Kyoto Municipal Subway

Kyoto Municipal Subway
A 20 series train
A 20 series train
Overview
Native name京都市営地下鉄
LocaleKyoto, Japan
Transit typeRapid transit
Number of lines2
Number of stations31
Daily ridership397,000 (2018)[1]
WebsiteWebsite
Operation
Began operation29 May 1981 (1981-05-29)
Operator(s)Kyoto Municipal Transportation Bureau
Technical
System length31.2 km (19.4 mi)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification1,500 V DC overhead catenary
Top speed75 km/h (47 mph)

The Kyoto Municipal Subway (京都市営地下鉄, Kyōto-shiei chikatetsu), also known as the Kyoto City Subway, is the rapid transit network in the city of Kyoto, Japan. Operated by the Kyoto Municipal Transportation Bureau, it has two lines.

History

In 1931, the Kyoto City Civil Engineering Bureau proposed a municipal development plan that included the construction of a “high-speed railway” along either the Horikawa Line (堀川線) or the Nishioji Line (西大路線), with a connection to Kyoto Station. At the time, the precise form of this system had not been defined, and possibilities included an underground railway, a monorail, or a surface line built on a dedicated right-of-way.[2]

By 1939, amid growing international tensions during the World War II, the head of Kyoto City’s urban planning department advocated for formal study of a subway system, reportedly noting that air battles would occur, highlighting concerns over the vulnerability of surface transportation. In July of that year, the issue became a subject of debate at the Fourth Subcommittee of the Greater Kyoto Development Council (大京都振興審議会).[2]

In 1965, the Kyoto City Transportation Business Council, chaired by Eiji Yonetani, Professor Emeritus of Kyoto University released a report concluding that, in the long term, Kyoto’s urban transportation system should transition to a framework centered on subways and buses, with the gradual abolition of the streetcar network. Building on this assessment, the Kyoto City Long-Term Development Plan announced in August 1966 identified streetcars as a significant impediment to road traffic flow amid rising motorization.[3]

On October 24, 1972, the Minister of Transport granted Kyoto City a license to operate a local railway, authorizing construction of the Karasuma Line between Kitayama and Takeda.[4] The initial plan envisioned the full opening of the Kitayama–Takeda corridor by March 1978. However, worsening municipal finances and prolonged land acquisition negotiations, particularly in the sections between Kitayama and Kitaōji, and between Kyoto and Takeda necessitated a revision of the construction schedule. As a result, the Kitaōji–Kyoto segment was designated as a priority development area and advanced ahead of the remaining sections.[5]

A groundbreaking ceremony for the project was held on November 29, 1974, marking the formal start of construction. The first operational section of the Karasuma Line, running between Kitaōji Station and Kyoto Station, commenced service on May 29, 1981.[6]

Lines

The Kyoto Municipal Subway is made up of two lines: the 13.7-kilometer (8.5 mi) long, 15-station Karasuma Line, and the 17.5-kilometer (10.9 mi) long, 17-station Tōzai Line, which together share one interchange station (Karasuma Oike Station):[7]

Color & Icon Mark Name First section
opened 		Last ex-
tension 		Length Stations
Green K - Karasuma Line 1981 1997 13.7 km (8.5 mi) 15
- Via trackage rights Kintetsu Kyōto Line 1988[a] 2000 31.0 km (19.3 mi) 22[b]
Kintetsu Nara Line 2000[c] - 4.4 km (2.7 mi) 3[d]
Vermilion T - Tōzai Line 1997[e] 2004 8.7 km (5.4 mi) 8
Via trackage rights 1997[f] - 3.4 km (2.1 mi) 3[g]
- 1997[h] - 3.0 km (1.9 mi) 4[i]
- 2008[j] - 2.4 km (1.5 mi) 2[k]
Total 31.2 km (19.4 mi) 31

Rolling stock

Karasuma Line

  • Kyoto Municipal Subway 10 series
    Kyoto Municipal Subway 10 series
  • Kyoto Municipal Subway 20 series
    Kyoto Municipal Subway 20 series
  • Kintetsu 3200 series
    Kintetsu 3200 series
  • Kintetsu 3220 series
    Kintetsu 3220 series

Tozai Line

  • Kyoto Municipal Subway 50 series and Keihan 800 series
    Kyoto Municipal Subway 50 series and Keihan 800 series

Stations

Main article: List of Kyoto Municipal Subway stations

Network map

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Between Takeda Station and Yamato-Saidaiji Station.
  2. ^ Including Takeda Station.
  3. ^ Between Yamato-Saidaiji Station and Kintetsu Nara Station.
  4. ^ Including Yamato-Saidaiji Station.
  5. ^ Between Rokujizō Station and Misasagi Station.
  6. ^ Between Misasagi Station and Sanjō Keihan Station; owned by Kyoto High-Speed Rail.
  7. ^ Including Keage Station, Higashiyama Station and Sanjō Keihan Station, but not including Misasagi Station.
  8. ^ Between Sanjō Keihan Station and Nijō Station.
  9. ^ Including Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae Station, Nijōjō-mae Station and Nijō Station, and the Karasuma Oike interchange station (previously counted with the Karasuma Line), but not including Sanjō Keihan Station.
  10. ^ Between Nijō Station and Uzumasa Tenjingawa Station.
  11. ^ Including Nishiōji Oike Station and Uzumasa Tenjingawa Station.

References

  1. ^ "市バス・地下鉄のお客様数について" (in Japanese). Archived from the original on June 8, 2021. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  2. ^ a b Kyoto Shimbun (2008). 京都市電物語 : 思い出のアルバム [Kyoto City Tram Story: An Album of Memories] (in Japanese). 京都新聞出版センター (Kyoto Shimbun Publishing Center). pp. 50–51.
  3. ^ Kyoto Shimbun (2008). 京都市電物語 : 思い出のアルバム [Kyoto City Tram Story: An Album of Memories] (in Japanese). 京都新聞出版センター (Kyoto Shimbun Publishing Center). pp. 78–79.
  4. ^ Kyoto Municipal Transportation Bureau. 京都市高速鉄道烏丸線建設小史 [A brief history of the construction of the Kyoto Municipal Subway Karasuma Line] (in Japanese). Kyoto Municipal Transportation Bureau. pp. 47–56.
  5. ^ Kyoto Municipal Transportation Bureau. 京都市高速鉄道烏丸線建設小史 [A brief history of the construction of the Kyoto Municipal Subway Karasuma Line] (in Japanese). Kyoto Municipal Transportation Bureau. pp. 89–90.
  6. ^ Kyoto Municipal Transportation Bureau. 京都市高速鉄道烏丸線建設小史 [A brief history of the construction of the Kyoto Municipal Subway Karasuma Line] (in Japanese). Kyoto Municipal Transportation Bureau. pp. 96–99.
  7. ^ "Kyoto Municipal Subway". Japan Subway Association.

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