Yurakucho Line
| Status | Operational |
|---|---|
| Owner | Lamtsu Metro |
| Locale | Lamtsu |
| Termini | Sasaguri (de jure)
Mihara (de facto) Nishi-Oshamambe |
| Stations | 11 |
| Initials | YKC |
| Type | Urban Rapid Transit |
|---|---|
| Operator(s) | Lamtsu Metro |
| Depot(s) | Oshamambe Depot |
| Rolling stock | SP100B |
| Opened | 1993 |
|---|
| Track gauge | 1435mm |
|---|---|
| Electrification | 25kv AC |
| Operating speed | 80km/h |
The Lamtsu Metro Yurakucho Line (有楽町線) is a Rapid Transit line in the Lamtsu Capital City, owned and operated by Lamtsu Metro. The line gets it's name from the Yurakucho District under which it runs. The line runs in an unclosed loop between Sasaguri and Nishi-Oshamambe. The Yurakucho Line carried an average of 932,028 Passengers in 2019, the highest of all the Lamtsu Metro lines. On maps, diagrams and signboards, the line is shown with the colour pale orange, and the station numbers are given the prefix -Y. Every station on the line has a transfer to another line, or to the Tram Network.
Overview
The Yurakucho Line features through service to the Mihara Line on the western end, from Sasaguri. Through Service trains stop at Tsuwano, skipping Higashi-Mihara. All trains run through to Mihara, making the line a popular alternative for commuters from the east, preventing multiple transfers from Otaki to Misato (Either via the Yamate Line or Tram Line 3). The line was built to serve commuters to the west all the way back in 1973, before the opening of the Mihara Line. Through service commenced in 1993, when the section between Sasaguri and Tsuwano was quadruple-tracked due to differences in voltage between the Yurakucho Line and the Mihara Line.
The Yurakucho Line is the most overcrowded line in Lamtsu, with the section between Sasaguri and Hikawa running at 187% capacity in 2019. There is some dispute if the line is the most crowded in the continent, with some figures rating the Joestu Line (City Section) at 199%. First-Class cars were abolished in 2007 to deal with crowding on the line.
History
The Yurakucho Line was initially called "Line 2", until Lamtsu Metro was privatised in 1986, after which the line was extended to Yurakucho and that became it's namesake. Despite the name, the Yurakucho section of the line sees little usage compared to the north-west section. The line was initially planned between Higashi-Misato and Minami-Iizuna (Iizuna Station), and was designed to relieve traffic on the Iizuna Line (Limited to Single-Track and 60km/h due to the heritage and cultural value of the area, which has since declined significantly) all the way back in 1978. However, due to the announcement of the Mihara Line later that year, the plan changed to terminate at Sasaguri with the Mihara Line. Although this route is also served by a combination of the Yamate Line, Namboku Line and Mihara Line, the Yurakucho Line continues to operate over-capacity due to the convenience of this route.
The Yurakucho Line was built using cut-and-cover from Sasaguri to Yurakucho, hence it runs under many roads along it's route. The line also has only 4 cars (the lowest on the network excluding the Rinkai Line) as the original plan included through service from the Mihara Line (Local) from Tai Hing Forest. This was abandoned as Lamtsu Metro could not reach an agreement with HRT (Lamtsu).
The Yurakucho Line opened between Sasaguri and Higashi-Misato in 1978. The section from Higashi-Misato to Rifu opened in 1979, and was extended to Yurakucho in 1986. The Yurakucho Line was extended to Ginza via Oshamambe in 2015, hence it terminates at the deep-level platforms at Ginza. This section of the line is also significantly less crowded than the northern section. Through Service to the Mihara Line - The first on the continent between a subway operator and a major railway, began in 1993. This is a rare situation in Joban, although it is relatively common in Lamtsu.
It has been proposed to remove the through service past Tsuwano, as it is causing congestion on the Mihara Line. Therefore, the Yurakucho Line will terminate instead at Misato-Wan-Kita once the upgrade is complete.
Services
| Jap | Name | Code | Distance | Between | Transfers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 美宮 | Misato-Wan-Kita | Y00 | 0.0 | - | Rinkai Line |
| 津和野 | Tsuwano | MH04 | 0.5 | 0.5 | Mihara Line |
| 篠栗 | Sasaguri | Y01 | 1.7 | 1.2 | Mihara Line |
| 入善 | Nyuzen | Y02 | 2.6 | 0.9 | Namboku Line |
| 氷川 | Hikawa | Y03 | 3.4 | 0.8 | Yamate Line |
| 西美里 | Higashi-Misato | Y04 | 4.0 | 0.6 | Misato City Tram |
| 利府 | Rifu | Y05 | 4.5 | 0.5 | Tozai Line |
| 有楽 | Yurakucho | Y06 | 4.9 | 0.4 | Otaki Line |
| 飯田橋 | Obaira | Y09 | 5.6 | 0.7 | Misato City Tram |
| 長万部 | Oshamambe | Y10 | 6.4 | 0.8 | Yamate Line |
| 銀座 | Ginza | Y12 | 7.1 | 0.7 | Otaki Line |
Rolling Stock
HRT SP100B