	1.6	36.9	Seibu Ikebukuro Line Seibu Yurakucho Line Seibu Toshima Line	Nerima
E36	Toshimaen	豊島園	0.9	37.8	Seibu Toshima Line
E37	Nerima-kasugachō	練馬春日町	1.5	39.3
E38	Hikarigaoka	光が丘	1.4	40.7

Rolling stock

An Oedo Line 12-000 series trainset

• Toei 12-000 series 8-car EMU trainsets
• Toei 12-600 series 8-car EMU trainsets

Oedo Line trains are housed and maintained at the Kiba depot, located underneath Kiba Park to the southeast of Kiyosumi-Shirakawa Station. Prior to the completion of the Oedo Line loop in 2000, servicing was performed at a depot near Hikarigaoka Station.

Major overhaul work for Oedo Line trains is performed at the Magome depot, located south of Nishi-Magome Station on the Toei Asakusa Line. Oedo Line trains access this facility using a connecting tunnel to the Asakusa Line near Shiodome Station. Because of differences in infrastructure and technology used preventing trains on either line from accessing the other, a special Toei Class E5000 locomotive powers these ferry runs during overnight hours when the subway is closed.

History

The Ōedo Line was first proposed in 1968 as an incomplete loop line from Shinjuku around northern and eastern Tokyo to Azabu. This plan was amended in 1972 to complete the loop back to Shinjuku, extend it to Hikarigaoka and add a spur line to Mejiro from the northern side. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government undertook construction of the line, which was initially called Toei Line 12 (都営地下鉄12号線, Toei Chikatetsu Jūnigō-sen).

The first segment from Hikarigaoka to Nerima began operations on 10 December 1991. The line was extended from Nerima to Shinjuku on 19 December 1997, and later from Shinjuku to Kokuritsu-Kyōgijō on 20 April 2000.

With this extension, Shintaro Ishihara, the governor of Tokyo, named the line "Toei Oedo Line", where Oedo literally means "Great Edo", a reference to Tokyo's former name. As was the case with earlier lines, the public was initially polled to select a name; however, Ishihara rejected the chosen name, Tokyo Loop Line (東京環状線, Tōkyō Kanjō-sen), on the grounds that it would not initially form a complete loop, and that calling it such would cause confusion with the Yamanote Line and the Osaka Loop Line.

The full line began operation on 12 December 2000. An additional station (Shiodome Station) was opened on 2 November 2002 to connect to the Yurikamome guideway transit line. Following the addition of Shiodome, the automated announcements in the trains were changed to advertise businesses and facilities near each station, a first in Tokyo (although this was already the practice on the municipal subways of Osaka and Nagoya).

Future plans

Starting on 18 January 2023, car 4 on all services on the Oedo line were designated as a women-only car in a bid by the railway operator to reduce sexual assaults onboard trains. ^[11] The restriction is in effect during the morning peak hour.

Notes

a. ^ Crowding levels defined by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism: ^{[12] [13]}

100% — Commuters have enough personal space and are able to take a seat or stand while holding onto the straps or hand rails.

150% — Commuters have enough personal space to read a newspaper.

180% — Commuters must fold newspapers to read.

200% — Commuters are pressed against each other in each compartment but can still read small magazines.

250% — Commuters are pressed against each other, unable to move.

See also

• Tokyo portal

• List of railway lines in Japan
• London Underground Circle Line , Bangkok MRT Blue Line and Hamburg U3, three metro lines with similar arrangements

References

1. 東京都交通局ホーム - 経営情報 - 交通局の概要 - 都営地下鉄 [Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation Home - Management Information - Overview of the Department of Transportation - Toei Subway] (in Japanese). 東京都交通局 [Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation]. April 1, 2015. Retrieved 2016-01-17.
2. 都営12号線（大江戸線）環状部事業の評価（総括表） Archived 2006-05-17 at the Wayback Machine , Toei
3. "東京都交通局,都営地下鉄,各駅乗降人員一覧". 東京都交通局.
4. Metropolis , "Commute", June 12, 2009, p. 07. Archived October 9, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Capacity is defined as all passengers having a seat or a strap or door railing to hold on to.
5. "Moving Towards the Early Stages of Ōedo line extension" (PDF). www.kotsu.metro.tokyo.jp. March 2012. Retrieved 2013-08-02.
6. 地下鉄１２号・都営大江戸線:延伸、五輪特需に期待 射撃会場予定地、スムーズに移動 ／埼玉 [Subway line 12 extension, to serve the expected exceptional demands for the Olympics. To assist the movement of people to the proposed shooting range/Saitama] (in Japanese). Mainichi Shimbun. September 11, 2013. Retrieved 2013-09-22.
7. "平成２１年度東京都高速電車事業会計決算審査意見書" (PDF).
8. "Japan masters the art of noise". 3 December 2002.
9. "コロナ禍で地下鉄大江戸線の車内が「騒々しい工場内」レベルの音になる理由（Aera）".
10. "The Sound of the Most Annoying Metro in Tokyo". 8 June 2022.
11. "都営地下鉄大江戸線に女性専用車…平日朝ラッシュ時の4号車 2023年1月18日から" [Women-only car on the Toei Oedo Line: 4th car during the morning rush hour on weekdays From 18 January 2023]. Response Automotive Media (in Japanese). 27 November 2022. Archived from the original on 26 November 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
12. "混雑率の推移".
13. Kikuchi, Daisuke (6 July 2017). "Tokyo plans new effort to ease commuter hell on rush-hour trains". The Japan Times . Archived from the original on 6 July 2017.

External links

• Toei Transportation Information