The is a subway line in Japan owned and operated by

Tokyo Metro The Tokyo Metro () is a major rapid transit system in Tokyo, Japan, operated by the #Organization, Tokyo Metro Co. With an average daily ridership of 6.52 million passengers (as of 2023), the Tokyo Metro is the larger of the Tokyo subway, two s ...

. 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 bo ...

and Shin-Kiba Station 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 , known as Chiyoda City in English,
." ''City of Chiyoda''. Retrieved on December 28, 2008. is a S ...

. 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 carried 362,654 ...

which shares the same number.

Services

The Yurakucho Line runs generally northwest to southeast between Wakōshi Station in

Saitama Prefecture is a Landlocked country, landlocked Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Saitama Prefecture has a population of 7,338,536 (January 1, 2020) and has a geographic area of 3,797 Square kilometre, km2 ( ...

and Shin-Kiba Station in Kōtō Ward. Although it was originally planned as a bypass for the established

Marunouchi Line The is a Rapid transit, subway line in Tokyo, Japan, operated by Tokyo Metro. The line runs in a U-shape between Ogikubo Station in Suginami, Tokyo, Suginami and Ikebukuro Station in Toshima, Tokyo, Toshima, with a branch line between Nakano-Sa ...

through central Tokyo, it was also built to serve the developing wards of

Itabashi is a special ward in the Tokyo Metropolis in Japan. In English, it is called Itabashi City. Itabashi has sister-city relations with Burlington, Ontario, in Canada; Shijingshan District of Beijing in the People's Republic of China; and Bolog ...

Nerima is a Special wards of Tokyo, special ward in the Tokyo, Tokyo Metropolis in Japan. The ward refers to itself as Nerima City. , the ward has an estimated population of 721,858, with 323,296 households and a population density of 15,013 persons ...

, Toshima, and Koto. The section between Wakōshi and Kotake-mukaihara shares tracks with its sister line, the

Tokyo Metro 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 carried 362,654 ...

. The Yurakucho Line has inter-running counterparts on its northern side, both of which are "major" Japanese private railway companies in Greater Tokyo. 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 connecting to its main Ikebukuro Line, through trains north to or . According to the

Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation The , also known as Toei Transportation, Toei Transport, or simply , 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 wh ...

, 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 14 June 2008 and 6 March 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 6 March 2010.

Station list

* All stations are located in

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

. * 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 ", ".

Main Line

Rolling stock

All types are operated as 10-car sets.

Tokyo Metro

* Tokyo Metro 10000 series (from September 2006) *

Tokyo Metro 17000 series Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital and most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is one of the most populous urban areas in the world. The Greater Tokyo Area, whic ...

(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 series * Seibu 40000 series (''S-Train'' services) * Seibu 40050 series * Tobu 9000 series * Tobu 9050 series * Tobu 50070 series * Tokyu 5050-4000 series could run on the line, but only in the special case of emergency schedule adjustments. File:Seibu-Series40000 40001.jpg, Seibu 40000 series EMU File:Seibu-Series6000 6016.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 (from 1974 until 29 October 2021) * Tokyo Metro 07 series (from 1992 until 2007) * Odakyu 60000 series MSE ( Romancecar, 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 File:Seibu-Series6000-6055F.jpg, Seibu 6050 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

The Yurakucho line was first proposed in 1962 along with the

Chiyoda Line The is a subway line owned and operated by Tokyo Metro in Tokyo, Japan. On average, the line carries 1,447,730 passengers daily (2017), the second highest of the Tokyo Metro network, behind the Tozai Line (1,642,378).Nakamurabashi Station and Kinshicho Station. In 1968, it was later revised to run between Chikatetsu-narimasu Station in the northwest and Shintomichō Station in the southeast; the extensions to Wakoshi and Shin-kiba were not confirmed at the time. Line 8 was planned to serve areas that were not served by the Tokyo subway network such as Nerima and Koto Wards, while providing an adequate bypass for the overcrowding

from Ikebukuro to Ginza-itchōme. This initial section began construction in 1970 and opened for revenue service on 30 October 1974 as the Yūrakuchō Line. In the late 1970s, the extensions towards Wakoshi and Shin-kiba were authorized. On 27 March 1980, the second section between Ginza-itchōme and Shintomichō section opened, while the third section between Eidan-narimasu (now Chikatetsu-narimasu) and Ikebukuro opened on 24 June 1983. Through services with the

Seibu Yūrakuchō Line began on 1 October 1983 with the opening of the Kotake-Mukaihara – Shin-Sakuradai section. The northwestern extension to Wakōshi opened on 25 August 1987, allowing through service with the

Tōbu Tōjō Line The is a 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 as on T ...

. The final section from Shintomichō to Shin-kiba opened on 8 June 1988, completing the current line. On 18 March 1993, 07 series EMUs introduced. On 7 December 1994, the "Yūrakuchō New Line" (now the Fukutoshin Line) opened from Kotake-mukaihara to Ikebukuro. All trains on it made Ikebukuro their terminus and did not stop at Senkawa or Kanamechō. Through service from Shin-kiba or Ikebukuro (on the New Line) to on the Seibu Yūrakuchō Line began on that same day, with through operation to 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 term ...

beyond Nerima beginning on 26 March 1998. On 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. Women-only cars were introduced on 31 October 2005. 10000 series were introduced to the line on 1 September 2006. On 3 May 2008, Limited Express "Bay Resort" (operated first from/to Odakyu Line) services began operating. On 14 June 2008, the Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line began service, and the Yurakuchō New Line was absorbed into it. The Yurakuchō Line shares tracks with the Fukutoshin Line between Wakōshi and Kotake-Mukaihara. Semi-Express services began running until they were abolished on 6 March 2010. In 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 ...

was enabled on the Yurakuchō Line. 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. Since 26 March 2017, Seibu operates the ''

S-Train The S-Bahn ( , ), , is a hybrid urban rail, urban–suburban rail system serving a metropolitan region predominantly in German language, German-speaking countries. Some of the larger S-Bahn systems provide service similar to rapid transit syst ...

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

on weekday mornings and evenings. On 6 August 2022, "Wanman" one-person operation began on the section between Kotake-Mukaihara and Shin-Kiba.

Future developments

In 2021, plans were announced to branch the Yurakucho Line at Toyosu Station, 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 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). There are also plans for a spur branching off from the planned Tokyo Rinkai Subway line at Kachidoki to link up to the future Toyozumi Line (Yurakucho Line branch) platforms at Toyosu Station. The branch line is expected to be in service in the mid-2030s. On 17 April 2025, Tokyo Metro and Tobu Railway announced plans to introduce through services via the Yurakucho Line branch and Hanzomon Line to Tobu's Skytree, Isesaki, and Nikko lines. A branch line from Toyosu Station has been planned since the early 1980s, heading north via Kameari Station (on the

Jōban Line The 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, Miyagi. However, following ...

) to Noda in northwest

Chiba Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, 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 ...

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 Railway lines opened in 1974 1067 mm gauge railways in Japan 1974 establishments in Japan