The , branded as the ,
is a hybrid
light rail/
tram
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
line in
Tokyo, Japan, operated by 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 ...
(Toei). The Arakawa Line is the sole survivor of Tokyo's once-extensive
Tokyo Toden
The or simply Toden, is the tram network of Tokyo, Japan. Of all its former routes, only one, the Tokyo Sakura Tram, remains in service. The Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation operates the Toden. The formal legal name is ''Tokyo-to De ...
streetcar system. It is one of the only two tram lines in Tokyo, besides the
Tokyu Setagaya Line.
Station list
All stations are located in Tokyo.
Rolling stock
*
7700 series (since 31 May 2016)
*
8500 series
*
8800 series
*
8900 series (since 18 September 2015)
*
9000 series
File:Toei 7700 7701 Arakawa-shakomae 20160730 (2).jpg, 7700 series tram 7701 in July 2016
File:Toden8500-8502.jpg, 8500 series tram 8502 in June 2003
File:Toden8804 20100920.jpg, 8800 series tram 8804 in September 2010
File:東京都交通局8900形.jpg, 8900 series tram 8901 in September 2015
File:Toden9001 9002 090208.jpg, 9000 series trams 9001 and 9002 in February 2009
Former rolling stock
*
7000 series 7000 series may refer to:
Japanese trains
* Chichibu Railway 7000 series electric multiple unit (EMU)
* Echizen Railway 7000 series EMU
* Hankyu 7000 series EMU
* Hokushin Kyuko Electric Railway 7000 series EMU operating for the Kobe Municipal ...
(1955 until 10 June 2017)
*
7500 series
File:Toden-Arakawa-Line-7015-00.jpg, 7000 series tram 7015 in June 2009
File:Toden 7520 20110313.jpg, 7500 series tram 7520 in March 2011
History
The line was originally constructed by the as a part of their extensive network, with the oldest section still operating today opened in 1913. The line was at threat of being shut down along with the rest of Tokyo's streetcar system in the 1960s, but concerted opposition from residents prevented this and parts of lines 27 (Minowabashi-Akabane) and 32 (Arakawa-Waseda) were merged to form the line as it is today. The line was sold to the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation in 1974, which renamed it the Toden Arakawa Line.
The Toden Arakawa Line operates between the terminals at Minowabashi Station and Waseda Station. It runs along Meiji Street between Asuka-yama Station and Oji Eki-mae Station. Otherwise, it operates on its own tracks. Presently, single driver-operated cars make the 12.2 km trip in 50 minutes. The
gauge
Gauge ( or ) may refer to:
Measurement
* Gauge (instrument), any of a variety of measuring instruments
* Gauge (firearms)
* Wire gauge, a measure of the size of a wire
** American wire gauge, a common measure of nonferrous wire diameter, es ...
is . The line is fully double-track, and draws
600 V electrical supply.
Two Toden Arakawa trams (one in revenue earning service, the other undergoing brake testing) collided on June 13, 2006 near the Minowabashi terminus, injuring 27 people.
Sights
The Toden Arakawa Line operates in northern and eastern Tokyo outside the main tourist areas. The terminus at Minowabashi is near the historical site of
Edo's red-light district
Yoshiwara
was a famous (red-light district) in Edo, present-day Tokyo, Japan. Established in 1617, Yoshiwara was one of three licensed and well-known red-light districts created during the early 17th century by the Tokugawa shogunate, alongside Shim ...
which features a completely covered shopping street, several blocks long, in the once common "Ameyoko" style (a
shōtengai
A shōtengai () is a style of Japanese commercial district, typically in the form of a local market street that is closed to car traffic. Local shōtengai cater to the needs of nearby residents with a diverse mix of small specialty shops and few ...
).
In literature
In
Haruki Murakami
is a Japanese writer. His novels, essays, and short stories have been bestsellers in Japan and internationally, with his work translated into 50 languages and having sold millions of copies outside Japan. He has received numerous awards for his ...
's novel ''
Norwegian Wood'', protagonist Toru Watanabe takes the line to near
Ōtsuka Station
is a railway station in Toshima, Tokyo, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East).
Lines
Ōtsuka Station is served by the circular Yamanote Line. A stop on the Tokyo Sakura Tram, named is located underneath Ōtsuka Station.
St ...
: "I sat in the last seat and watched the ancient houses passing close to the window. The tram almost touched the overhanging eaves.... The tram snaked its way through this private back-alley world."
[p. 84, Vintage Books edition.]
References
L.W. Demery, R. Forty, R. DeGroote and J.W. Higgins, ''Electric Railways of Japan (Interurbans- Tramways-Metros) Vol.1: Tokyo and Northern Japan''. Light Rail Transit Association, 1983.
External links
Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation: Toden Arakawa Line
Nippori-Toneri Liner and Tokyo Sakura Tram station numbering
{{Tokyo transit
Railway lines in Japan
Tram transport in Japan
Lines of Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation
Railway lines in Tokyo
4 ft 6 in gauge railways in Japan
Railway lines opened in 1974
1974 establishments in Japan
600 V DC railway electrification