Toei Asakusa Line

Planning (1920–1941)

The original plan for what is now the Asakusa Line was included in a report Tokyo City Notification No. 2 of 1920 (大正9年東京市告示第2号) in 1920. The proposal outlined a route as Line 1 connecting “Shinagawa Yatsuyama – Shimbashi – Tsukiji – Ryogoku West – Kaminarimon – Oshiage”.^[3]

A construction patent for this route was granted to the Tokyo Underground Light rail and Tokyo Railway (東京鉄道). However, following the Great Kantō Earthquake of 1923, the patent was revoked along with those for other planned lines because construction had not yet commenced.

On September 1, 1941, following the establishment of the Teito Rapid Transit Authority, all route licenses held by Tokyo City, the Tokyo Underground Railway, the Tokyo Rapid Railway, and the Keihin Underground Railway were transferred to the Teito Subway in exchange for a fee.^[3]

The routes for which licenses had been granted as of 1941 and which were later taken over for the construction of the Asakusa Line are as follows:^[3]

• Tokyo Underground Railway: Mita nichome – Gotanda – Magome
• Keihin Underground Railway: Shimbashi – Shinagawa
• Tokyo Rapid Railway: Shimbashi – Tokyo
• Tokyo City: Tokyo – Sugamo

Construction and opening

The line number is Line 1, because it was technically the first subway line in Tokyo to be planned in the 1920s as an underground route connecting the Keikyu and Keisei Electric Railway via Shinagawa, eventually allowing for through trains between these two railways. In its original plan form, the line would have actually bypassed Asakusa Station entirely. However, the plan was changed to take advantage of the existing Tobu Isesaki Line (section now named as the Tobu Skytree Line) and Tokyo Metro Ginza Line connections at Asakusa.

The Toei Asakusa Line was the first subway line constructed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

Construction of this line began on 27 August 1956 after years of delays, and the initial 3.2 km (2.0 mi) segment between Oshiage and Asakusabashi opened on 4 December 1960. The line then opened in stages from north to south:

• May 1962: Asakusabashi to Higashi-Nihombashi
• September 1962: Higashi-Nihombashi to Ningyōchō
• February 1963: Ningyōchō to Higashi-Ginza
• December 1963: Higashi-Ginza to Shimbashi
• October 1964: Shimbashi to Daimon
• June 1968: Daimon to Sengakuji (Through service with Keikyū begins)
• 15 November 1968: Sengakuji to Nishi-Magome

The line was named Asakusa Line on 1 July 1978.^[4]

From 1998 to 2002, the Asakusa Line was used as part of a rail connection between Tokyo's two major airports, Haneda and Narita. While a few trains still run between the airports, the service has greatly diminished in frequency since 2002.^{[citation needed]}

In 2005, a research group of government, metropolitan and railway company officials proposed that the Asakusa Line be connected to Tokyo Station via a spur to the north of Takarachō Station. This would provide Tokyo Station's first direct connection to the Toei subway network. It would also make it possible to reach Haneda Airport in 25 minutes (versus 35 minutes today) and Narita Airport in 40 minutes (versus 57 minutes today).^[5] This plan has yet to be finalized or formally adopted. Authorities are re-considering a similar plan as part of the infrastructure improvements for the 2020 Summer Olympics; the proposed line would cut travel time to Haneda from 30 minutes to 18 minutes, and to Narita from 55 minutes to 36 minutes, at a total cost of around 400 billion yen.^[6]

Toei

• 
  A Toei 5500 series EMU

• Toei 5500 series

Keisei Electric Railway

• 
  A Keisei 3000 series EMU
• 
  A Keisei 3050 series EMU
• 
  A Keisei 3100 series EMU
• 
  A Keisei 3400 series EMU
• 
  A Keisei 3700 series EMU

• Keisei 3000 series
• Keisei 3050 series
• Keisei 3100 series
• Keisei 3400 series
• Keisei 3700 series

Keikyu

• 
  A Keikyu 600 series EMU
• 
  A Keikyu N1000 series EMU
• 
  A Keikyu 1500 series EMU

• Keikyu 600 series
• Keikyu N1000 series
• Keikyu 1500 series

Hokuso Railway

• 
  A Hokuso 7300 series EMU
• 
  A Hokuso 7500 series EMU

• Hokuso 7300 series
• Hokuso 7500 series

Chiba New Town Railway

• 
  A Chiba New Town Railway 9100 series
• 
  A Chiba New Town Railway 9200 series EMU
• 
  A Chiba New Town Railway 9800 series

• Chiba New Town Railway 9100 series
• Chiba New Town Railway 9200 series
• Chiba New Town Railway 9800 series

Shibayama Railway

• 
  A Shibayama 3600 series EMU

• Shibayama 3600 series

Former rolling stock

• Toei 5000 series
• Toei 5200 series
• Toei 5300 series^[7]
• Keikyu 1000 series
• Keisei 3000 series (original type)
• Keisei 3050 series (original type)
• Keisei 3100 series (original type)
• Keisei 3150 series
• Keisei 3200 series
• Keisei 3300 series
• Keisei 3500 series
• Hokuso 7000 series
• Hokuso 7050 series
• Hokuso 7150 series
• Hokuso 7250 series
• Hokuso 7260 series
• Chiba New Town Railway 9000 series