Misato City Tram
RifuObaThe Misato City Tram is the tram network serving the Lamtsu Capital City. It consists of 7 routes operating over 4 tram lines, and is operated by Lamtsu Rapid Transit.
Lines
- 1. Otaki Light Rail to SMRT Misato
- 2. SMRT Misato to Obaira
- 3. Lamtsu-Ikeda
- 4. Higashi-Kata-Rifu
Routes
| No. | Route |
|---|---|
| 1. | Otaki Light Rail - SMRT Misato |
| 2. | Obaira - SMRT Misato |
| 3. | Rifu-Rifu (Via Obaira and SMRT Misato) |
| 4. | Lamtsu-Rifu |
| 5. | Lamtsu-SMRT Misato |
| 6. | Lamtsu-Obaira (Via Kata) |
| 7. | Rifu-SMRT Misato |
History
The Misato City Tram is a tram network that has been operating in Misato City from 1912 to 1943 and the Lamtsu Capital City from 1943 to the present day. At it's peak in 1964, the Misato City Tram operated trams from Sasaguri to Meguro and , some of which have been converted into metro lines (such as the Meguro Line) and moved under the road as road traffic increased. The tram network is the oldest continuously operating public transport in Lamtsu, with the original route from Obaira to Misato having been in operation for more than a 100 years (now route 2).
The first tram route ran on Misato High Street on the side of the road, unlike the current arrangement which has the tram run in the middle of the road. This is why the current trams still have side platform arrangements. This line was built by the Misato City government, and therefore was given permission to run on the centre of the road.
The second tram route from Otaki to Misato was built by a private company, and was not built on an existing road. This new alignment required the crossing of the Misato River, and uses island platforms. This was the only line built by this company, and to this day, the differences in platform sides causes issues with running trams through these 2 networks, which although are physically connected, are not joined by services.
The tram reached it's lowest point in 1979, shortly after the opening of the Yurakucho Line, and the eastern sections of the tram network that ran on top of the Yurakucho Line were sold for scrap. The line to Lamtsu was also closed due to low traffic owing to the electrification of the Yamate Line, and the section that ran from Kata to Lamtsu Port was also closed as the quadruple-tracking of the Namboku Line corridor from Misato to Lamtsu resulted in the closure of many roads.
The tram network saw a revival in 2006 with it's purchase by Misato City Railway, who re-expanded the network to 23km, building a new line parallel to the Tozai Line from Nishi-Rifu to Lamtsu to relieve congestion on that section. The line from Lamtsu to Shin-Kata (Moseushi Station) was also built, and the Main Line from Obaira to Misato was extended upwards to Nyuzen. The southern section from Obaira to Yamate also started on reconstruction, but it was very quickly cancelled due to MCR's declining finances caused by the policies of Hiroshi Yamaguchi.