Through Toyoko-Fukutoshin Line services to begin March 2013

[bikkuri bahn]

Hat tip to quashlo over at the SSC forum for breaking this news.  Hibiya Line through train services will cease, terminating at Naka-Meguro.  All trains will begin using the underground Shibuya Station, the elevated terminal will be decommissioned.  There will be some impressive through services, truly regional in scope.  For example, one service will be Motomachi Chukagai (Yokohama) to Shinrin Koen (Saitama Pref.) a distance of 88.6km.

 

Press releases (Japanese language):

http://www.tokyometro.jp/news/2012/pdf/20120724metronews_soutyoku.pdf

http://www.tokyu.co.jp/contents_index/guide/pdf/120724-1.pdf

[Kabutoni]

Oooh damn! This then means a very varied mix of rolling stock that will be able to run through services on the Fukutoshin? That's awesome!

 

It'd be great to see some Tokyu and Yokohama Rapid Railway rolling stock mixed with Tokyo Metro, Seibu and Tobu trains. That's pretty impressive, a corporation of five companies.

- Tokyo Metro

- Tobu Railway

- Seibu Railway

- Tokyu Railway

- Yokhama Minatomirai Railway

 

Now the Asakusa line (line #1) from Toei isn't the only line that sees such a variety of rolling stock in on the Kanto plain.

- Toei Metro

- Keisei Railway

- Keikyu Railway

- Hokuso Railway

- Shibayama Railway

*not counted here are the various companies that operate the Narita Sky Access, since they own no rolling stock.

 

The main interesting thing (at least for me), is that the Fukutoshin line operates with 10-car trains (20m), as opposed to the 8-car (18m) trains on the Asakusa line, increasing capacities with great amounts.

 

However, the most interesting line (aside from the Asakusa line) is maybe the Tokyo Meguro line, with its connections to the Mita line and the Namboku line (with through services on the Saitama Rapid Railway). As it's only(!) four companies operating together, the trains are only 6 cars (20m) long, making this, in Kanto, the through service with the shortest trains. Maybe this connection also has the most interesting variety in rolling stock as well, since the trains have all very different front-end designs and colour schemes.

[gmat]

BikkuriBahn, the links you provided don't work. Sorry.

Will the one to Shinrin Koen transfer at Wakoshi or will you be able to sit down and not get up for the whole trip?

I sometimes take the Fukutoshin line from Shibuya to Hikawadai and it usually isn't very crowded. I suspect that many of the people starting from Shibuya come from the Denentoshi/Hanzomon lines. The connections to other lines are lousy until you get to Wakoshi. I get angry at the long walk at Ikebukuro, especially when the Fukutoshin Line is down, again. Considering that I only went once a week, I had a number of times that the line had stopped. That meant walking with lots of commuters for about seven minutes in Ikebukuro going from the Yurakucho Line to the Fukutoshin Line, which had stopped at Ikebukuro, to continue on to Shibuya. If the Fukutoshin Line had gone one more station north, it would just be a walk across the platform. Once my student cancelled as I was trying to come back down from Wakoshi. I took the Yamanote line to Ikebukuro and took the Tobu Line. I asked the staff if the train was running to Hikawadai and they said 'Yes.' But it didn't. The staff didn't know anything and I ended up paying for a useless trip. The Shinjuku-Sanchome Station is also out of the way, too. I don't think that there is enough past Shinjuku to attract many commuters from Yokohama. Switching to the Yamanote Line makes more sense if you go north of Shibuya.

 

Sorry for the rant.

Best wishes,

Grant

[bikkuri bahn]

*Links fixed

[gmat]

Thanx.

[bikkuri bahn]

Will the one to Shinrin Koen transfer at Wakoshi or will you be able to sit down and not get up for the whole trip?

 

One seat ride, yes.

 

I don't think that there is enough past Shinjuku to attract many commuters from Yokohama. Switching to the Yamanote Line makes more sense if you go north of Shibuya.

 

Indeed, most commuters will likely get off by Shinjuku. Ikebukuro is more a destination for people living in that part of Tokyo and Saitama denizens.  As you see when taking the Den-en Toshi Line, there are busy sections, and not so busy ones.  But the through operations gives the riders a choice and avoids the hassle of transferring, which entails all that usage of stairs, escalators, waiting at the platform, fighting crowds, etc.  Once the undergound Shibuya Station allows through Toyoko Line trains, I think you will see more people from that line using the Fukutoshin Line, just from the fact they don't have to leave their seat (or standing spot).

 

 

As you say, there is a concern that any mishaps will cause big foulups that reverberate all along the lines- unfortunately, with this complication, they will happen.  How the railway operators deal with it will be interesting (well, for those that don't have to be passengers, ha...)