| Toden Arakawa Line | |
|---|---|
 | |
 A Toei 8800 series tram at Arakawa-shakomae in September 2014 | |
| Overview | |
| Other name | Tokyo Sakura Tram |
| Native name | 都電荒川線 |
| Owner | Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation (Toei) |
| Locale | Tokyo |
| Termini | |
| Stations | 30 |
| Service | |
| Type | Tram /light rail |
| History | |
| Opened | 1911; 115 years ago (1911) (Ōji Electric Tram Company, Otsuka-ekimae – Asukayama) 1974; 52 years ago (1974) (Arakawa Line) |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 12.2 km (7.6 mi) |
| Track gauge | 1,372 mm (4 ft 6 in) |
| Electrification | Overhead line, 600 V DC |
TheToden Arakawa Line[a], branded as theTokyo Sakura Tram,[b][1] is a hybridtram/light rail line inTokyo, Japan, operated by theTokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation (Toei). The line is the sole survivor of Tokyo's once-extensiveTokyo Toden tram system and one of the only two light rail lines in Tokyo, besides theSetagaya Line.
All stations are located in Tokyo.
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The line was originally constructed by the Ōji Electric Tram Company (王子電気軌道,Ōji-denki-kidō) as a part of their extensive network, with the oldest section still operating today opened in 1913. The line was at threat of being shut down along with the rest of Tokyo's streetcar system in the 1960s, but concerted opposition from residents prevented this and parts of lines 27 (Minowabashi-Akabane) and 32 (Arakawa-Waseda) were merged to form the line as it is today. The line was sold to the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation in 1974, which renamed it the Toden Arakawa Line.
The Toden Arakawa Line operates between the terminals at Minowabashi Station and Waseda Station. It runs along Meiji Street between Asuka-yama Station and Oji Eki-mae Station. Otherwise, it operates on its own tracks. Presently, single driver-operated cars make the 12.2 km (7.6 mi) trip in 50 minutes. Thegauge is1,372 mm (4 ft 6 in). The line is fully double-track, and draws600 V electrical supply.
Two Toden Arakawa trams (one in revenue earning service, the other undergoing brake testing) collided on 13 June 2006 near the Minowabashi terminus, injuring 27 people.
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The Toden Arakawa Line operates in northern and eastern Tokyo outside the main tourist areas. The terminus at Minowabashi is near the historical site ofEdo's red-light districtYoshiwara which features a completely covered shopping street, several blocks long, in the once common "Ameyoko" style (ashōtengai).
InHaruki Murakami's novelNorwegian Wood, protagonist Toru Watanabe takes the line to nearŌtsuka Station: "I sat in the last seat and watched the ancient houses passing close to the window. The tram almost touched the overhanging eaves.... The tram snaked its way through this private back-alley world."[6]
| Shinkansen | |
|---|---|
 JR East linespassing through Central Tokyo | |
| JR East lines in satellite cities or suburbs | |
 Tokyo Metro | |
 Toei Subway | |
 Yokohama Municipal Subway | |
 Keikyu | |
 Keio | |
 Keisei | |
 Odakyu | |
 Seibu | |
 Sotetsu | |
 Tobu | |
 Tokyu | |
| Other heavy rail lines | |
| Medium-capacity rails | |
| Monorails | |
| Trams and light rails | |
| People movers | |
| Hinterland | |
| Funiculars and aerial lifts | |
 Bus | |
| Public ferries | |
| Major terminals | |
| Miscellaneous | |
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