The is an underground

rapid transit Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known as heavy rail or metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. A rapid transit system that primarily or traditionally runs below the surface may be c ...

line in

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...

, Japan, operated by

Osaka Metro The is a major rapid transit system in the Osaka Metropolitan Area of Japan, operated by the Osaka Metro Company, Ltd. It serves the city of Osaka and the adjacent municipalities of Higashiosaka, Kadoma, Moriguchi, Sakai, Suita, and Yao. O ...

. The line connects Umeda, Hommachi, Yotsubashi, Namba, Daikokuchō and Suminoe, and runs parallel to the

Midōsuji Line The is a rapid transit line in Osaka, Japan, operated by Osaka Metro. Constructed under Midōsuji, a major north-south street, it is the oldest line in the Osaka subway system and the second oldest in Japan, following the Tokyo Metro Ginza Lin ...

from Daikokuchō to Nishi-Umeda. Its official name is , while the

Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau (大阪市交通局, ''Ōsaka-shi Kōtsū-kyoku'') was the public department of transportation of the city of Osaka, Japan that existed from 1903 to 2018. It operated the municipal subway lines, the New Tram, a ...

refers to it as , and in Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport publications, it is written as . Station numbers are indicated by the letter Y.

Overview

The Yotsubashi Line runs in a north and south direction. connecting the Osaka Metro Nankō Port Town Line at Suminoekōen Station. At first, it was a branch of the

Osaka Metro Midōsuji Line is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2 ...

, branching off at

Daikokuchō Station is a railway station on the Osaka Metro in Shikitsu-higashi Sanchome, Naniwa-ku, Osaka, Japan. Lines * ** (Station Number: M21) **(Station Number: Y16) While Midōsuji and Yotsubashi lines are connected at several stations, Daikokuchō is the ...

but was extended north to

Nishi-Umeda Station is the terminus railway station of the Osaka Metro Yotsubashi Line in Umeda, Kita-ku, Osaka, Japan, close to Herbis OSAKA and Herbis ENT operated by Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd. and the two Hilton Plazas. Connecting lines from Nishi-Umeda ...

and made a separate line. This new section of the Yotsubashi Line takes a more direct routing to Nishi-Umeda running only 300-400m west of the Midosuji Line.

History

*10 May 1942 – Daikokuchō – Hanazonochō (opening) *Construction stopped during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. *1 June 1956 – Hanazonochō – Kishinosato (opening) *31 May 1958 – Kishinosato – Tamade (opening) *1 October 1965 – Daikokuchō – Nishi-Umeda (opening) *9 November 1972 – Tamade – Suminoekōen (opening)

Future plans

A northward extension to

Jūsō Station is a railway station in Jūsō, Yodogawa-ku, Osaka, Japan, operated by the private railway operator Hankyu Railway. The six-track trunk line from Umeda Station diverges into the three double tracks of the Hankyu Kobe Line, the Hankyu Kyoto Line ...

is under review.

Operations

Most trains are operated between Nishi-Umeda station and Suminoe-Koen Station, with 2–3 minute interval during the morning rush hour, 6–7½ minute interval during the day, 3–4 minute intervals at the afternoon, 5–10 minute interval at night, and 10 minute interval in the early morning and late night. During the morning and evening (afternoon on weekends only), there are train that only run between Kita-Kagaya station and Nishi Umeda Station, as Kita-Kagaya is connected to the Yotsubashi Line depot at Midorigi. In addition, on the day of the Suminoe boat race at night (excluding Sundays), one special train operates between 9pm and 10pm. It is connected with the New-Tram at Suminoe-Koen station. On March 23, 2013, the Osaka Bureau of Transport revised the timetable for the Yotsubashi Line. By using the train that was a going to a depot without any passengers, the final train became 0:20am for the northbound and 0:10am (for Suminoe-Koen) and 0:36am (for Kita-Kagaya) for the southbound. And because of passenger demand, for weekdays between 10am and 12pm was changed from 5 minute to 6 minute interval and for weekends and on holidays between 10am and 3pm was changed from 5-6 minute interval to 7-7½ minute interval. Since 2016, the regular inspection of the trains used on the third rail lines of Osaka Metro has been carried at Midorigi depot, trains of the Midosuji Line, the Tanimachi Line, the Chuo Line, and the Sennichimae Line may run on the Yotsubashi Line.

Stations

Rolling stock

Current

* 23 series (since 1990) All trains are based at Midorigi Depot. Since 2014, Yotsubashi Line trains are also able to access Morinomiya Depot located on the Chuo Line, after a connecting track was built between these two lines near Hommachi Station. Currently all trains are 6 cars long but subway platforms are long enough to accommodate trains up to 8 cars long.

Former

* 400 series (1942–1969) * 1000 series (1956–1971) * 1100 series (1958–1979) * 1200 series (1958–1980) * 50 series (1960–1980) * 30 series (1972–1996)

References

{{Osaka transit Osaka Metro Rail transport in Osaka Prefecture Railway lines opened in 1942 Standard gauge railways in Japan 1942 establishments in Japan 750 V DC railway electrification