Tsukuba Express

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Tsukuba Express
Tsukuba Express logo.svg
Tsukuba-Express-TX-2000.jpg
A Tsukuba Express train (TX-2000 series)
Overview
Native nameつくばエクスプレス
StatusIn operation
Owner Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company
Locale Kanto Region
Termini Akihabara
Tsukuba
Stations20
Service
Type Commuter rail
Operator(s)Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company
Depot(s)Moriya
Rolling stock TX-1000 series / TX-2000 series / TX-3000 series
Daily ridership431,060 (daily 2015) [1]
History
Opened24 August 2005
Technical
Line length58.3 km (36.2 mi)
CharacterUrban
Track gauge 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification 1,500 V DC overhead catenary (Akihabara–Moriya)
20 kV AC, 50 Hz (Moriya–Tsukuba)
Operating speed130 km/h (81 mph)

(video) Tsukuba Express line train

The Tsukuba Express (つくばエクスプレス, Tsukuba Ekusupuresu), or TX, is a Japanese railway line operated by the third-sector company Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company, which links Akihabara Station in Chiyoda, Tokyo and Tsukuba Station in Tsukuba, Ibaraki. The route was inaugurated on 24 August 2005. [2]

Contents

History

Platform level of Tsukuba Station TX Tsukuba Station platforms - 2020 11 23 various 18 32 42 433000.jpeg
Platform level of Tsukuba Station

The Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company (首都圏新都市鉄道株式会社, Shuto-ken Shin Toshi Tetsudō Kabushiki-gaisha) was founded on 15 March 1991 to construct the Tsukuba Express, which was then provisionally called the Jōban New Line (常磐新線, Jōban Shinsen). The new line was planned to relieve crowding on the Jōban Line operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East), which had reached the limit of its capacity. However, with the economic downturn in Japan, the goal shifted to development along the line. This was facilitated by the enactment of the Special Measures Law in September 1989 which allowed the expedition of large housing projects as well as the expansion and construction of new and existing railway lines. [2]

During the early stages of construction, the construction company (Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency, or JRTT) as well as associated keiretsu and associates in the public sector purchased land situated on the alignment of the route. Eventually, all the lots would be joined continuously, completed or not, and their ownership transferred to the eventual railway operator, MIRC. [2] Construction of all stations were centered around the theme of universal design. [2]

Also, the initial plan called for a line from Tokyo Station to Moriya, but expenses forced the planners to start the line at Akihabara instead of Tokyo Station, and pressure from the government of Ibaraki Prefecture resulted in moving the extension from Moriya to Tsukuba into Phase I of the construction.

The original schedule called for the line to begin operating in 2000, but delays in construction pushed the opening date to summer 2005. The line eventually opened on 24 August 2005.

From the start of the revised timetable on 15 October 2012, new "Commuter rapid" (通勤快速, tsūkin kaisoku) services were introduced in the morning (inbound services) and evening (outbound services) peak periods. [3]

In September 2013, a number of municipalities along the Tsukuba Express line in Ibaraki Prefecture submitted a proposal to complete the extension of the line to Tokyo Station at the same time as a new airport-to-airport line proposed as part of infrastructure improvements for the 2020 Summer Olympics. [4]

The line made worldwide news in November 2017 when an apology was issued by Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company due to a train departing 20 seconds earlier than scheduled. [5]

Driving

The Tsukuba Express is operated as a one-man train. The driver opens and closes the doors manually, but the operation is automatic. (ATO : Automatic Train Operation) The line has a top speed of 130 km/h (81 mph). The Rapid service has reduced the time required for the trip from Akihabara to Tsukuba from the previous 1 hour 30 minutes (by the Jōban Line, arriving in Tsuchiura, about 15 km from Tsukuba) or 70 minutes (by bus, under optimal traffic conditions) to 45 minutes. From Tokyo, the trip takes 50–55 minutes. The line has no level crossings.

Electrification and rolling stock

To prevent interference with the geomagnetic measurements of the Japan Meteorological Agency at its laboratory in Ishioka, the portion of the line from Moriya to Tsukuba operates on alternating current. As a result, three train models are used on the line; TX-1000 series DC-only trains, which can operate only between Akihabara and Moriya, TX-2000 series and TX-3000 series dual-voltage AC/DC trains, both of which can operate over the entire line. [6]

Volume production of the line's initial rolling stock began in January 2004, following the completion in March 2003 of two (TX-1000 and TX-2000 series) six-car trains for trial operation and training. The full fleet of 84 TX-1000s (14 six-car trains) and 96 TX-2000s (16 six-car trains) was delivered by January 2005. New TX-3000 series trains built by Hitachi Rail entered service on 14 March 2020.

Operation

Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company offers four types of train services on the Tsukuba Express:

Overview of service patterns on the Tsukuba Express Shou Du Quan Xin Du Shi Tie Dao tsukubaekusupuresu Ting Che Yi An Nei Tu .svg
Overview of service patterns on the Tsukuba Express

Station list

Trains stop at stations marked "●" and skip stations marked "|".

During the morning rush hour on weekdays, Semi Rapid trains bound for Akihabara make an additional stop at Rokuchō (marked "▲").

No.Station nameDistance Elec. LocalSemi-RapidCommuter
Rapid		RapidTransfersLocation
JapaneseEnglishWard / CityPrefecture
TX01秋葉原 Akihabara 0.0 km (0 mi) DC ●●●●
 Chiyoda Tokyo
TX02新御徒町 Shin-Okachimachi 1.6 km (0.99 mi)●●●● Subway TokyoOedo.png Toei Oedo Line (E-10) Taitō
TX03浅草 Asakusa 3.1 km (1.9 mi)●●●● Subway TokyoGinza.png Tokyo Metro Ginza Line (at Tawaramachi (G-18))
TX04南千住 Minami-Senju 5.6 km (3.5 mi)●●●●JJ Joban Line (Rapid)
Subway TokyoHibiya.png Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line (H-21)		 Arakawa
TX05北千住 Kita-Senju 7.5 km (4.7 mi)●●●●
 Adachi
TX06青井 Aoi 10.6 km (6.6 mi)●|||
TX07六町 Rokuchō 12.0 km (7.5 mi)●▲●|
TX08八潮 Yashio 15.6 km (9.7 mi)●●●| Yashio Saitama
TX09三郷中央 Misato-chūō 19.3 km (12.0 mi)●●|| Misato
TX10南流山 Minami-Nagareyama 22.1 km (13.7 mi)●●●●JM Musashino Line Nagareyama Chiba
TX11流山セントラルパーク Nagareyama-centralpark 24.3 km (15.1 mi)●|||
TX12流山おおたかの森 Nagareyama-ōtakanomori 26.5 km (16.5 mi)●●●●TD Tobu Urban Park Line
TX13柏の葉キャンパス Kashiwanoha-campus 30.0 km (18.6 mi)●●●| Kashiwa
TX14柏たなか Kashiwa-Tanaka 32.0 km (19.9 mi)●|||
TX15守谷 Moriya 37.7 km (23.4 mi)●●●●■ Jōsō Line Moriya Ibaraki
TX16みらい平 Miraidaira 44.3 km (27.5 mi) AC ●●|| Tsukubamirai
TX17みどりの Midorino 48.6 km (30.2 mi)●●|| Tsukuba
TX18万博記念公園 Bampaku-kinenkōen 51.8 km (32.2 mi)●●||
TX19研究学園 Kenkyū-gakuen 55.6 km (34.5 mi)●●●|
TX20つくば Tsukuba 58.3 km (36.2 mi)●●●●

Ridership figures

Fiscal yearPassengers carried
(in millions)		Days operatedPassengers per daySource
200534.69220150,000 [7]
200670.69365195,000
200784.85366234,000
200893.21365258,000
200997.79365270,300 [8]
2010102.22365283,000 [9]
2011104.89366290,000 [10]
2012110.66365306,000 [11]
2013118.22365323,900 [12]
2014118.84365325,600 [13]
2015124.14365340,100 [14]
2016129.64366354,200 [15]
2017135.12365370,200 [16]

See also

Related Research Articles

Akihabara Station Railway and metro station in Tokyo, Japan

Akihabara Station is a railway station in Tokyo's Chiyoda ward. It is at the center of the Akihabara shopping district specializing in electronic goods.

The Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company is a third-sector railway operating company in Japan. It was established on 15 March 1991 to construct the 58.3 km Tsukuba Express commuter railway line from Akihabara in Tokyo to Tsukuba in Ibaraki Prefecture. The Tsukuba Express line was opened on 24 August 2005.

Sōbu Line (Rapid)

The Sōbu Line (Rapid) is a railway service on the Sōbu Main Line in Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company. It connects Tokyo Station in Chūō, Tokyo with Chiba Station in Chūō-ku, Chiba via the cities of Ichikawa, Funabashi, and Narashino.

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TX-1000 series Japanese train type

The TX-1000 series (TX-1000系) is an electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by the Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company on the Tsukuba Express line in the Kantō region of Japan since 2005. A total of 84 cars were delivered.

TX-2000 series Japanese train type

The TX-2000 series (TX-2000系) is a dual-voltage electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by the Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company on the Tsukuba Express line in the Kanto region of Japan since 2005.

Yashio Station Railway station in Yashio, Saitama Prefecture, Japan

Yashio Station is a passenger railway station located in the city of Yashio, Saitama, Japan, operated by the Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company. Its station number is TX08.

Minami-Nagareyama Station Railway station in Nagareyama, Chiba Prefecture, Japan

Minami-Nagareyama Station is an interchange passenger railway station in the city of Nagareyama, Chiba, Japan, operated by both East Japan Railway Company and the third-sector railway operating company Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company. The station is number 10 on the Tsukuba Express line.

Higashi-Yamatoshi Station Railway station in Higashiyamato, Tokyo, Japan

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Moriya Station Railway station in Moriya, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan

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TX-3000 series Japanese train type

The TX-3000 series (TX-3000系) is a dual-voltage electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by the Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company on the Tsukuba Express line in the Kanto region of Japan.

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References

  1. ↑ "平成27年 大都市交通センサス 首都圈報告書" (PDF). P.93. 国土交通省. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 August 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Yamada, Kazunobu (December 2005). "Tsukuba Express – Introduction to Stations" (PDF). Japan Railway & Transport Review. 42: 50–59. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 March 2017 – via East Japan Railway Culture Foundation.
  3. ↑ 10月15日(月)にダイヤ改正を実施いたします。 [15 October Timetable Revision]. News Release (in Japanese). Japan: Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company. 26 July 2012. Archived from the original on 30 July 2012. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
  4. ↑ "ＴＸ東京駅延伸で茨城の沿線自治体市議会が意見書". 日本経済新聞. 21 September 2013. Archived from the original on 24 August 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
  5. ↑ "Apology after Japanese train departs 20 seconds early". 16 November 2017. Archived from the original on 16 November 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  6. ↑ Barrow, Keith (12 June 2018). "Hitachi to supply extra trains for Tsukuba Express". railjournal.com. Simmons-Boardman Publishing. Archived from the original on 29 October 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  7. ↑ "開業３周年を迎えるつくばエクスプレス（ＴＸ）" (Tsukuba Express Celebrates its 3rd Anniversary). Tetsudō Daiya Jōhō Magazine, August 2008 issue, p.63
  8. ↑ 平成21年度 輸送実績のお知らせ [Transportation Figures for 2009](PDF). News Release (in Japanese). Japan: Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company. 25 May 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
  9. ↑ 首都圏新都市鉄道（株）の平成22年度営業実績 [Business Performance of Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company for 2010](PDF). News Release (in Japanese). Japan: Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company. 6 June 2011. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
  10. ↑ 首都圏新都市鉄道(株)の平成２３年度営業実績 [Business Performance of Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company for 2011](PDF). News Release (in Japanese). Japan: Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company. 4 June 2012. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 November 2013. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
  11. ↑ 平成２４年度営業実績 [Business Performance for 2012]. News Release (in Japanese). Japan: Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company. 7 June 2013. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
  12. ↑ 平成２５年度営業実績 [Business Performance for 2013]. News Release (in Japanese). Japan: Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company. 6 June 2014. Archived from the original on 3 July 2014. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
  13. ↑ 平成２6年度営業実績 [Business Performance for 2014]. News Release (in Japanese). Japan: Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company. 2 June 2015. Archived from the original on 18 June 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
  14. ↑ 2015年度営業実績 [Business Performance for 2015]. News Release (in Japanese). Japan: Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company. 8 June 2016. Archived from the original on 15 August 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  15. ↑ 2016年度営業実績 [Business Performance for 2016]. News Release (in Japanese). Japan: Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company. 1 June 2017. Archived from the original on 15 August 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  16. ↑ 2017年度営業実績 [Business Performance for 2017]. News Release (in Japanese). Japan: Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company. 3 June 2018. Archived from the original on 15 August 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
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