Seibu Yamaguchi Line

The Yamaguchi Line (山口線, Yamaguchi-sen) of Seibu Railway is a 2.8 km (1.7 mi) manually-driven rubber-tyred people mover that runs between Tamako in Higashimurayama, Tokyo and Seibukyūjō-mae in Tokorozawa, Saitama in Japan. The line has an official nickname Leo Liner, after 'Leo', the hero of Kimba the White Lion, who is also the mascot of Saitama Seibu Lions baseball team. The line is the only people mover that is operated by one of Japan's major private railway companies.

Seibu Yamaguchi Line
Leo Liner
Overview
Other name(s)	Leo Liner
Native name	山口線
Termini	Tamako Seibukyūjō-mae
Stations	3
Service
Type	People mover
System	Seibu Railway
Operator(s)	Seibu Railway
Rolling stock	3 Seibu 8500 series EMUs
History
Opened	1950 (1950)
Reopened	1985-04-25 (as People Mover)
Technical
Line length	2.8 km (1.7 mi)
Number of tracks	Single
Track gauge	1,700 mm (5 ft 7 in)
Electrification	750 V DC Third rail
Operating speed	50 km/h (31 mph)
Route map Legend 0.0 SY01 Tamako Tokyo Saitama Prefecture 0.3 SY02 Seibuen-yūenchi 1.0 Higashi-Nakamine signal field[ja] Yamaguchi Depot 2.8 SY03 Seibukyūjō-mae This diagram: view talk edit

History

In 1950, the predecessor of the line opened as an attraction ride called Fantasy Train (おとぎ列車, Otogi Ressha), running through the amusement area developed by Seibu Railway and its allies. Battery-powered locomotives were used at the time, running on 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) gauge track. In 1952, it legally became a train line, with the official name Seibu Yamaguchi Line. In 1984, the steam and battery powered railway closed for the line to be converted to a people mover. The next year, the new people mover line opened, mostly along the same route.

Rolling stock

Current

From the opening of the people mover line in 1985, the line has operated three 4-car Seibu 8500 series [ja] trains.^[1]

Future

On January 22, 2025, Seibu Railway and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries both announced a new order for 3 x 4-car trains to replace the Seibu 8500 series.^[1][2]

The trains, to be built between and 2025 and 2027,^[1] will "boost capacity and improve passenger convenience" and "respond to diverse passenger needs through the addition of wheelchair spaces, children's seats, and information displays".^[2] The trains will consist mostly of longitudinal seats (referred to in Japan as "long seats"), instead of the transverse seats ("cross seats") fitted to the 8500 series, to maximise capacity during baseball games and concerts at Belluna Dome. The first trainset will represent the Saitama Seibu Lions baseball team, with the interior featuring the team's colours and the exterior of the first car will have a large image of the line's mascot Leo.^[2]

Services

All services on the Seibu Yamaguchi Line are Local trains, stopping at all stations.

As of January 2025^[update], services run every 20-30 minutes. The line operates between approximately 7am and 10:30pm every day, with a running time of 7-8 minutes.^[3]

During major sporting events and concerts at venues along the line, trains operate every 10 minutes with trains passing on the single-track line at Higashi-Nakamine signal station [ja] where a passing loop is installed.

Stations

No.	Station name	Japanese	Transfers	Nearest facilities	Location
SY01	Tamako	多摩湖	Seibu Tamako Line	Seibuen Golf Course,[Note 1] Seibuen Keirin Course,[4][Note 1] Tama Lake (Murayama Reservoir)	Higashimurayama, Tokyo
SY02	Seibuen-yūenchi	西武園ゆうえんち		Seibuen Amusement Park	Tokorozawa, Saitama
SY03	Seibukyūjō-mae	西武球場前	Seibu Sayama Line	Seibu Dome, Sayama Lakeside Cemetery, Sayama Ski Resort, Seibu Dome Tennis Court, "Unesco Village" (Lily Park)[5]

1. Seibuen Station on Seibu Seibuen Line is closer.