Seishin-Yamate Line
The Seishin-Yamate Line (西神山手線, Seishin-Yamate-sen), also known as the "Midori no U-Line" (みどりのUライン), is one of two lines of Kobe Municipal Subway that links the central district and suburbs of Kobe. The line color is green.
Seishin-Yamate Line | |||
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A 3000 series train in 2015 | |||
Overview | |||
Other name(s) | Midori no U-Line | ||
Native name | 西神山手線 | ||
Type | Rapid transit | ||
System | |||
Status | Operational | ||
Locale | Kobe | ||
Termini | Shin-Kobe Seishin-Chuo | ||
Stations | 16 | ||
Operation | |||
Opened | March 13, 1977 | ||
Owner | Kobe Municipal Transportation Bureau | ||
Technical | |||
Line length | 22.7 km (14.1 mi) | ||
Number of tracks | 2 | ||
Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) | ||
Electrification | 1,500 V DC, overhead catenary | ||
Operating speed | 90 km/h (55 mph)[1] | ||
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Service pattern
The line has a reciprocal through service with the Hokushin Kyuko Electric Railway; all trains run between either Tanigami or Shin-Kobe and Seishin-chūō, stopping at every station. During rush hours, additional trains run between Shin-Kobe and Myōdani.
History
On October 15, 1971, a railway license was issued to the Kobe Municipal Transportation Bureau to build a subway line linking the Myōdani district to the Shin-Kobe Shinkansen station; construction on the first segment of that line began on November 25 of that year. The first segment of the subway (between Shin-Nagata and Myodani, known as the Seishin Line) opened on March 13, 1977; a second segment of the line (between Shin-Nagata and Okurayama, known as the Yamate Line) opened on February 17, 1982. The line was extended to Shin-Kobe on June 18, 1985; a western extension to Gakuen-toshi (from Myodani) opened that same day. On March 18, 1987, the final segment of the subway line opened between Gakuen-toshi and Seishin-chūō.
The Hokushin Kyuko Electric Railway opened on April 2, 1988, providing service between Tanigami and Shin-Kobe. An infill station (Seishin-minami) opened in between Seishin-chūō and Ikawadani stations on March 20, 1993, expanding the line to a total of 16 stations. On January 17, 1995, the subway line was shut down due to damage caused by the Great Hanshin earthquake; the line resumed operation with limited service between Seishin-chūō and Itayado the following day, along with the entirety of the Hokushin Kyuko line. Limited service was resumed across the entire line on February 16, and full service was restored in March 1995 after repairs were completed, albeit with speed restrictions remaining in place until July 21 of that year.
The subway began to accept the Surotto Kansai smart card in October 1999; it would start accepting PiTaPa in October 2006.
Women-only cars began to be used on the subway line from December 16, 2002. Currently, one car heading in the direction of Seishin-chūō (car number 4) is reserved for women only; the restriction applies throughout the entire day.
Women-only car | |||||||
←Seishin-chūō | Shin-Kobe Tanigami→ | ||||||
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Stations
Name | No. | Name | Japanese | Distance (km) from Shin-Kobe |
Transfers | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hokushin Line | S01 | Tanigami | 谷上 | –7.5 | Shintetsu Arima Line | Kita-ku |
Seishin-Yamate Line | S02 | Shin-Kobe | 新神戸 | 0.0 | Sanyo Shinkansen | Chuo-ku |
S03 | Sannomiya | 三宮 | 1.3 |
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S04 | Kenchōmae | 県庁前 | 2.2 | |||
S05 | Ōkurayama | 大倉山 (湊川神社前) |
3.3 | |||
S06 | Minatogawa-Kōen | 湊川公園 (川崎病院前) |
4.3 | Hyōgo-ku | ||
S07 | Kamisawa | 上沢 | 5.3 | |||
S08 | Nagata (Nagatajinjamae) | 長田(長田神社前) | 6.1 | Kobe Kosoku Line (Kosoku-Nagata Station) | Nagata-ku | |
S09 | Shin-Nagata | 新長田(鉄人28号前) | 7.6 |
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S10 | Itayado | 板宿 (滝川中学・高等学校前) |
8.8 | Sanyo Railway Main Line | ||
S11 | Myōhōji | 妙法寺 | 11.7 | Suma-ku | ||
S12 | Myōdani | 名谷 | 13.3 | |||
S13 | Sōgō Undō Kōen | 総合運動公園 | 15.1 | |||
S14 | Gakuen-Toshi | 学園都市 | 16.8 | Nishi-ku | ||
S15 | Ikawadani | 伊川谷 | 18.4 | |||
S16 | Seishin-Minami | 西神南 | 20.1 | |||
S17 | Seishin-Chuo | 西神中央 | 22.7 |
Rolling stock
- 1000 series (since 1977) (18 sets)
- 2000 series (since 1988) (4 sets)
- 3000 series (since 1992) (6 sets)
- 6000 series (2018 debut)
- Hokushin Kyuko Electric Railway 7000 series (since 1988) (5 sets)
All trains are based at Tanigami and Myōdani Depots.
A fleet of new trains (known as the 6000 series) is to be introduced on the line between fiscal 2018 and 2022; these trains will replace all existing trains on the line. Built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, the design of the new trains will be overseen by Ken Okuyama Design.[2]
See also
References
- Terada, Hirokazu (19 January 2013). データブック日本の私鉄 [Databook: Japan's Private Railways] (in Japanese). Japan: Neko Publishing. p. 154. ISBN 978-4-7770-1336-4.
- 神戸市交通局,新形車両デザインのデザイン案を公開 [Kobe Municipal Transportation Bureau publishes proposed designs for new trains]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 17 October 2016. Archived from the original on 17 October 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2016.