Tōbu Urban Park Line

The Tobu Urban Park Line (東武アーバンパークライン, Tōbu Ābanpāku-rain), formally known as the Tobu Noda Line (東武野田線, Tōbu Noda-sen), is a 62.7 km (39.0 mi) long railway line in Saitama and Chiba Prefectures operated by the Japanese private railway company Tobu Railway. It connects the satellite cities of Tokyo, such as Saitama, Kasukabe, Noda, Nagareyama, Matsudo, Kamagaya, Kashiwa, and Funabashi.^[2]

Tobu Urban Park Line
TD
Tobu 60000 series, August 2020
Overview
Other name(s)	Tobu Noda Line
Native name	東武アーバンパークライン
Owner	Tobu Railway
Locale	Kantō Region
Termini	Ōmiya Funabashi
Stations	35
Service
Type	Commuter rail
Depot(s)	Nanakōdai
Rolling stock	Tobu 8000 series, Tobu 10000 series, Tobu 60000 series
Daily ridership	448,528 (FY2010)[1]
History
Opened	1911; 113 years ago (1911)
Technical
Line length	62.7 km (39.0 mi)
Number of tracks	Double (Ōmiya - Kasukabe, Unga - Funabashi) Single (remainder)
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	1,500 V DC, overhead catenary
Operating speed	100 km/h (60 mph)
Route map Legend New Shuttle Joetsu Shinkansen, Tohoku Shinkansen Saikyo Line / Kawagoe Line Tohoku Main Line / Takasaki Line Keihin-Tohoku Line 0.0 Ōmiya 1.2 Kita-Ōmiya Tohoku Main Line 2.2 Ōmiya-kōen 4.0 Ōwada 5.6 Nanasato Kakura abandoned in 1950 8.5 Iwatsuki Shibue 10.9 Higashi-Iwatsuki 12.2 Toyoharu 14.1 Yagisaki Tobu Skytree Line 15.2 Kasukabe Skytree Line Doi abandoned in 1947 17.8 Fujino-ushijima Naganuma abandoned in 1956 20.6 Minami-Sakurai Edo River 22.9 Kawama Nanakōdai depot 25.1 Nanakōdai 26.6 Shimizu-kōen 27.7 Atago 28.6 Nodashi 30.9 Umesato 33.2 Unga 35.1 Edogawadai 36.8 Hatsuishi Tsukuba Express Nagareyama-Ōtakanomori 39.7 Toyoshiki Kita-Kashiwa abandoned in 1955 42.9 Kashiwa Jōban Line Jōban Line 45.8 Shin-Kashiwa 47.1 Masuo 48.0 Sakasai 50.2 Takayanagi 51.9 Mutsumi 53.3 Shin-Kamagaya Hokusō Line Shin-Keisei Line Hatsutomi 55.2 Kamagaya 57.7 Magomezawa 60.1 Tsukada 61.3 Shin-Funabashi Kaijin Bypass abandoned in 1934 Keisei Main Line Tōyō Rapid Line 62.7 Funabashi Sōbu Main Line Chūō-Sōbu Line Keisei Main Line Keisei-Funabashi

Operation

All trains were initially operated as all-stations "Local" services. Most trains, excluding a few from/to train depots, originate or terminate at Kashiwa Station which has a switchback. During the daytime, six trains run per hour.

From 26 March 2016, limited-stop "Express" services were introduced on the line. During the daytime off-peak, these run at 30-minute intervals, stopping only at Iwatsuki between Ōmiya and Kasukabe, and all-stations between Kasukabe and Funabashi. The journey time between Omiya and Kasukabe is reduced by 6 minutes compared with all-stations "Local" services.^[3]

Stations

Abbreviations:

•   L = Local (普通, Futsū)
•   S = Section Express (区間急行, Kukan Kyūkō)
•   E = Express (急行, Kyūkō)
•   UPL = Urban Park Liner (アーバンパークライナー, Ābanpākurainā)

No.	Station	Japanese	Distance	L	S	E	UPL	Transfers	Location
TD01	Ōmiya	大宮	0.0 km 0 mi	O	O	O	O	■ Tohoku Shinkansen ■ Akita Shinkansen ■ Yamagata Shinkansen ■ Joetsu Shinkansen ■ Hokuriku Shinkansen ■ Kawagoe Line JK Keihin-Tohoku Line JA Saikyo Line JS Shonan-Shinjuku Line JU Takasaki Line JU Tohoku Main Line (Utsunomiya Line) ■ New Shuttle	Ōmiya-ku, Saitama	Saitama
TD02	Kita-Ōmiya	北大宮	1.2 km 0.75 mi	O	|	|	|
TD03	Ōmiya-kōen	大宮公園	2.2 km 1.4 mi	O	|	|	|
TD04	Ōwada	大和田	4.0 km 2.5 mi	O	|	|	|		Minuma-ku, Saitama
TD05	Nanasato	七里	5.6 km 3.5 mi	O	|	|	|
TD06	Iwatsuki	岩槻	8.5 km 5.3 mi	O	O	O	O		Iwatsuki-ku, Saitama
TD07	Higashi-Iwatsuki	東岩槻	10.9 km 6.8 mi	O	|	|	|
TD08	Toyoharu	豊春	12.2 km 7.6 mi	O	|	|	|		Kasukabe
TD09	Yagisaki	八木崎	14.1 km 8.8 mi	O	|	|	O
TD10	Kasukabe	春日部	15.2 km 9.4 mi	O	O	O	O	TS Tobu Skytree Line
TD11	Fujino-ushijima	藤の牛島	17.8 km 11.1 mi	O	O	O	O
TD12	Minami-Sakurai	南桜井	20.6 km 12.8 mi	O	O	O	O
TD13	Kawama	川間	22.9 km 14.2 mi	O	O	O	O		Noda	Chiba
TD14	Nanakōdai	七光台	25.1 km 15.6 mi	O	O	O	O
TD15	Shimizu-kōen	清水公園	26.6 km 16.5 mi	O	O	O	O
TD16	Atago	愛宕	27.7 km 17.2 mi	O	O	O	O
TD17	Nodashi	野田市	28.6 km 17.8 mi	O	O	O	O
TD18	Umesato	梅郷	30.9 km 19.2 mi	O	O	O	O
TD19	Unga	運河	33.2 km 20.6 mi	O	O	O	O		Nagareyama
TD20	Edogawadai	江戸川台	35.1 km 21.8 mi	O	O	|	|
TD21	Hatsuishi	初石	36.8 km 22.9 mi	O	O	|	|
TD22	Nagareyama-ōtakanomori	流山おおたかの森	38.4 km 23.9 mi	O	O	O	O	Tsukuba Express
TD23	Toyoshiki	豊四季	39.7 km 24.7 mi	O	O	|	|		Kashiwa
TD24	Kashiwa	柏	42.9 km 26.7 mi	O	O	O	O	JJ Jōban Line (Rapid) JL Jōban Line (Local)
TD25	Shin-Kashiwa	新柏	45.8 km 28.5 mi	O		|
TD26	Masuo	増尾	47.1 km 29.3 mi	O		|
TD27	Sakasai	逆井	48.0 km 29.8 mi	O		|
TD28	Takayanagi	高柳	50.2 km 31.2 mi	O		O
TD29	Mutsumi	六実	51.9 km 32.2 mi	O		|			Matsudo
TD30	Shin-Kamagaya	新鎌ヶ谷	53.3 km 33.1 mi	O		O		SL Shin-Keisei Line HS Hokuso Line KS Narita Sky Access Line	Kamagaya
TD31	Kamagaya	鎌ヶ谷	55.2 km 34.3 mi	O		|
TD32	Magomezawa	馬込沢	57.7 km 35.9 mi	O		|			Funabashi
TD33	Tsukada	塚田	60.1 km 37.3 mi	O		|
TD34	Shin-Funabashi	新船橋	61.3 km 38.1 mi	O		|
TD35	Funabashi	船橋	62.7 km 39.0 mi	O		O		JO Sōbu Line (Rapid) JB Chūō-Sōbu Line KS Keisei Main Line (at Keisei Funabashi)

Rolling stock

• 8000 series 6-car (including 2+4-car) EMUs (since 3 June 1977)^[4]
• 10030/10050 series 6-car EMUs (since 20 April 2013)
• 60000 series 6-car EMUs (since 15 June 2013)

Trains are formed of 6-car (or 4+2-car) 8000 series EMUs, introduced from 1997. New 6-car 60000 series EMUs were introduced on the line from 15 June 2013, replacing the older 8000 series sets.^[5][6] Eight sets are scheduled to be delivered by the end of fiscal 2013.^[7]

From 3 March 2012, test running using 10030 series EMUs commenced on the line,^[8] with the first reliveried set entering revenue service from 20 April 2013.^[9]

• 
  A 6-car 8000 series in June 2013
• 
  10030 series 6-car set 11631 in new colour scheme and Urban Park Line branding in April 2021
• 
  10050 series 6-car set 11654 in new colour scheme and Urban Park Line branding in May 2022
• 
  A 6-car 60000 series in April 2021
• 
  A 500 series EMU in May 2017

From 21 April 2017, new Tobu 500 series three-car EMUs operate on Urban Park Liner limited express services on the line. Services operate between Asakusa in Tokyo (Tobu Skytree Line) and Omiya and Nodashi on the Tobu Urban Park Line, with trains dividing and joining at Kasukabe. The 500 series trains are also used on Urban Park Liner services operating between Omiya and Unga on the Tobu Urban Park Line.^[10]

Future rolling stock

• 80000 series 5-car EMUs (From Spring 2025)

Tōbu Railway announced on 16 April 2024 that 25 new 80000 series 5-car EMUs are scheduled to be introduced on the line from 2025 onwards, replacing all remaining 8000 and 10000 series trains operated on the Urban Park Line. In addition, the 18 60000 series sets are expected to be shortened to 5 cars per trainset with one surplus car from each set being modified and incorporated into 18 of the 80000 series sets.^[11][12]

Former rolling stock

• 1000 series 16 m long electric cars (1001–1004, 1101–1104,1201–1202), built in 1929 by Nippon Sharyo^[4]
• 6300 series 20 m long electric cars (former JNR 63000 series), from March 1947 until 1950^[4]
• 3200 series^[4]
• 7800 series 20 m long electric cars, from February 1958^[4]
• 7300 series 20 m long electric cars (rebuilt from 6300 series), from 1963^[4]
• 3000 series 6-car (including 2+4-car) EMUs, rebuilt from 3200 series, from May 1965 until 1992^[13]
• 5400 series EMUs, from November 1967 until 1972^[4]
• 3050 series EMUs, rebuilt from 5400 series, from March 1971 until 1992^[4]
• 3070 series EMUs, rebuilt from 5300 series, from 1974 until 1992^[4]
• 5000 series 6-car (including 2+4-car) EMUs, rebuilt from 7800 series, from March 1983 until November 1994^[4][13]
• 2080 series 6-car EMUs x2, from May 1988 until November 1992^[4]

• 
  7800 series
• 
  7300 series
• 
  3070 series
• 
  A Noda Line 5070 series in September 2004

History

The Chiba Prefectural Railway Noda Line

The line first opened as the Chiba Prefectural Railway Noda Line (千葉県営鉄道野田線, Chiba Ken'ei Tetsudō Noda-sen) on 9 May 1911, from Kashiwa to Nodamachi (now Nodashi), a distance of 14.7 kilometres (9 miles 10 chains) using steam haulage.^[2] In 1923, the line was privatized and the operator was named Hokusō Railway (北総鉄道, Hokusō Tetsudō) (separate from the present Hokusō Railway), and also opened its own line from Funabashi Station to Kashiwa Station, a distance of 19.6 km (12 mi 14 ch).

The company gradually extended the line to Ōmiya, and changed its name in 1929 to Sōbu Railway (総武鉄道, Sōbu Tetsudō) (not to be confused with the present Sōbu Main Line). The line was completed in 1930 with the completion of the bridge over the Edo River.

On 1 March 1944, the company merged with the Tobu Railway, and the line became the Tobu Noda Line.^[4] 6-car trains were introduced from November 1972.^[2]

Electrification was commenced in 1929 between Kasukabe and Ōmiya,^[2] and while the section from Kashiwa to Funabashi was still unelectrified when the operation of the line was taken over by Tobu in 1944, the remaining section was electrified by 1 March 1947.^[4]

The Omiya to Kasukabe section was double-tracked between 1957 and 2011, the Nodashi to Umesato section in 2011, the Unga to Sakasai section between 1960 and 1991, and the Mutsumi to Funabashi section between 1964 and 1999.^{[citation needed]}

Six-car 8000 series EMUs were phased in from 1997, displaced by new 30000 series EMUs introduced on the Tobu Isesaki Line.^[14] The last remaining 5070 series EMUs were withdrawn from the start of the revised timetable on 19 October 2004, and the line's maximum speed was raised from 90 km/h to 100 km/h at the same time.^[14]

From 17 March 2012, station numbering was introduced on all Tobu lines, with Noda Line stations receiving numbers prefixed with the letters "TD".^[15]

From 1 April 2014, the line was rebranded the Tobu Urban Park Line (東武アーバンパークライン).^[7]

See also

• List of railway lines in Japan

References

1. Tobu ridership in 2010 Train Media (sourced from Tobu) Retrieved 28 May 2012.
2. Terada, Hirokazu (July 2002). データブック日本の私鉄 [Databook: Japan's Private Railways]. Japan: Neko Publishing. ISBN 4-87366-874-3.
3. 東武鉄道の野田線急行、大宮～春日部間で6分短縮…来春運行開始 [Tobu Noda Line express to start next spring – reducing time between Omiya and Kasukabe by 6 minutes]. Response (in Japanese). Japan: IID, Inc. 5 November 2015. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
4. Hanaue, Yoshinari (September 2013). 東武鉄道野田線を走った車両たち [Rolling stock that ran on the Tobu Noda Line]. Japan Railfan Magazine (in Japanese). Vol. 53, no. 629. Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. pp. 104–111.
5. 野田線（大宮～船橋間）に新型車両「６００００系」を導入します！ [New 60000 series trains to be introduced on Noda Line] (PDF). Tobu News release (in Japanese). Japan: Tobu Railway. 6 November 2012. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
6. 東武60000系，野田線で営業運転開始 [Tobu 60000 series enters revenue service on the Noda Line]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 16 June 2013. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
7. ２０１４年４月１日（火）より東武野田線に路線愛称名「東武アーバンパークライン」を導入します！ [Tobu Noda Line to be nicknamed "Tobu Urban Park Line" from 1 April 2014] (PDF). News release (in Japanese). Japan: Tobu Railway. 17 December 2013. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 February 2015. Retrieved 18 February 2017.
8. 東武10030型が野田線で試運転 [Tobu 10030 series test run on Noda Line]. RM News (in Japanese). Japan: Neko Publishing. 5 March 2013. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
9. 「10000系車両野田線デビュー記念乗車券」を４月２０日（土）より発売します！ [10000 series Noda Line debut commemorative ticket on sale from 20 April] (PDF). News Release (in Japanese). Japan: Tobu Railway. 18 April 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
10. 東武 新型特急車輌500系の愛称名「Revaty」に決定 [Brand name "Revaty" chosen for new Tobu 500 series limited express trains]. Tetsudo Hobidas (in Japanese). Japan: Neko Publishing Co., Ltd. 27 October 2016. Archived from the original on 27 October 2016. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
11. "東武野田線に新形車両「80000系」を導入" [Tobu Noda Line to introduce new "80000 series" trains]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 16 April 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
12. "東武野田線"新車"導入で大変化！ 残る古い車両はどうなる？ 東武鉄道に聞く" [Tobu Noda Line to undergo major changes with the introduction of new rolling stock! But what will happen with the old trains?]. Traffic News (in Japanese). Japan. 17 April 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
13. Iijima, Iwao (July 2002). 私鉄の車両２４ 東武鉄道 [Private Railway Trains 24: Tobu Railway]. Tokyo, Japan: Neko Publishing Co., Ltd. p. 151. ISBN 978-4-87366-307-4.
14. 東武野田線ダイヤ改正で旧型5070系電車引退 [Old 5070 series EMUs withdrawn with Tobu Noda Line timetable revision]. Railway Journal. 39 (459). Japan: Tetsudō Journal: 102. January 2005.
15. 「東武スカイツリーライン」誕生！ あわせて駅ナンバリングを導入し、よりわかりやすくご案内します [Tobu Sky Tree Line created! Station numbering to be introduced at same time] (pdf). Tobu News (in Japanese). Tobu Railway. 9 February 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2013.

External links

• Tobu Urban Park Line information page (in Japanese)