Blue Line (Yokohama)

Blue Line
A 3000A series train in July 2015
Overview
Type	Rapid transit
System	Yokohama Municipal Subway
Locale	Yokohama
Termini	Shōnandai Azamino
Stations	32
Daily ridership	513,897 daily (FY2014)
Line number	1 & 3
Operation
Opened	December 16, 1972
Owner	Yokohama Municipal Subway
Depot(s)	Kaminagaya, Nippa
Rolling stock	3000 series
Technical
Line length	40.4 km (25.1 mi) (Line 1: 19.7 km, Line 3: 20.7 km)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in)
Electrification	750 V DC, third rail
Operating speed	80 km/h (50 mph)

The Yokohama Blue Line (ブルーライン Burū Rain) is a 40.4 km (25.1 mi) line in the Yokohama Municipal Subway system of Yokohama, Japan, operated by Yokohama City Transportation Bureau. Line 3 runs from Azamino to Kannai, and Line 1 runs from Kannai to Shōnandai. All the trains join these two lines. This is the second-longest subway line in Japan at 40.4 km after the 40.7 km long Toei Ōedo Line in Tokyo.

Station list

• Local trains stop at all stations.
• Rapid trains stop at stations marked "●" and pass those marked "｜".

Line	No.	Station	Japanese	Distance (km)	Rapid	Transfers	Location
3	B32	Azamino	あざみ野	0.0	●	Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line	Aoba-ku, Yokohama
	B31	Nakagawa	中川	1.5	●		Tsuzuki-ku, Yokohama
	B30	Center Kita	センター北	3.1	●	Green Line (Yokohama Municipal Subway Line 4)
	B29	Center Minami	センター南	4.0	●	Green Line (Yokohama Municipal Subway Line 4)
	B28	Nakamachidai	仲町台	6.3	●
	B27	Nippa	新羽	8.6	●		Kōhoku-ku, Yokohama
	B26	Kita Shin-yokohama	北新横浜	9.6	｜
	B25	Shin-Yokohama	新横浜	10.9	●	Tokaido Shinkansen, Yokohama Line
	B24	Kishine-kōen	岸根公園	12.5	｜
	B23	Katakurachō	片倉町	13.7	｜		Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama
	B22	Mitsuzawa-kamichō	三ツ沢上町	15.6	｜
	B21	Mitsuzawa-shimochō	三ツ沢下町	16.5	｜
	B20	Yokohama	横浜	17.9	●	Tokaido Main Line, Yokosuka Line, Keihin-Tohoku Line, Negishi Line, Keikyu Main Line, Tokyu Toyoko Line, Sagami Railway Main Line, Minatomirai Line	Nishi-ku, Yokohama
	B19	Takashimachō	高島町	18.8	｜
	B18	Sakuragichō	桜木町	20.0	●	Negishi Line	Naka-ku, Yokohama
	B17	Kannai	関内	20.7	●	Negishi Line
1
	B16	Isezakichōjamachi	伊勢佐木長者町	21.4	｜
	B15	Bandōbashi	阪東橋	22.3	｜		Minami-ku, Yokohama
	B14	Yoshinochō	吉野町	22.8	｜
	B13	Maita	蒔田	23.9	｜
	B12	Gumyōji	弘明寺	25.0	｜
	B11	Kami-Ōoka	上大岡	26.6	●	Keikyu Main Line	Kōnan-ku, Yokohama
	B10	Kōnan-Chūō	港南中央	27.7	｜
	B09	Kaminagaya	上永谷	29.4	●
	B08	Shimonagaya	下永谷	30.7	｜
	B07	Maioka	舞岡	31.4	｜		Totsuka-ku, Yokohama
	B06	Totsuka	戸塚	33.0	●	Tokaido Main Line Yokosuka Line Shonan-Shinjuku Line
	B05	Odoriba	踊場	34.7	●		Izumi-ku, Yokohama
	B04	Nakada	中田	35.6	●
	B03	Tateba	立場	36.7	●
	B02	Shimoiida	下飯田	38.8	●
	B01	Shōnandai	湘南台	40.4	●	Odakyu Enoshima Line Sagami Railway Izumino Line	Fujisawa, Kanagawa

Rolling stock

• 3000 series 37 x six-car EMUs (since 1992)

As of 1 April 2016, the line is operated using a fleet of 37 six-car 3000 series EMUs based at Kaminagaya Depot.^[1] The fleet is subdivided into eight first-batch 3000A series sets (numbered 24 to 31), seven second-batch 3000N series sets (numbered 32 to 38), fourteen third-batch 3000R series sets (numbered 39 to 52), and eight fourth-batch 3000S series sets (numbered 53 to 60).^[1]

One fifth-batch 3000V series six-car set is scheduled to be introduced on the line in spring 2017.^[2]

• 

  3000A series set 30 in September 2010

• 

  3000N series set 32 in September 2010

• 

  3000R series set 46 in September 2010

• 

  3000S series set 58 in September 2010

Former

• 1000 series 14 x 6-car EMUs (from December 1972 until November 2006)
• 2000 series 9 x 6-car EMUs (from 1984 until November 2006)

• 

  Preserved 1000 series EMU set 01 in October 2014

• 

  2000 series set 15 in March 2004

History

A train celebrating the extensions to Shin-Yokohama and Maioka in March 1985

The first section of the line opened between Isezakichōjamachi and Kami-Ōoka on December 16, 1972. The subsequent progress of the line was as follows:

• September 4, 1976: The line is extended in both directions. It now runs between Kami-Nagaya and Yokohama. Through service begins between lines 1 and 3.
• March 14, 1985: The line is extended in both directions again. It now runs between Maioka and Shin-Yokohama.
• May 24, 1987: The line is extended from Maioka to a temporary Totsuka Station.
• August 27, 1989: The permanent Totsuka Station opens.
• March 18, 1993: The line is extended from Shin-Yokohama to Azamino.
• August 29, 1999: The line is extended from Totsuka to Shōnandai. Shin-Yokohama-Kita Station becomes Kita-Shin-Yokohama Station.

From July 2015, limited-stop "Rapid" services were introduced on the line, with approximately two services operating per hour during the daytime off-peak. Journey times over the entire length of the line were reduced by up to 10 minutes from the 1 hour 7 minutes taken by all-stations services.^[3]

References

1. 私鉄車両編成表 2016 [Private Railway Rolling Stock Formations - 2016] (in Japanese). Japan: Kotsu Shimbunsha. 25 July 2016. p. 81. ISBN 978-4-330-70116-5.
2. 横浜市営地下鉄ブルーライン、新車「3000V形」デビューへ [New "3000V series" to be introduced on Yokohama Municipal Subway Blue Line]. tetsudo-shimbun.com (in Japanese). Japan: Tetsudo Shimbun. 13 October 2016. Archived from the original on 13 October 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
3. 横浜市営地下鉄ブルーラインに快速　７月から [Rapid trains on Yokohama Subway Blue Line from July]. Asahi Shimbun Digital (in Japanese). Japan: The Asahi Shimbun Company. 12 February 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2015.

External links

• Official website