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Native name | 相模鉄道株式会社 |
|---|---|
| Company type | PublicKK (Sotetsu Holdings) |
| TYO:9003 (Sotetsu Holdings) | |
| Genre | Rail transport |
| Founded | November 1964 |
| Headquarters | 2-9-14 Kitasaiwai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama ,Japan |
Area served | Kanagawa |
Key people | Hideyuki Takizawa [jp](President)[1] |
| Services | Passenger railway |
| Owner | Odakyu Electric Railway Co. (4.38%) Obayashi Corporation (1.31%) T&D Holdings (0.65%) Keikyu (0.54%) Takashimaya (0.54%) Keio Corporation (0.10%) Tokyu Construction (0.01%) |
Number of employees | 1,117 (As of September 16, 2009) |
| Parent | Sotetsu Holdings, Inc. |
| Website | https://www.sotetsu.co.jp/about/companies/sagami-railway/ |
TheSagami Railway Company, Ltd. (相模鉄道株式会社,Sagami tetsudō Kabushikigaisha), orSōtetsu[a] (相鉄), is aprivate railway company operating three lines inKanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is a wholly owned subsidiary ofholding companySōtetsu Holdings, Inc. Sōtetsu Holdings is listed on theTokyo Stock Exchange; 6.58% of it is owned by theOdakyu Electric Railway Company.
Sagami Railway is one of the core companies of the Sōtetsu group. Sōtetsu focuses on railway operations, although formerly it had a more diversified set of holdings, such as bus lines and supermarkets. Sōtetsu is the smallest company of the "Big 15" private railways in Japan, as it has only short lines, but it succeeded in developing towns along its lines in the 1960s and 1970s, with many passengers riding this line. In May 1990, Sōtetsu joined the major railways. In 2010 it had a daily ridership of 623,500[2]
The company operates three passenger (commuter) lines and a freight-only line. All lines are electrified. All the railroads owned or operated by Sōtetsu are entirely within Kanagawa Prefecture, butthrough services with other rail operators allow Sōtetsu trains to travel intoTokyo Metropolis andSaitama Prefecture.
As of 1 April 2016[update], Sōtetsu operates the followingelectric multiple unit (EMU) train types.[3]
Further 20000 series trains will be delivered ahead of the start of inter-running services to and fromTokyu Corporation lines scheduled to commence in late fiscal 2022.[5]
Some withdrawn rolling stock is preserved at Kashiwadai depot.
The Sagami Railway was established inChigasaki, Kanagawa, in January 1917, to transport gravel along theSagami River valley. The first section, between Chigasaki andSamukawa, was opened in 1919, and the line was gradually extended toHashimoto in 1931.[6] Sagami Railway started direct operation toHachiōji, but performance was sluggish during the economic depression, and an outflow disaster of Sagami River severely damaged its gravel pits in 1941. This led to Sagami Railway eventual decision to become a subsidiary ofTōkyū in 1941.[7]
The Jinchū Railway (神中鉄道) was established in Seya village (now,Seya-ku, Yokohama) in 1917 and opened its first section fromFutamata-gawa toAtsugi in May 1926. Jinchū Railway extended toYokohama Station in 1933, but its management faced financial difficulties, so the company also became a subsidiary of Tōkyū in 1939, prior to Sagami Railway.[8] The two companies' rail lines were connected at Atsugi Station.[9]
In April 1943, acknowledged by Tōkyū, Sagami Railway took over Jinchū Railway and named the two lines "Sagami Line" (original section) and "Jinchū Line" (acquired section).[10] However, in June 1944 duringWorld War II, the Sagami Line and its Nishi-Samukawa branch line were forcefully acquired by the government to use as a bypass between theHachikō Line andChūō Main Line in anticipation ofairstrikes on heavy industrial facilities around the area. Sagami Line would never return to the hands of Sagami Railway.[11] At the same time,Imperial Japanese Navy Atsugi Airport was opened, so the ridership and freight traffic increased sharply. As a result, Sagami Railway released all management and delegated it to Tōkyū. Under Tōkyū, the line gained electrification to increase the carrying capacity, and in 1944, all passenger lines were electrified.[7]
In June 1947, Sagami Railway employees bought their own shares from Tōkyū and resolved the commission of the Jinchū Line (renamed as the "Tōkyū Atsugi Line" during Tōkyū's operation).[12] Sagami Railway continued to develop the Jinchū/Atsugi Line, which became what is known today as theSōtetsu Main Line. The whole line was fullydouble-tracked in 1951.[13] In 1968, Sagami Railway began the construction of theIzumino Line.[14] After completing the first extension of the Izumino Line in 1990, Sagami Railway was recognized as one of the "major private railway companies" (大手私鉄) in Japan by theJapan Private Railway Association [ja], which gives Sagami Railway the qualification to participate in cabinet meetings and parliamentary hearings regarding public transportation policies.[15]
In 1952, Sagami Railway purchased the 25,000 m2 of land around Yokohama Station's west entrance fromEsso, and began to develop to attract department stores.[citation needed]
The Sōtetsu Shin-yokohama Line is an approximately 6 km link, which is constructed from Nishiya viaHazawa yokohama-kokudai toShin-yokohama. This line enables through services between theJR East Saikyō Line and the Sōtetsu Main Line by late 2019, as well as between theTōkyū Tōyoko Line, theTōkyū Meguro Line and the Sōtetsu Main Line by March 2023. This project created a 12.7-kilometre (7.9 mi) railroad which allows residents and commuters alongside the Sōtetsu railway lines to better access theTokyo Metropolis as well asTokaido Shinkansen by interchanging at Shin-yokohama.
| 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 | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
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