The is a subway line owned and operated by Tokyo Metro in Tokyo, Japan. The line runs between Meguro in Shinagawa and Akabane-Iwabuchi in Kita. The Namboku Line was referred to as Line 7 during the planning stages, thus the seldom-used official name is .
On maps, diagrams and signboards, the line is shown using the color emerald (previously coded "teal"), and its stations are given numbers using the letter "N".
The Namboku Line is one of Tokyo Metro's newer lines, featuring advanced technology including full automatic train operation and platform screen doors.
Overview Trains run through onto the Tokyu Meguro Line for and the Saitama Railway's Saitama Rapid Railway Line (which is essentially a separately-owned extension of the Namboku Line) for .
The right-of-way and stations between and Meguro are shared with the Toei Mita Line – a unique situation on the Tokyo subway where both operators share common infrastructure. Under an agreement between Tokyo Metro and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the fare for this section is calculated on the Toei Subway fare system for passengers traveling to stations on the Mita Line past Shirokane-Takanawa, on the Metro fare system for passengers traveling to stations 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 sector.
On maps, diagrams and signboards, the Namboku Line is shown using the color emerald (▉), and its stations are given numbers using the letter "N".
History Planning Although the line was originally approved in 1962 as Line 7 (Meguro – Iikurakatamachi – Nagatacho – Ichigaya – Komagome – Oji – Akabanecho), construction did not begin until 1986.
Based on this proposal, the Teito Rapid Transit Authority (TRTA) applied for a license to construct Local Railway Line No. 7 between Kami-Osaki (Meguro) and Akabane-cho (present-day Kirigaoka), a distance of 22.5 km. Although the terminus designated in the urban planning route was Iwabuchi-cho (present-day Akabane-Iwabuchi), the application extended the proposed line to Kirigaoka (then known as Akabane-cho 5-chome) to allow for the operation of a spur line to a train depot for passenger services. However, on June 4, 1964, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government also applied for a license to construct Local Railway Line No. 7 between Meguro and Akabane, a distance of 21.0 km. This resulted in a competitive situation between the two proposed routes.
In the 1972 Report No. 15 of the Urban Transportation Council, the proposed extension toward Saitama Prefecture, which had previously been designated for future consideration, was revised to run between the central part of Kawaguchi and the eastern part of Urawa. Subsequently, the 1985 Report No. 7 of the Transportation Policy Council called for the section between Meguro and Kiyoshōkō-mae (present-day Shirokane-takanawa Station) to be shared with Line 6 (the Toei Mita Line). The proposed route within Saitama Prefecture was also revised to run via central Hatogaya, Higashi-Kawaguchi, and onward to eastern Urawa. Of these proposed routes, the section between Meguro and Akabane-Iwabuchi was progressively opened as the Namboku Line. The section between Akabane-Iwabuchi and Urawa-Misono subsequently opened as the Saitama Rapid Railway Line.
Although the line had been planned since the 1960s, the project was temporarily suspended due to issues surrounding the planned train depot in Nishigaoka, Kita, Tokyo. On April 20, 1984, 22 years after the initial license application, the full-line railway construction license was finally granted. Construction began in 1986, and the line opened in stages beginning in 1991, with the entire line completed in 2000. As a relatively late addition to Tokyo's railway network, the Namboku Line is characterized by its generally deep underground stations.
Under the original construction plan, the first phase was to cover the section between Komagome and Akabane-Iwabuchi, while the second phase was to cover the section between Meguro and Komagome. However, the second phase was subsequently divided into two sections: Tameike-Sanno–Komagome (Phase 2-1) and Meguro–Tameike-Sanno (Phase 2-2). As a result, construction was ultimately carried out in three sections.
Construction of the first-phase section proceeded without major delays. The second-phase sections, however, were delayed by the excavation of archaeological sites, including Edo-period remains discovered between Tameike-Sanno and Iidabashi, as well as opposition and NIMBYs from local residents, particularly in the vicinity of Shirokanedai Station. Consequently, the planned date for completion of the entire line was substantially postponed, from September 1995 to September 2000.
Opening The first segment from to opened on 29 November 1991.
The line initially operated with four-car EMUs. Upon its extension to Yotsuya in March 1996, the formations were extended to six cars. On 1 April 2022, eight-car trains began operating on the line.
The extension to was completed in September 1997, and the last stretch from Tameike-Sanno to Meguro was completed on 26 September 2000, when through service to the Tokyu Meguro Line started. Through service with the Saitama Rapid Railway Line commenced when it opened in March 2001 and accommodated traffic to and from Saitama Stadium during the 2002 World Cup. Although the Saitama Line is more or less a northern extension of the Namboku Line, it nevertheless remains a private entity to which the Namboku Line offers through services with.
The Namboku Line was inherited by Tokyo Metro after the privatization of the Teito Rapid Transit Authority (TRTA) in 2004.
Effective the timetable revision on 18 March 2023, through services onto the Sagami Railway commenced courtesy of the Tokyu and Sotetsu Shin-Yokohama Line. Most southbound services past Hiyoshi continue as far south as Shin-Yokohama and Ebina.
Stations
All stations are located in Tokyo. All services stop at all stations.
StationNo.StationJapaneseDistance (km)TransfersLocationBetweenstationsFrom N-01↑ Through-services to/from: ↑ , , via via via , via via 目黒Meguro is shared by Toei, Tokyo Metro, and Tokyu Corporation; Tokyu Corporation manages the station. –0.0Shinagawa白金台Shirokanedai and Shirokane-Takanawa are shared by Toei and Tokyo Metro; Tokyo Metro manages both stations.1.31.3 (I-02; shared)Minato白金高輪1.02.3 (I-03; shared)麻布十番1.33.6 (E-22)六本木一丁目1.24.8 (: H-04)溜池山王0.95.7Chiyoda永田町0.96.6四ツ谷1.37.9Shinjuku市ケ谷1.08.9飯田橋1.110.0後楽園1.411.4Bunkyō東大前1.312.7 本駒込0.913.6 駒込1.415.0 (JY10)Toshima西ケ原1.416.4 Kita王子1.017.4王子神谷1.218.6 志茂1.620.2 赤羽岩淵Akabane-iwabuchi is shared by Tokyo Metro and Saitama Rapid Railway; Tokyo Metro manages the station.1.121.3 (SR19)↓ Through-services to/from , via ↓
Rolling stock Tokyo Metro 9000 series 6/8-car EMUs Tokyu 3000 series 8-car EMUs Tokyu 5080 series 8-car EMUs Tokyu 3020 series 8-car EMUs Saitama Rapid Railway 2000 series 6-car EMUs Sotetsu 21000 series 8-car EMUs
Future plans On 28 January 2022, Tokyo Metro announced that a spur line from Shirokane-takanawa to Shinagawa would be built. The extension is expected to cost and scheduled to begin revenue service in the mid-2030s. It is intended to increase connections to and from the Chūō Shinkansen, which is scheduled to open for service as early as 2035.
References
Shaw, Dennis and Morioka, Hisashi, "Tokyo Subways", published 1992 by Hoikusha Publishing
External links
Namboku Line Official Website