The is a
subway line, part of the
Fukuoka City Subway
The serves Fukuoka, Japan. It consists of three subway lines, the Kūkō, or Airport Line, the Hakozaki Line and the Nanakuma Line).
The lines are operated by the Fukuoka City Transportation Bureau. Unlike most other public operators in Japa ...
system in
Fukuoka
is the sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Yokohama, and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since anc ...
, Japan. It runs from
Hashimoto Station in
Nishi Ward to
Tenjin-Minami Station in
Chūō Ward, all within Fukuoka. The line's color on maps is green. Officially, the line is called . Like other Fukuoka City Subway lines, stations are equipped with
automatic platform gates, and trains are automatically operated by
ATO system.
Overview
The line is long and serves eight stations across four wards in
Fukuoka
is the sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Yokohama, and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since anc ...
. All stations are equipped with
platform screen doors.
Unlike the
Airport Line and the
Hakozaki Line
The is a subway line, which forms part of the Fukuoka City Subway system in the city of Fukuoka, Japan. It connects Nakasu-Kawabata in Hakata Ward with Kaizuka in Higashi Ward, all within Fukuoka. The line's color on maps is blue. Official ...
which both run at , the Nanakuma line runs on standard gauge.
Station numbering for all stations on the Fukuoka City Subway was introduced in March 2011.
Stations
History
This is the fourth
linear motor subway line to be built in Japan, opening on 3 February 2005.
The Nanakuma Line was originally conceived in the 1960s to provide access to
Nakamura Gakuen University and
Fukuoka University
Fukuoka University is a private research university located in Fukuoka, Japan.
The university has nine faculties with a total of around 20,000 students, 800 of whom are foreign. Its two campuses are in Nanakuma and Kitakyushu. Fukuoka Universit ...
, and in 1975 it was planned to run from Tenjin-Minami Station to Jōnan Station as a linear-motored subway, but the plan was subsequently amended for the line to end at Hashimoto Station.
The name for the line was selected in a naming contest.
"Nanakuma Line", which finished third, was selected over the first-place "Jonan Line" and runner-up "Fukudai Line" because of its stronger historical connotations as well as being more geographically accurate compared to the other names. Nanakuma is a district in
Jōnan ward which is close to the center of the line.
The line links the
Central business district and the southwestern part of the city which previously did not have a railway line.
Future Plans
Hakata Station extension
Construction on a extension from Tenjin-Minami to
Hakata station
is a major railway station in Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, Japan. It is the largest and busiest railway terminal in Kyushu, and is a gateway to other cities in Kyushu for travelers coming from Honshu by rail travel. The San'yō Shinkansen from Osaka end ...
via
Canal City received its final planning permissions in 2014. Construction was initially scheduled to be completed by 2020, but delays after a sinkhole opening up in front of JR Hakata Station pushed the schedule up by three years. On 7 January 2021, Fukuoka City announced the planned opening of the extension by March 2023. The city also reported that there were no delays as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The two-station extension is earmarked to begin operation on 27 March 2023.
Fukuoka Airport extension
On 21 November 2022, Fukuoka mayor
Sōichirō Takashima announced plans to extend the Nanakuma line to
Fukuoka Airport
, formerly known as Itazuke Air Base, is an international and domestic airport located east of Hakata Station in Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, Japan.
Fukuoka Airport is the principal airport on the island of Kyushu and is the fourth busiest passenger ...
.
The extension is expected to head east from the (future) terminus at
Hakata Station
is a major railway station in Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, Japan. It is the largest and busiest railway terminal in Kyushu, and is a gateway to other cities in Kyushu for travelers coming from Honshu by rail travel. The San'yō Shinkansen from Osaka end ...
and run for around to the international terminal at the airport. Currently, the domestic terminal at Fukuoka Airport is served by the
Kūkō Line on the subway network. However, the international terminal lacks a rail connection. A free shuttle bus currently connects the two terminals.
Rolling Stock
The line currently employs four-car long 3000 series trains purchsed in 2005 for the start of revenue service. There are 17 sets accounting for 68 cars.
A further four sets were ordered in 2021. These sets, designated as 3000A series, will feature a blue and green livery and are intended for an increase in service when the Nanakuma Line is extended from to , scheduled to open in 2023.
See also
*
List of railway lines in Japan
References
External links
Fukuoka City Subway official website
* Hitachi
Linear-Motor Subways : The Future of Urban Mass Transit
{{Fukuoka transit
Fukuoka City Subway
Railway lines opened in 2005
Linear motor metros
Standard gauge railways in Japan
2005 establishments in Japan