Toei Mita Line

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Signboard in Onarimon
Signboard in Onarimon

The Mita Line (三田線 Mita-sen?) is a subway line of the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation (Toei) network in Tokyo, Japan. The line runs between Nishi-Takashimadaira in Itabashi and Meguro in Shinagawa. Trains often continues with direct service into the Meguro Line of Tokyu Corporation for Musashi-Kosugi. The portion between Shirokane-Takanawa and Meguro is shared with the Tokyo Metro Namboku Line, possession of Tokyo Metro.

On maps and signboards, the line is shown in color "navy blue" ▉, and stations carry the letter "I" followed by two digit number. (M is for Marunouchi Line.)

Platforms on the Mita Line are equipped with automatic platform gate of chest-height barriers that open in sync with the train doors. The line was the first in the Tokyo subway system to have low barriers, while Marunouchi Line having erected them recently. The Namboku Line has installed full-height platform screen doors earlier since its opening.

Contents

[edit] Description

Tokyo railway network, Mita Line in blue
Tokyo railway network, Mita Line in blue
  • Length: 26.5 km (Nishi-Takashimadaira to Shirokane-Takanawa: 24.2 km, Shirokane-Takanawa to Meguro: 2.3 km right-of-way, Tokyo Metro possession)
  • Gauge: 1,067 mm
  • Stations: 27
  • Track: double
  • Power: 1,500 V DC, overhead supply
  • Block system: Automatic (cab signal) (CS-ATC)

[edit] History

The Mita Line was first envisioned in 1957 as a northern branch of the Line 5 (present Tōzai Line) to serve the segment between Ōtemachi and Itabashi. Under a revised proposal in 1962, the line was made independent, and its construction undertaken by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. The new line, numbered Line 6, was planned to run from Gotanda Station on the south-western side of the Yamanote Line through central Tokyo, with its northern extensions via Yamatochō (大和町?)[1] in Itabashi, near present Itabashi-honchō, diverting to Kami-Itabashi and Shimura (志村?), present Takashimadaira. The southernmost portion from Sengakuji to Nishi-Magome, and Nishi-Magome depot was to be shared with the "Line 1" (Asakusa Line), therefore the Line 6 would be 1435mm gauged.

Due to various political considerations, the design of the Mita Line changed several times in the early 1960s. There were plans for it to run to Toda, Saitama in order to serve a boat racing venue for the 1964 Summer Olympics. The government of Saitama also proposed the construction of a new subway line which would allow through service on the Mita Line as far as Ōmiya Station.

In 1964, these plans were changed so that the Mita Line would connect to the Tōbu Railway Tōjō Main Line, via a branch line which would be built by Tōbu from Yamatomachi (大和町?)[1] (present Wakōshi) to Shimura, the northern end of Line 6. To the southern end, connection to Tōkyū network would be made via a connecting line which would be constructed by Tōkyū from Sengakuji to Kirigaya (桐ヶ谷?) on Ikegami Line, then the route would be to the then Den-en-toshi Line[2], finally west down to Nagatsuta. Thus the standards of Line 6 were adopted on those of Tōbu and Tōkyū, such as 1067mm gauge, 20m-length car. And a depot at Shimura, independent of Nishi-Magome depot on Line 1, be built.

But both Tōkyū and Tōbu decided the following year to operate their through services with the then Teito Rapid Transit Authority ("Eidan" or "TRTA", present Tokyo Metro) lines instead. With no through service opportunities available, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government commenced construction on the central portion of the line, leaving the plans for the Itabashi and Mita ends open for future development, requiring extension somewhere south of Seishōkō-mae (清正公前?), present Shirokane-Takanawa, probably to the then Mekama Line of Tōkyū,[3] which competed with TRTA Line 7, later named Namboku Line.

The first segment of the line opened on December 27, 1968 between Sugamo and Takashimadaira (10.4 km). The line was extended a further 7.3 km south to Hibiya on June 30, 1972, and 3.3 km further south to Mita on November 27, 1973. The northern 1.5 km extension, originally licensed to Tōbu, later transferred to Tokyo government, was completed on May 6, 1976. For the next 24 years, the line had operated between Mita and Nishi-Takashimadaira, licensed Mita and Sengakuji section had been left uncompleted.

In 1985, the then Ministry of Transport finally settled the plan regarding the southern extension of the line, and shelved all plans for further extension to the north due to the development of the Saikyō Line. On September 26, 2000, the final 4 km segment from Mita to Meguro opened, and through service to the Meguro Line of Tōkyū began. The line switched to driver-only train operation at the same time.

[edit] Shared section

The right-of-way and stations between Shirokane-Takanawa and Meguro are shared with the Namboku Line of Tokyo Metro. Under an agreement of both parties, the fare for this section is calculated on the Toei system for passengers traveling to stations on the Mita Line past Shirokane-Takanawa, on the Metro's for those who destines on the Namboku Line past Shirokane-Takanawa, and on the system "most beneficial to the passenger" (presently the Metro schedule) for travel solely on the shared section.

[edit] Stations

All stations are located in Tokyo. Stations I-22 through I-27 are surface or elevated.

  • *1: Jointly used with Tōkyū, Tokyo Metro, administrated by Tōkyū
  • *2: Shared with and administrated by Tokyo Metro
Station Connection Location
I-01 Meguro *1 目黒 Shinagawa
I-02 Shirokanedai *2 白金台 Tokyo Metro: Namboku Line Minato
I-03 Shirokane-Takanawa *2 白金高輪 Tokyo Metro: Namboku Line
I-04 Mita 三田

At Tamachi
I-05 Shibakōen 芝公園  
I-06 Onarimon 御成門  
I-07 Uchisaiwaichō 内幸町   Chiyoda
I-08 Hibiya 日比谷

At Yūrakuchō
I-09 Ōtemachi 大手町
I-10 Jimbōchō 神保町
I-11 Suidōbashi 水道橋 JR East: Chūō-Sōbu Line local trains on Chūō Main Line Bunkyō
I-12 Kasuga 春日

At Kōrakuen

  • Tokyo Metro
    • Marunouchi Line
    • Namboku Line
I-13 Hakusan 白山  
I-14 Sengoku 千石  
I-15 Sugamo 巣鴨 JR East: Yamanote Line Toshima
I-16 Nishi-Sugamo 西巣鴨 At Shin-Kōshinzuka
I-17 Shin-Itabashi 新板橋

At Itabashi

 Itabashi
I-18 Itabashi-kuyakushomae 板橋区役所前  
I-19 Itabashi-honchō 板橋本町  
I-20 Motohasunuma 本蓮沼  
I-21 Shimura-sakaue 志村坂上  
I-22 Shimura-sanchōme 志村三丁目  
I-23 Hasune 蓮根  
I-24 Nishidai 西台  
I-25 Takasahimadaira 高島平  
I-26 Shin-Takashimadaira 新高島平  
I-27 Nishi-Takashimadaira 西高島平  

[edit] Rolling stock

All series are of 6-car sets unless noted.

[edit] Present

6300 series (left and right) and Tōkyū 5080 series (center) at Shimura depot
6300 series (left and right) and Tōkyū 5080 series (center) at Shimura depot

Toei stock

  • 6300 series
    • Motor power : 180kW
    • Control system : GTO-VVVF (sets 6301 to 6313), IGBT-VVVF (sets 6314 to 6337)

Tōkyū stock

  • 3000 series
  • 5080 series

[edit] Past

Toei stock

  • 6000 series: at their last stage, formed 6-car sets
  • 10-000 series: prototype for Shinjuku Line EMU

[edit] Maintenance facilities

  • Shimura Depot at Takashimadaira

[edit] Footnote

  1. ^ a b N.B. Kanjis of localities in Itabashi and in Saitama are the same, often complicating
  2. ^ The Tōkyū Den-en-toshi Line have changed the route. In the period mentioned, the line was entire stretch of present Ōimachi Line and western part of Futako-Tamagawa. Underground section between Futako-Tamagawa and Shibuya, initially named Shin-Tamagawa Line was to be built.
  3. ^ On the commencement of inter running to Mita and Namboku lines, the Mekama Line was devided into Meguro Line and Tōkyū Tamagawa Line.
v • d • e
Mass transit in the Tokyo area (Number of lines indicated in parentheses)
JR lines
■Yamanote • ■Chūō • ■Chūō-Sōbu • ■Jōban • ■Keihin-Tōhoku • ■Keiyō • ■Saikyō •■Shōnan-Shinjuku • ■Sōbu Rapid • ■Tōkaidō • ■Utsunomiya • ■Yokosuka
Tokyo Metro lines
○Chiyoda (C) • ○Fukutoshin (F) • ○Ginza (G) • ○Hibiya (H) • ○Marunouchi (M) • ○Namboku (N) • ○Tōzai (T) • ○Yūrakuchō (Y) • ○Hanzōmon (Z)
Toei lines
Subway: ○Asakusa (A) • ○Ōedo (E) • ○Mita (I) • ○Shinjuku (S) • Guideway: Nippori-Toneri • Streetcar: Arakawa
Major / semi-major lines
Keikyū (5) • Keiō (7) • Keisei (7) • Odakyū (5) • Seibu (13) • Shin-Keisei • Sōtetsu (2) • Tōbu (12) • Tōkyū (8)
Other lines
Suburban, JR
■Hachikō • ■Kawagoe • ■Mito • ■Musashino • ■Nambu • ■Narita • ■Negishi • ■Ōme • ■Ryōmō • ■Sagami • ■Sōbu Main • ■Sotobō • ■Takasaki • ■Tōgane • ■Tsurumi • ■Uchibō • ■Yokohama
Suburban, Non-JR
Terminals
Miscellaneous