The is a subway line in Japan owned and operated by

Tokyo Metro The is a major rapid transit system in Tokyo, Japan, operated by the Tokyo Metro Co. With an average daily ridership of 6.84 million passengers, the Tokyo Metro is the larger of the two subway operators in the city; the other being the Toe ...

. The line connects Wakōshi Station in

Wakō, Saitama is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 84,161 in 42,434 households and a population density of 7600 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Wakō is located on the southern b ...

and

Shin-Kiba Station is a railway station in Kōtō, Tokyo, Japan, operated jointly by Tokyo Metro, East Japan Railway Company (JR East), and Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit (TWR). Lines Shin-Kiba Station is served by the following lines: Station layout Each ...

in Kōtō, Tokyo. On maps, diagrams and signboards, the line is shown using the color "gold" (), and its stations are given numbers using the letter "Y". The line was named after the

Yūrakuchō is a business district of Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan, situated in between the Ginza and Hibiya Park, southeast of the Tokyo Imperial Palace. The district takes its name from Oda Nagamasu (1547–1622), who was also known as Yūraku (有楽). Oda Naga ...

business district in

Chiyoda, Tokyo is a special ward located in central Tokyo, Japan. It is known as Chiyoda City in English.Profile< ...

. The proper name as given in an annual report of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is . According to the Tokyo urban transportation plan, however, it is more complicated. The line number assigned to the section south from Kotake-Mukaihara to Shin-Kiba is Line 8, but that north of Kotake-Mukaihara to Wakōshi is Line 13, which indicates the section is a portion of

Fukutoshin Line The , formally the , is a subway line operated by Tokyo Metro in west-central Tokyo and Wako, Saitama, Japan. The newest line in the Tokyo subway network, it opened in stages between 1994 and 2008. On average, the Fukutoshin line carries 362,654 ...

which shares the same number.

Services

The Yurakucho Line has inter-running counterparts on its northern side, both of which are "major" Japanese

private railway A private railway is a railroad run by a private business entity (usually a corporation but not need be), as opposed to a railroad run by a public sector. Japan In Japan, , commonly simply ''private railway'', refers to a public transit railway o ...

companies in

Greater Tokyo The Greater Tokyo Area is the most populous metropolitan area in the world, consisting of the Kantō region of Japan (including Tokyo Metropolis and the prefectures of Chiba, Gunma, Ibaraki, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Tochigi) as well as the pre ...

. One is the

Tobu Railway is a Japanese commuter railway and ''keiretsu'' holding company in the Greater Tokyo Area as well as an intercity and regional operator in the Kantō region. Excluding the Japan Railways Group companies, Tobu's rail system is the second longes ...

at Wakōshi, north to . The other is the

Seibu Railway is a conglomerate based in Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan, with principal business areas in railways, tourism, and real estate. Seibu Railway's operations are concentrated in northwest Tokyo and Saitama Prefecture; the name "Seibu" is an abbrevi ...

at with its bypass line

Seibu Yūrakuchō Line The is an underground commuter railway line operated by the private railway operator Seibu Railway in Japan. The line links the Seibu Ikebukuro Line at Nerima Station with the Tokyo Metro Yūrakuchō Line and Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line at K ...

connecting to its main Ikebukuro Line, through trains north to or . According to the

Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation The , also known as , is a bureau of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government which operates public transport services in Tokyo. Among its services, the Toei Subway is one of two rapid transit systems which make up the Tokyo subway system, the other b ...

, as of June 2009 the Yurakucho Line is the fifth most crowded subway line in Tokyo, at its peak running at 173% capacity between Higashi-Ikebukuro and Gokokuji stations. services ran on the Yurakucho Line between June 14, 2008 and March 6, 2010, operating twice hourly between Wakōshi and Shin-Kiba. Between Wakōshi and Ikebukuro, semi-express trains stopped only at Kotake-Mukaihara; between Ikebukuro and Shin-Kiba, trains stopped at all stations. The semi-express trains ran between rush hours during weekdays and more frequently on weekends and holidays. These services were abolished and replaced with local services on March 6, 2010. Since March 2008, very occasional ''Bay Resort''

limited express A limited express is a type of express train service. It refers to an express service that stops at a limited number of stops in comparison to other express services on the same or similar routes. Japan The term "limited express" is a common ...

trains on the

Odakyū Odawara Line The is the main line of Japanese private railway operator Odakyu Electric Railway. It extends 82.5 km from Shinjuku in central Tokyo through the southwest suburbs to the city of Odawara, the gateway to Hakone in Kanagawa Prefecture. It is ...

operate to Shin-Kiba on the Yurakucho Line via a connecting track to the Chiyoda Line beyond Sakuradamon. Since March 26, 2017, Seibu operates the ''

S-Train The S-Bahn is the name of hybrid urban-suburban rail systems serving a metropolitan region in German-speaking countries. Some of the larger S-Bahn systems provide service similar to rapid transit systems, while smaller ones often resemble c ...

'' limited-stop express service between Toyosu and Tokorozawa on the

Seibu Ikebukuro Line The is a railway line of the Japanese private railway operator Seibu Railway. It originates at Ikebukuro Station, a large railway junction in north-western Tokyo, extending to northwest suburbs as far as Tokorozawa, Saitama, and nominally ter ...

on weekday mornings and evenings.

Station list

* Local trains stop at every station. **''S-Train'' services stop at the stations indicated by "●" and "↑" (alighting only during the morning, boarding only during the evening) and pass all stations indicated by ", ".

Rolling stock

All types are operated as 10-car sets.

Tokyo Metro

* 36x Tokyo Metro 10000 series (from September 2006) * 6x

Tokyo Metro 17000 series The is a Japanese DC electric multiple unit (EMU) commuter train type operated by Tokyo Metro on the Yūrakuchō Line and Fukutoshin Line to replace the ageing Tokyo Metro 7000 series. It entered service on 21 February 2021. Operations 1700 ...

(from 21 February 2021) File:Tokyo-Metro-Series10110.jpg, A Tokyo Metro 10000 series EMU File:Tokyo-Metro-Series17000 17105.jpg, A Tokyo Metro 17000 series EMU

Other operators

* Seibu 6000 and 6050 series (Not all sets are permitted to run on Yūrakuchō Line tracks) *

Seibu 40000 series The is a commuter electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by the private railway operator Seibu Railway in Japan since March 2017. a total of 13 ten-car trainsets have been built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Kobe from 2016, with th ...

(''S-Train'' services) * Seibu 40050 series *

Tobu 9000 series The is a DC electric multiple unit (EMU) commuter train type operated by the private railway operator Tobu Railway in Japan since 1981. Operations First entering service in 1981 on the Tobu Tojo Line, this was the first stainless steel EMU ty ...

x 8 * Tobu 9050 series x 2 * Tobu 50070 series (from July 2007) * Tokyu 5050-4000 series could run on the line, but only in the special case of emergency schedule adjustments. File:Seibu Railway 40000 Series 40102F set.jpg, Seibu 40000 series EMU File:Seibu Railway 6000-renewal.jpg, Seibu 6000 series EMU File:Tobu-Series9151F.jpg, Tobu 9000 series EMU File:Tobu-51076 Toyoko-Line.jpg, Tobu 50070 series EMU

Former rolling stock

Tokyo Metro 7000 series The is an electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by the Tokyo subway operator Tokyo Metro in Tokyo, Japan, between 1974 and 2022. The design is based on the earlier Tokyo Metro 6000 series trains used on the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line. ...

(from 1974 until 29 October 2021) *

Tokyo Metro 07 series The is an electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by Tokyo Metro in Tokyo, Japan. Introduced into service in 1993, a total of six 10-car sets were manufactured by Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Nippon Sharyo between 1993 and 1994 for ...

(from 1992 until 2007) *

Odakyu 60000 series MSE The (Multi Super Express) is a Romancecar electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by the private railway operator Odakyu Electric Railway in Japan since March 2008. The trains are used on Odakyu through service to the Tokyo Metro Chiy ...

(

Romancecar The is Odakyu Electric Railway's name for its limited express luxury tourist services south-west of Tokyo, to mountain resorts such as Hakone and Gotemba (Mount Fuji), and beaches such as Odawara and Enoshima. When the service started in 19 ...

, as Limited Express ''Bay Resort'', occasionally) File:Tokyo-Metro-Series7000 7130.jpg, A Tokyo Metro 7000 series EMU File:Tokyometro07002.JPG, A Tokyo Metro 07 series EMU

Depots

* (main depot) * (responsible for minor inspections; for major ones, EMUs are forwarded to the on the Chiyoda Line via underground connecting tracks) * (specializes in railcar refurbishment: also used for Chiyoda and Hanzōmon Line railcars)

History

* 30 October 1974: Ikebukuro – Ginza-itchōme section opens. * 27 March 1980: Ginza-itchōme – Shintomichō section opens. * 24 June 1983: Eidan Narimasu (present Chikatetsu Narimasu) – Ikebukuro section opens * 1 October 1983:

Kotake-Mukaihara – Shin-Sakuradai section opened, through operation with Eidan Yūrakuchō Line begins. * 25 August 1987: Wakōshi – Eidan Narimasu opens. Through service to

Tōbu Tōjō Line The is a 75.0 km suburban railway line in Japan which runs from Ikebukuro Station in Toshima, Tokyo to Yorii Station in Yorii, Saitama, operated by the private railway operator Tobu Railway. Its official name is the , but it is referred to ...

begins. * 8 June 1988: Shintomichō – Shin-kiba opens, current line completed. * 18 March 1993: 07 series EMUs introduced. * 7 December 1994: New line opened from Kotake-Mukaihara to Ikebukuro. This section was named the "Yūrakuchō New Line". All trains on it made Ikebukuro their terminus and did not stop at Senkawa nor Kanamechō. Through service from Shin-Kiba or Ikebukuro (on the New Line) to on Seibu Yūrakuchō Line begins. * 26 March 1998: Through operation to

begins. * 1 April 2004: The owner of the line changed from Teito Rapid Transit Authority (TRTA, ''Eidan'') to Tokyo Metro due to the former's privatization. * 31 October 2005: Women-only cars introduced. * 1 September 2006: 10000 series introduced. * 3 May 2008: Limited Express "Bay Resort" (operated first from/to Odakyu Line) begins operating. * 14 June 2008: Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line began service. Yurakuchō New Line annexed by the Fukutoshin Line. Yurakuchō Line shares tracks with Fukutoshin Line between Wakōshi and Kotake-Mukaihara. Semi-Express service starts running. * October 2008:

Automatic train control Automatic train control (ATC) is a general class of train protection systems for railways that involves a speed control mechanism in response to external inputs. For example, a system could effect an emergency brake application if the driver do ...

enabled on the Yurakuchō Line. * 6 March 2010: Semi-express services abolished. * 6 August 2022: "Wanman"

one-person operation One-person operation (OPO), also known as driver-only operation (DOO), one-man operation (OMO), single person train operation (SPTO), or one-person train operation (OPTO), similarly to Driver Controlled Operation, is operation of a train, bus ...

begins on the section between Kotake-Mukaihara and

Shin-Kiba is an area of Kōtō, Tokyo, Japan. It is located north of Wakasu, east of Tatsumi, south of Yumenoshima, and west of the Arakawa River. It is built on reclaimed land. Etymology The name "Shinkiba" means "New Lumberyard", and is taken from the ...

On 10 September 2012, 10-car 5050-4000 series sets entered revenue service on the Yurakucho Line, with inter-running through to the

Tobu Tojo Line is a Japanese commuter railway and ''keiretsu'' holding company in the Greater Tokyo Area as well as an intercity and regional operator in the Kantō region. Excluding the Japan Railways Group companies, Tobu's rail system is the second longes ...

Future developments

In 2021, plans were announced to branch the Yurakucho line at

Toyosu Station is a railway station in Kōtō, Tokyo, Japan, operated by Tokyo Metro and Yurikamome. Lines Toyosu Station is served by the Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line subway and the Yurikamome. Station layout The station consists of an underground metro sta ...

, traveling north for connecting with on the Tozai line and Sumiyoshi Station on the Shinjuku Line and Hanzomon Line. An additional two stations (Edagawa and Sengoku) would also be added in the

Koto Ward Koto may refer to: * Koto (band), an Italian synth pop group * Koto (instrument), a Japanese musical instrument * Koto (kana), a ligature of two Japanese katakana * Koto (traditional clothing), a traditional dress made by Afro-Surinamese women * K ...

serving the Sengoku and Toyo districts. Tentative names for the new stations were determined in August 2022. The branch line (nicknamed the Toyozumi Line according to official city documents) is intended to aid in redevelopment efforts in Koto Ward. As of 28 January 2022 the expected cost of construction is ¥269 billion (2021) . The branch line is expected to be in service in the mid-2030s. A branch line from

has been planned since the early 1980s, heading north via Kameari Station (on the

Jōban Line The Jōban Line ( ja, 常磐線, ) is a railway line in Japan operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). The line officially begins at Nippori Station in Arakawa, Tokyo before the line officially ends at Iwanuma Station in Iwanuma, ...

) to

Noda NoDa (short for "North Davidson") is a popular arts district in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. It is located in the North Charlotte neighborhood on and around North Davidson Street and 36th Street, approximately one mile northeast of Upt ...

in northwest

Chiba Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Chiba Prefecture has a population of 6,278,060 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Chiba Prefecture borders Ibaraki Prefecture to the north, Saitama Prefecture to the ...

References

* Shaw, Dennis and Morioka, Hisashi, "Tokyo Subways", published 1992 by Hoikusha Publishing

External links

Tokyo Metro website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yurakucho Line Lines of Tokyo Metro Railway lines in Tokyo Rail transport in Saitama Prefecture Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line Railway lines opened in 1974 1067 mm gauge railways in Japan 1974 establishments in Japan