Ginza Line

Ginza Line

File:Ginzaline.png

General

Status	Operational
Owner	Lamtsu Metro
Locale	Lamtsu Capital City
Termini	Lamtsu Station Otaki Station
Stations	5
Initials	G

Service

Type	Rapid Transit
Operator(s)	Lamtsu Metro
Depot(s)	Ofuna Depot

History

Opened	1962

Technical

Line Length	2.7km
Track gauge	1435mm
Electrification	1500V DC Overhead
Operating speed	80km/h

Route Map

File:Ginzalinemap.png

The Ginza Line is a line of the Lamtsu Metro, from Lamtsu to Ofuna. The line is named after the Ginza Financial district, which was the original terminus of the line until it was extended to Lamtsu. The line competes with the Yamate Line for transport across the loop and offers through services with the Azusa Main Line. It is the second-oldest line in the Lamtsu Metro network, being built by Shimakyu in 1962. While on maps the Ginza Line is shown as an entire section from Lamtsu to Ofuna, only the section between Lamtsu and Ginza and Yurakucho and Ofuna do not share tracks with the Otaki Line.

Overview

The Ginza Line is the shortest line in Lamtsu, at a length of 2.7km. This extremely short distance makes it quite impractical as a railway line, and most of the commuters who take this line were already on trains bound for Ginza via this line. Thus, the ridership of this line is also the lowest of the Lamtsu Metro, with a daily ridership of merely 102,273 in 2023. However, crowding on the line is also the least of all the Lamtsu Metro lines, with trains running at an average crowding of 70% during peak hour. This is the only Lamtsu Metro line that does directly turn a profit, however the operating costs are covered by fees paid by the Azusa Dentetsu to operate their trains into the line.

Stations

Name	JP	Distance	Between	Transfers
Lamtsu	楠梓	0.0	-	Yamate Line Namboku Line Tozai Line Mihara Line
Ginza	銀座	0.4	0.4	Otaki Line Meguro Line Yurakucho Line
Chikatetsu-Nishiyurakyucho	地下鉄西有楽町	1.1	0.7	Otaki Line
Yurakucho	楽町	1.9	0.8	Otaki Line Yurakucho Line
Ofuna	大船	2.8	0.9	Yamate Line Azusa Main Line

History

The Ginza Line was originally opened as an extension to the Otaki Line (then part of the main line of the Shimakyu Railway) to Ofuna, where they had plans to link up to the new southern main line being built by Azusa Dentetsu, which they planned to purchase after the line had been built. However, the Azusa Main Line was not profitable upon it's opening, and thus the Sakura Railway Company opted not to purchase Azusa Dentetsu. Thus, the Ginza Line terminates under Ofuna Station.

The line operated as a shuttle between Yurakucho Station and Ofuna station upon it's original opening, following the addition of another platform at Yurakucho station. in 1974, signalling improvements on the line allowed Ginza Line trains to run straight through to Ginza station. Through service was not possible until 2001, when the Azusa New Line was built, which linked the Ginza Line to the Azusa Main Line and allowing through service. However, due to a lack of timetabling space, Azusa Dentetsu trains terminated at Yurakucho, while Shimakyu trains on the Otaki Line ran through to Ginza.

There was a period of time between 2003 and 2008 when both Azusa Dentetsu and Shimakyu were having price competition wars with one another over the coveted link to Ginza station, with Azusa Dentetsu offering 10% of it's yearly profit in order to not have to use the transfer at Yurakucho. The price competition stabilised in 2008 when the Shima Line was extended to SMRT Misato, and trains were rerouted from the Otaki Line to terminate there instead.