Fuku Toshin-sen
1067 mm gauge, overhead current collection (direct current 1500 V). This line was built mainly to relieve the JR Yamanote-sen (the circle line) on its enormously congested section from Ikebukuro via Shinjuku to Shibuya. These three centres on the western side of Tôkyô are considered “fuku toshin”, that is, “secondary city centres”. The Fuku Toshin-sen shares its line from 1 Wakô-shi to 6 Kotake Mukaihara with the Yûrakuchô-sen. At 6 Kotake Mukaihara it branches off the Yûrakuchô-sen but still shares the next two stations (Senkawa and Kanamechô) with it. The length of the line from Kotake Mukaihara to Shibuya is 11, 9 km. The line was opened in 2008.
Beyond 6 Kotake Mukaihara in the outbound direction, it is often difficult to tell whether the train is a Fuku Toshin-sen or a Yûrakuchô-sen one. In the inbound direction the destination makes it clear. The Fuku Toshin-sen is an important link between the northwest and the southwest of Tôkyô, as almost all trains run through from the areas served by the Tôkyû Company in the southwest into areas served by the Seibu and Tôbu Companies in the northwest (and vice versa). Thus passengers no longer need to change onto the JR Yamanote-sen at Shibuya, Shinjuku or Ikebukuro.
The stations are: (Shared with the Yûrakuchô-sen: 1 Wakô-shi 和光市 – 2 Chikatetsu Narimasu 地下鉄成増 – 3 Chikatetsu Akatsuka 地下鉄赤塚 – 4 Heiwadai 平和台 – 5 Hikawadai 氷川台 – 6 Kotake Mukaihara 小竹向原) – 7 Senkawa 千川 – 8 Kanamechô 要町 – 9 Shinsen Ikebukuro 新線 池袋 (Ikebukuro New Line) – 10 Zôshigaya 雑司が谷– 11 Nishi Waseda 西早稲田 – 12 Higashi Shinjuku 東新宿 (Shinjuku East) – 13 Shinjuku Sanchôme 新宿三丁目 – 14 Kita Sandô 北参道 – 15 Meiji Jingû-mae 明治神宮前 – 16 Shibuya 渋谷.
As mentioned, Fuku Toshin-sen trains run at both ends into networks of other companies. Tokyo Metro units cross into these networks, while trains from other networks correspondingly travel over the Fuku Toshin-sen.
In the southwest from 16 Shibuya Fuku Toshin-sen trains continue onto the Tôkyû Company’s Tôyoko-sen to Yokohama (TT) and from there onwards onto the Minato Mirai-sen of the Yokohama Kôsoku Tetsudô (Yokohama Railways) (MM), right to the end stop at Motomachi Chûkagai.
Since the opening of the link with the Sôtetsu Company at Hiyoshi on the Tôyoko-sen, trains also reach Shin Yokohama (TSH) and further destinations on the Sôtetsu (SÔ), namely Nishiya, Ebina and Shônandai. There is a weekend service all the way from Ebina on the Sôtetsu via the Tôkyû Tôyoko-sen and the Fuku Toshin-sen to Ogawamachi on the Tôbu Company’s Tôjô-sen. Apart from Tôkyû Company trains also Minato Mirai-sen trains come through the Fuku Toshin-sen on their way to the Tôbu Tôjô-sen, at least as far as Shiki.
In the northwest the Fuku Toshin-sen runs into both the Tôbu network (the Tôbu Tôjô-sen, TÔT) and the Seibu network (via the Seibu Yûrakuchô-sen). Regular services bring trains of both the Fuku Toshin-sen and the Tôbu Tôjô-sen, as well as the Tôkyû Company and the Minato Mirai-sen from Motomachi Chûkagai in Yokohama all the way to Shinrin Kôen on the Tôbu Tôjô-sen, and on weekends, even as far as Ogawamachi (O).
In 6 Kotake Mukaihara many trains coming off the Fuku Toshin-sen work (via the Seibu Yûrakuchô-sen) onto the Seibu Company’s Seibu Ikebukuro-sen (SEI). Conversely, Seibu trains come through the Fuku Toshin-sen on their way to the southwest. Normally, trains coming from the Fuku Toshin-sen onto the Seibu company’s line end at Hannô, but on weekends there is a connection all the way to Seibu Chichibu (C).
Note: Due to the complexity of services provided it is difficult to indicate whose rolling stock runs exactly how far outside the line to which it belongs. I hope to be more precise as soon as possible.
