Sotetsu-Tokyu thru line opening date officially announced- March 2023

[bikkuri bahn]

Couple weeks ago, the opening date of this new line from Hazawa Yokohama Kokudai to Hiyoshi via Shin Yokohama was announced- March 2023 as expected. Sotetsu trains will, via the Meguro Line, run through to either the Tokyo Metro Nanboku Line or the Toei Mita Line.  Any Nanboku Line and Mita Line through trains will likely terminate and turn back at Shin Yokohama, utilizing the center track at that station.  Seibu is not going to utilize this line for their trains, keeping them exclusively on the Toyoko Line to Yokohama, but interestingly, Tobu has announced they will have a limited number of their trains run through to Shin Yokohama, putting high value on the connection to the Shinkansen services.  

 

Sotetsu press release:

https://cdn.sotetsu.co.jp/media/2022/pressrelease/pdf/r22-14-hz9.pdf

 

Tetsu Bozu video.  Use the translation feature for close captioning.

 

Sotetsu 21000 series test run on Tokyu Meguro Line last autumn:

 

[railsquid]

Oh, I didn't realise they were going to involve the Nanboku/Mita lines as well. Makes sense, I suppose, though it seems like a cunning plan by the Tokyo metro operators to gradually take over Yokohama ;).

 

 

[TokyoImperialPalace]

Tokyu Toyoko Line will be one of the most complex operations considering the number of companies using the track (Tobu, Seibu, Tokyo Metro, Saitama Rapid, Toei Subway, Tokyu, Sosetsu) let alone the number of train lines within these companies. 

 

I think this is also one of the reasons why Tokyo Metro decided to segregate the Namboku Line from the Toei Mita Line (and I presume that it would be the Mita Line that has through services from Sagami Railway).

[railsquid]

Someone has created a speculative route map...