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The , branded as the is a hybrid
All stations are located in Tokyo.
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
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
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 trip in 50 minutes. The
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
Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation: Toden Arakawa Line
Nippori-Toneri Liner and Tokyo Sakura Tram station numbering
{{Tokyo transit 1974 establishments in Japan 4 ft 6 in gauge railways in Japan 600 V DC railway electrification Lines of Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation Railway lines in Tokyo Railway lines opened in 1974 Tram lines in Japan
tram
A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States) is an urban rail transit in which Rolling stock, vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some ...
/light rail
Light rail (or light rail transit, abbreviated to LRT) is a form of passenger urban rail transit that uses rolling stock derived from tram technology National Conference of the Transportation Research Board while also having some features from ...
line 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 ...
, Japan, operated by 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 ...
(Toei). The 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 Den ...
tram system and one of the only two light rail lines in Tokyo, besides the Setagaya Line
The is a light rail line in Tokyo, Japan, operated by Tokyu Corporation. It connects to in Setagaya, Tokyo.
Unlike other Tokyu lines that are heavy rail commuter lines, the Setagaya Line is governed under the of the Japanese government. Desp ...
.
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 seriesFormer rolling stock
* 7000 series (1955 until 10 June 2017) * 7500 seriesHistory
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 trip in 50 minutes. The gauge
Gauge ( ) 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, especia ...
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 13 June 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
Edo (), also romanized as Jedo, Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of Tokyo.
Edo, formerly a (castle town) centered on Edo Castle located in Musashi Province, became the '' de facto'' capital of Japan from 1603 as the seat of the Tokugawa shogu ...
'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
InHaruki Murakami
is a Japanese writer. His novels, essays, and short stories have been best-sellers 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 hi ...
's novel '' Norwegian Wood'', protagonist Toru Watanabe takes the line to near Ōtsuka Station: "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.
Notes
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 1974 establishments in Japan 4 ft 6 in gauge railways in Japan 600 V DC railway electrification Lines of Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation Railway lines in Tokyo Railway lines opened in 1974 Tram lines in Japan