Tokyo Metro Namboku Line

The Nihongo|Namboku Line|南北線|Nanboku-sen is a subway line, part of the Tokyo Metro system in Tokyo, Japan. The name of the route means "South-North Line", and it runs from Meguro Station in the south through 17 intermediate stations to Akabane-iwabuchi Station in the north. The Namboku Line color on maps is emerald green. Its stations carry the letter "N" followed by a number. The Namboku Line was referred to as Line 7 during the planning stages, thus the official name, which is seldom used, is Nihongo|Line 7 Namboku Line|7号線南北線|7 gōsen Namboku sen.

Namboku Line trains interoperate with the Meguro Line of Tokyu Corporation past Meguro Station, and with the Saitama Rapid Railway Line beyond Akabane-Iwabuchi Station.

History

The 21.3 km Namboku Line is one of Tokyo Metro's newest lines, featuring advanced technology including full automatic train operation and platform screen doors. Although the line was originally proposed in 1968, construction did not begin until the 1980s, partly due to the right-of-way to Meguro with Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation Mita Line. The first segment from ja-stalink|Komagome to Akabane-Iwabuchi opened on November 29, 1991.

The line initially operated with four-car EMUs. Upon its extension to Yotsuya in March 1996, the formations were extended to six cars. All stations are able to accommodate eight-car trains, but this length is not yet used.

The extension to ja-stalink|Tameike-Sannō was completed in September 1997, and the last stretch from Tameike-Sanno to Meguro was completed on September 26, 2000, when through service to the Tōkyū Meguro Line started. The right-of-way and stations between ja-stalink|Shirokane-Takanawa and Meguro are shared with the Toei Mita Line. Under an agreement between Tokyo Metro and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the fare for this section is calculated on the Toei fare system for passengers traveling to stations on the Mita Line past Shirokane-Takanawa, on the Metro fare system for passengers traveling to stations on the Namboku Line past Shirokane-Takanawa, and on the system "most beneficial to the passenger" (presently the Metro schedule) for travel solely on the shared sector.

Through service with the Saitama Rapid Railway line commenced when it opened in March 2001 and accommodated traffic to and from Saitama Stadium during the 2002 World Cup. There are plans to eventually extend this service to the Utsunomiya Line through the Tōbu Noda Line.

Stations

Rolling stock

* Tōkyō Metro 9000 series
* Saitama Kōsoku 2000 series
* Tōkyū 3000 series
* Tōkyū 5080 series