Toei Ōedo Line

The Ōedo Line is the first Tokyo subway line to use linear motor propulsion (and the second in Japan after the Osaka Metro Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi Line), which allows it to use smaller cars and smaller tunnels (a benefit similarly achieved by the Advanced Rapid Transit system manufactured by Bombardier). This technology, though, is incompatible with other railway and subway lines, which can only operate with vehicles utilizing conventional rotary motors, thus preventing Ōedo Line trains from operating through services onto them. Although vehicles with rotary motor propulsion can technically operate on the Ōedo Line, its smaller tunnels and loading gauge prevents such occurrences, hence making the Ōedo Line the first self-enclosed subway line in Tokyo in over 40 years, and the first and to date only such line operated by Toei, although there is a track connection to the Asakusa Line that can be used only by Class E5000 locomotives.

The line is deep (as low as 48 metres (157 ft) below ground at points) through central Tokyo, including three underground crossings of the Sumida River. Originally budgeted at ¥682.6 billion and 6 years, the construction ended up taking nearly 10 years and estimates of the final cost of construction range from the official ¥988.6 billion to over ¥1,400 billion, making it the most expensive subway line ever built at that point.^[3] However, stages 1–3 of Singapore's Downtown MRT line, completed in 2017, are 2.84 times as expensive, at 33,669.5 compared to 11,571.8 US dollars per kilometer after adjusting for inflation and international price differences. Phase 1 of New York's Second Avenue Subway, also completed in 2017, is over 5.5 times costlier per kilometer at 2,308.3 compared to 416.3 price-adjusted US dollars per kilometer.^[4]

Ridership projections originally estimated 1 million users daily, a figure scaled down to 820,000 before opening. At the end of 2006, the line was averaging 720,000 passengers/day.^[5] However, its ridership has increased by about five percent each year since its opening, following new commercial and residential development around major stations such as Roppongi and Shiodome. According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation, as of June 2009 the Ōedo Line was the fourth most crowded subway line in Tokyo, at its peak running at 178%^[a] capacity between Monzen-Nakachō and Tsukishima stations.^[6]

There are plans to extend the Ōedo Line westward from its current western terminus at Hikarigaoka Station through to a new terminus in Ōizumigakuenchō, 1.5 km (0.93 mi) north of Ōizumi-gakuen Station (on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line) then later towards Higashi-Tokorozawa Station (on the Musashino Line). The first segment to Ōizumigakuenchō, which will include three new stations in Doshida, Oizumimachi, and Oizumigakuencho, is expected to open around 2040 at a cost of 160 billion yen.^[7] Following the awarding of the 2020 Summer Olympics to Tokyo, there had been speculation regarding the addition of another 2.7 km (1.7 mi) to the proposed extension in order to extend the line to Niiza where the shooting range for the Olympics was to be located. A decision regarding this matter was expected in 2015.^{[8][needs update]}

The Ōedo Line runs in a loop around central Tokyo before branching out towards Nerima in the western suburbs, meaning the line is shaped like a figure 6 lying on its side. It is not a true loop line: trains from the western Hikarigaoka terminus run anticlockwise around the loop and terminate at the intermediate Tochōmae Station facing towards Hikarigaoka, and vice versa. The arrangement is very much like the London Underground Circle Line since 2009, but does not share any track segments with other lines.

The full 40.7 km (25.3 mi) trip from Tochōmae around the loop and onward to Hikarigaoka takes 81 minutes. Trains operate once every three to five minutes during rush hours, and once every six minutes during off-peak weekday hours, weekends and holidays.^[9]

All stations are located in Tokyo.

More information No., Station ...

No.	Station	Japanese	Distance (km)		Transfers	Location
			Between stations	From E-28
E28	Tochomae	都庁前	-	0.0	For Hikarigaoka and Roppongi	Shinjuku
E01	Shinjuku-nishiguchi	新宿西口	0.8	0.8	Marunouchi Line (M-08) Chūō Line Chūō–Sōbu Line Yamanote Line Saikyō Line Shōnan–Shinjuku Line Odawara Line Keiō Line Keiō New Line Shinjuku Line
E02	Higashi-shinjuku	東新宿	1.4	2.2	Fukutoshin Line (F-12)
E03	Wakamatsu-kawada	若松河田	1.0	3.2
E04	Ushigome-yanagicho	牛込柳町	0.6	3.8
E05	Ushigome-kagurazaka	牛込神楽坂	1.0	4.8
E06	Iidabashi	飯田橋	1.0	5.8	Tōzai Line (T-06) Yūrakuchō Line (Y-13) Namboku Line (N-10) Chūō–Sōbu Line	Bunkyō
E07	Kasuga	春日	1.0	6.8	Marunouchi Line (Korakuen: M-22) Namboku Line (Korakuen: N-11) Mita Line (I-12)
E08	Hongō-sanchōme	本郷三丁目	0.8	7.6	Marunouchi Line (M-21)
E09	Ueno-okachimachi	上野御徒町	1.1	8.7	Ginza Line (Ueno-hirokoji: G-15) Hibiya Line (Naka-okachimachi: H-17) Chiyoda Line (Yushima: C-13) Yamanote Line Keihin–Tōhoku Line (Okachimachi)	Taitō
E10	Shin-okachimachi	新御徒町	0.8	9.5	Tsukuba Express (02)
E11	Kuramae	蔵前	1.0	10.5	Asakusa Line (A-17)
E12	Ryōgoku	両国	1.2	11.7	Chūō–Sōbu Line	Sumida
E13	Morishita	森下	1.0	12.7	Shinjuku Line (S-11)	Kōtō
E14	Kiyosumi-shirakawa	清澄白河	0.6	13.3	Hanzōmon Line (Z-11)
E15	Monzen-nakacho	門前仲町	1.2	14.5	Tōzai Line (T-12)
E16	Tsukishima	月島	1.4	15.9	Yūrakuchō Line (Y-21)	Chūō
E17	Kachidoki	勝どき	0.8	16.7
E18	Tsukijishijō	築地市場	1.5	18.2
E19	Shiodome	汐留	0.9	19.1	Yurikamome (U-02)	Minato
E20	Daimon	大門	0.9	20.0	Asakusa Line (A-09) Yamanote Line Keihin–Tōhoku Line (Hamamatsuchō) Haneda Airport Line
E21	Akabanebashi	赤羽橋	1.3	21.3	Mita Line (Shibakoen: I-05)
E22	Azabu-juban	麻布十番	0.8	22.1	Namboku Line (N-04)
E23	Roppongi	六本木	1.1	23.2	Hibiya Line (H-04)
E24	Aoyama-itchōme	青山一丁目	1.3	24.5	Ginza Line (G-04) Hanzōmon Line (Z-03)
E25	Kokuritsu-Kyōgijō	国立競技場	1.2	25.7	Chūō–Sōbu Line (Sendagaya)	Shinjuku
E26	Yoyogi	代々木	1.5	27.2	Chūō–Sōbu Line Yamanote Line	Shibuya
E27	Shinjuku	新宿	0.6	27.8	Shinjuku Line (S-01) Chūō Line Chūō–Sōbu Line Yamanote Line Saikyō Line Shōnan–Shinjuku Line Odawara Line Keiō Line Keiō New Line
E28	Tochomae	都庁前	0.8	28.6	For Iidabashi	Shinjuku
E29	Nishi-shinjuku-gochome	西新宿五丁目	0.8	29.4
E30	Nakano-sakaue	中野坂上	1.2	30.6	Marunouchi Line (M-06)	Nakano
E31	Higashi-Nakano	東中野	1.0	31.6	Chūō–Sōbu Line
E32	Nakai	中井	0.8	32.4	Shinjuku Line	Shinjuku
E33	Ochiai-minami-nagasaki	落合南長崎	1.3	33.7
E34	Shin-egota	新江古田	1.6	35.3		Nakano
E35	Nerima	練馬	1.6	36.9	Ikebukuro Line Yurakucho Line Toshima Line	Nerima
E36	Toshimaen	豊島園	0.9	37.8	Toshima Line
E37	Nerima-kasugachō	練馬春日町	1.5	39.3
E38	Hikarigaoka	光が丘	1.4	40.7

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• Toei 12-000 series 8-car EMU trainsets
• Toei 12-600 series 8-car EMU trainsets

Oedo Line trains are housed and maintained at the Kiba depot, located underneath Kiba Park to the southeast of Kiyosumi-Shirakawa Station. Prior to the completion of the Oedo Line loop in 2000, servicing was performed at a depot near Hikarigaoka Station.

Major overhaul work for Oedo Line trains is performed at the Magome depot, located south of Nishi-Magome Station on the Toei Asakusa Line. Oedo Line trains access this facility using a connecting tunnel to the Asakusa Line near Shiodome Station. Because of differences in infrastructure and technology used preventing trains on either line from accessing the other, a special Toei Class E5000 locomotive powers these ferry runs during overnight hours when the subway is closed.

The Ōedo line is one of the noisiest train lines in the world, with decibel levels reaching 90 decibels frequently along the line.^[15] However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, noise levels have reached to over 105 decibels. The train line's President states that infection is a more significant concern [than hearing damage], and therefore train's windows are kept open to increase ventilation, which caused a number of complaints. As of April 2023, windows continue to be kept open to reduce the risks of Covid-19 transmission.^[16] The cause of the Ōedo line's high noise levels lies in construction constraints such as preexisting infrastructure and the need to build deep tunnels, resulting in low-radius curves and small tunnels.^[17]

• List of railway lines in Japan
• London Underground Circle Line, Bangkok MRT Blue Line and Hamburg U3, three metro lines with similar arrangements