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| Sapporo Municipal Subway | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Overview | |||
| Native name | 札幌市営地下鉄 Sapporo Shiei Chikatetsu | ||
| Locale | Sapporo,Hokkaido, Japan | ||
| Transit type | Rapid transit/Rubber-tyred metro | ||
| Number of lines | 3 | ||
| Number of stations | 49 | ||
| Daily ridership | 630000 (2024 estimate) | ||
| Annual ridership | 217 million | ||
| Operation | |||
| Began operation | 16 December 1971; 53 years ago (1971-12-16) | ||
| Operator(s) | Sapporo City Transportation Bureau | ||
| Technical | |||
| System length | 48.0 km (29.8 mi) | ||
| Track gauge | Namboku line:Central and side-mounted guideways, with rubber tires Tōzai and Tōhō lines: Central guideway with rubber tires | ||
| Electrification | Namboku line:750 V DC third rail Tōzai and Tōhō lines:1,500 V DCoverhead catenary | ||
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TheSapporo Municipal Subway (札幌市営地下鉄,Sapporo Shiei Chikatetsu) is a mostly-undergroundrubber-tyredrapid transit system inSapporo,Hokkaido, Japan. Operated by theSapporo City Transportation Bureau, it is the only subway system on the island of Hokkaido.
The system consists of three lines: the greenNamboku Line (North–south line), orangeTozai Line (East–west line), and blueTōhō Line (North East Line). The first, the Namboku Line, was opened in 1971 prior to the1972 Winter Olympics. The Sapporo City Subway system operates out of two main hubs:Sapporo Station andOdori Station. Most areas of the city are within a reasonable walking distance or short bus ride from one of the subway stations.
The three lines all connect at Odori Station. TheNamboku Line andTōhō Line lines connect with theJR Hokkaido main lines at Sapporo Station. At Odori and Susukino stations, it connects to thestreetcar (tram) above. The system has a total length of 48 km (30 mi) with 49 stations. Except for the section of the Namboku Line south ofHiragishi Station, tracks and stations are all underground. The aforementioned above-ground section is entirely covered, including stations, depot access tracks, and the depot south ofJieitai-Mae Station.
In 2024, the system had a daily ridership of 630000.[1]
| Line color | Line icon | Mark | Line | Name | First Opened | Last Extension | Length | Stations | Train Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green |  | N | Namboku Line | North-South Line | 1971[2] | 1978[2] | 14.3 km (8.9 mi) | 16 | 6 cars |
| Orange |  | T | Tōzai Line | East-West Line | 1976[2] | 1999[2] | 20.1 km (12.5 mi) | 19 | 7 cars |
| Blue |  | H | Tōhō Line | Higashi-Toyohira Line | 1988[2] | 1994[2] | 13.6 km (8.5 mi) | 14 | 4 cars |
| Total: | 48.0 km (29.8 mi) | 49 | |||||||
All lines of the subway userubber-tired trains that travel on two flatroll ways, guided by asingle central rail. This system is unique among subways in Japan and the rest of the world; while other rubber-tired metro networks, including smallerautomated guideway transit lines such as thePort Liner, useguide bars, the Sapporo system does not because the central rail makes them superfluous (similar to somerubber-tyred trams, such as theTranslohr andBombardier Guided Light Transit). This rubber-tired system, combined with the heavy snowfall that Sapporo gets during winter, means that the system must be fully enclosed (including the southern elevated segment of the Namboku line); as a result, rolling stock cannot be fitted with air conditioning as it would otherwise trap hot air in the tunnels.
There are differences between the technology used on the older Namboku Line and the newer Tōzai and Tōhō Lines. The Namboku Line uses a T-shaped guide rail, double tires, andthird rail power collection, while the Tōzai and Tōhō Lines use an I-shaped guide rail, single tires, andoverhead line power collection. The surface of the roll ways is constructed ofresin (on the entirety of the Namboku Line and the central section of the Tōzai Line) andsteel (on the outer sections of the Tōzai Line and the entirety of the Tōhō Line).
5000 series[2] (6-car formation with 4 doors per side, since 1997)
Sapporo Municipal Subway 8000 series[2] (7-car formation with 3 doors per side, since 1998)
9000 series[2] (4-car formation with 3 doors per side, since May 2015)[3]
6000 series[2] (7-car formation with 3 doors per side, from 1976 until 2008)
Ticket prices range from 210 yen to 380 yen,[5] depending on the distance to travel. All stations acceptSAPICA, rechargeable IC cards which can be used as a fare card for the subway.
Kitaca, a contactless smart card issued by JR Hokkaido, is also usable on the Sapporo Municipal Subway, as well as IC cards part of theNationwide Mutual Usage Service, e.g.Suica andPASMO. However, this compatibility is unidirectional; SAPICA cannot be used on other rail networks.
Day passes and discount passes can be purchased atticket vending machines in stations. Prior to its discontinuation on March 31, 2015,[6] prepaid "With You" magnetic cards could be used for the subway, streetcar and regular city routes offered byJR Hokkaido Bus,Hokkaido Chuo Bus, and Jotetsu Bus. Magnetic card functionality was superseded by SAPICA.
One-day passes offer unlimited rides on the subway,streetcar, and regular city routes offered by the Chuo, Jotetsu, and JR Hokkaido Buses (excluding some suburban areas) on the day of purchase.
A subway one-day card, for use only on the subway, is also available for 830 yen. Donichika tickets (ドニチカキップ,donichika kippu, aportmanteau of 土日donichi meaning "Saturday and Sunday" and 地下chika meaning "underground") allow for unlimited one-day ride pass for the subway, and are only available on weekends and national holidays; they are sold for a lower price of 520 yen. Due to their identical functionality, subway one-day cards are unavailable on days where Donichika tickets are sold. Both are able to be purchased with cash only.[7]
Commuter passes, able to be loaded onto SAPICA, offer unlimited rides between specific stations during their period of validity. There are two types of commuter pass: one for those commuting to workplaces and one for students. Both are available for one-month or three-month periods, and can be newly purchased from commuter pass sales offices located at major stations. Standard SAPICA cards may be upgraded to a commuter pass through ticket vending machines. Commuter SAPICA cards automatically downgrade to standard SAPICA cards once the time period expires.
Since 2025 April 26,EMV contactless credit cards can also be used as a ticket,[8] powered bystera transit, a transit ticketing system fromSMBC. To access usage history, riders must register for an account with Q-Move by QUADRAC.
There are two main shopping areas located underground, connected to the exits of three central stations on the Namboku line: Sapporo Station,Susukino Station, and Odori Station. Pole Town is an extensive shopping area that lies between Susukino and Odori stations. Aurora Town is a shopping arcade connected to Sapporo Station, linking some of the main shopping malls in Sapporo, such asDaimaru,JR Tower, and Stellar Place.[9]
In addition to the underground shopping corridors, an underground walkway also connects Odori Station to Bus Center Mae station and its neighboring bus center. There are few stores in this walkway.
Source: www.jametro.or.jp/en/japan/ "Subways in Japan" (Japan Subway Association) | |
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Rapid transit in Asia | |
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 Azerbaijan | |
 Bangladesh | |
 China (PRC) |
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 Georgia | |
 India | |
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 Israel | |
 Japan | |
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 Mongolia | |
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 United Arab Emirates | |
 Uzbekistan | |
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* Under construction. | |
Transit inHokkaido | |
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| Shinkansen | |
 JR Hokkaido | |
 Sapporo Municipal Subway | |
| Other heavy rail lines | |
| trams and light rails | |
| Terminals |
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| Public Ferries |
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| Miscellaneous | |
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