Tobu Railway

Tobu Railway Co., Ltd.
Native name	東武鉄道株式会社
Company type	kabushiki kaisha
Traded as	TYO: 9001
Genre	Rail transport
Founded	November 1897
Founder	Michinari Suenobu ; Rokuro Hara
Headquarters	2-18-12 Oshiage, Sumida-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Area served	Tokyo, Saitama, Chiba, Gunma, Tochigi
Key people	Nezu Kaichirō
Services	Passenger railway
Total assets	¥1.3 trillion
Owner	Yoshizumi Nezu (from 1999)
Number of employees	4,659 (As of March 2010)
Website	www.tobu.co.jp

Tobu Railway Co., Ltd. (東武鉄道株式会社, Tōbu Tetsudō Kabushiki-gaisha) is a Japanese commuter railway company in the Greater Tokyo Area as well as an intercity and regional operator in the Kantō region. Excluding the Japan Railways Group companies, Tobu's 463.3 km rail system is the second longest in Japan after Kintetsu. It serves large portions of Saitama Prefecture, Gunma Prefecture and Tochigi Prefecture, as well as northern Tokyo and western Chiba Prefecture.

The Tobu corporate group is also engaged in road transportation (bus/taxi), real estate, and retail. It is the largest investor in the Tokyo Skytree, the tallest structure in Japan. The company is a member of the Mizuho keiretsu.^{[citation needed]}

The name "Tobu" is formed from the kanji for east (東) and Musashi (武蔵), the initial area served.

History

Tobu is one of the oldest railway companies in Japan. It was established in November 1897 and began operation between Kita-Senju and Kuki in August 1899. The Tojo Railway was founded in 1911 as a separate company, but shared its president and head office with Tobu.^[1]

Tobu was the first railway in the Kanto region to adopt quadruple tracks, on the Kita-Senju to Takenotsuka sector in 1974. The Tobu Dobutsu Koen (Tobu Animal Park) opened in 1981.^[2]

Railway network

Tobu has two isolated networks which are connected by the Chichibu Railway for ferrying of its rolling stock.

The Tobu Main Line network has a tree topology starting at Asakusa Station in Tokyo, with the Isesaki line as the trunk, and the Tobu Kameido Line, Daishi Line, Tobu Urban Park Line, Tobu Sano Line, Koizumi Line, Tōbu Kiryū Line, and Nikkō Line forming the branches, with further branches into the Tobu Utsunomiya Line and Tobu Kinugawa Lines. It offers surcharged, seat-reserved limited express services from Tokyo to Nikkō and Kinugawa.

The Tojo Line runs northwest from Ikebukuro Station in Tokyo to central and western Saitama Prefecture. A branch, the Ogose Line, runs to Ogose from Sakado Station.

Tobu's terminals in Tokyo are at Asakusa Station (Main Line express services), Oshiage Station (most other Main Line services) and Ikebukuro Station (Tojo Line). The Skytree and Isesaki Lines interoperate with the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line to serve central Tokyo, while the Tojo Line interoperates with the Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line, Tokyu Toyoko Line and Minatomirai Line to serve central and southwest Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture.

Main Lines

Name	Stations	Length (km)
Skytree Line	Tokyo Metro, Toei, Tobu – Tōbu-Dōbutsu-Kōen	41.0
Kameido Line	Hikifune – Kameido	3.4
Daishi Line	Nishiarai – Daishimae	1.0
Isesaki Line	Tōbu-Dōbutsu-Kōen – Isesaki	75.1
Sano Line	Tatebayashi – Kuzū	22.1
Koizumi Line	Tatebayashi – Nishi-Koizumi, Gunma – Higashi-Koizumi	12.0
Kiryū Line	Gunma – Gunma	20.3
Nikkō Line	Tōbu-Dōbutsu-Kōen – Tōbu Nikkō	94.5
Utsunomiya Line	Shin-Tochigi – Tōbu Utsunomiya	24.3
Kinugawa Line	Shimo-Imaichi – Shin-Fujiwara	16.2
Urban Park Line (Formerly Noda Line)	Saitama – Kasukabe – Funabashi	62.7

Tobu Tojo Lines

Name	Symbol	Stations	Length (km)
Tojo Line		Ikebukuro – Yorii	75.0
Ogose Line		Saitama – Ogose	10.9

Rolling stock

As of 1 April 2016^[update], Tobu Railway operates a fleet of 1,890 electric multiple unit (EMU) vehicles, the third largest fleet for a private railway operator in Japan after Tokyo Metro (2,728 vehicles) and Kintetsu (1,905).^[3]

Express EMUs

1800 series EMU (introduced 1969)
6050 series EMU (introduced 1985)
300/350 series EMU (introduced 1991)
200/250 series EMU Ryōmō (introduced 1991)
100 series EMU Spacia (introduced 1990)
634 series EMU Skytree Train (introduced 2012)
500 series 3-car EMUs (scheduled to be introduced from spring 2017)

Eight new three-car 500 series EMU trains are scheduled to be introduced on limited express services on lines from Asakusa from spring 2017.^[4]

1800 series
6050 series
350 series Kirifuri limited express
200 series Ryōmō limited express
100 series Spacia
634 series Skytree Train

Commuter EMUs

8000 series EMU (introduced 1963)
800/850 series EMU
9000 series EMU (introduced 1981)
10000 series EMU (introduced 1983)
20000 series EMU (introduced 1988)
30000 series EMU (introduced 1996)
50000 series EMU (introduced 2005)
60000 series EMU (introduced June 2013)
70000 series EMU (from fiscal 2016)^[5]

8000 series (refurbished)
9000 series
10000 series
20000 series
30000 series
50000 series
60000 series

Steam locomotive

Tobu plans to operate steam-hauled tourist services on the Kinugawa Line from summer 2017 using JNR Class C11 steam locomotive C11 207 loaned from JR Hokkaido together with JNR Class DE10 diesel locomotive DE10 1099 purchased from JR East, a fleet of six 12 and 14 series coaches purchased from JR Shikoku, and two Yo 8000 brake vans purchased from JR Freight and JR East.^[6]

Withdrawn types

Express EMUs

1720 series
5700 series
6000 series

Commuter EMUs

2000 series
3000 series
5000 series
7300 series
7800 series

DMUs

KiHa 2000 series

Preserved KiHa 2000 series DMU

Steam locomotives

Tobu B1 Class 4-4-0 (1898)

Preserved Tobu Railway B1 Class 4-4-0

References

Terada, Hirokazu (July 2002). データブック日本の私鉄. Japan: Neko Publishing. pp. 56–57. ISBN 4-87366-874-3. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)

^ "明治28年～45年". Tobu Railway. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
^ "昭和41年～63年". Tobu Railway. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
^ 私鉄車両編成表 2016 (in Japanese). Japan: Kotsu Shimbunsha. 25 July 2016. p. 213-214. ISBN 978-4-330-70116-5. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
^ Kusamachi, Yoshimasa (22 April 2015). 東武鉄道、新型特急「500系」2017年春導入へ…分割・併合運転に対応. Response (in Japanese). Japan: IID Inc. Retrieved 22 April 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
^ 東京メトロ13000系・東武70000系"日比谷線直通"新型車両の仕様が明らかに!. Mynavi News (in Japanese). Japan: Mynavi Corporation. 17 June 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
^ 大手民鉄　2016年度の車両の新造・更新予定. Tetsudo Daiya Joho Magazine (in Japanese). Vol. 45, no. 389. Japan: Kotsu Shimbun. September 2016. p. 70. {{cite magazine}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)

External links

Tobu Group website Template:Ja icon

[1] "明治28年～45年". Tobu Railway. Retrieved 28 April 2015.

[2] "昭和41年～63年". Tobu Railway. Retrieved 28 April 2015.

[jrrprivate2016-3] 私鉄車両編成表 2016 (in Japanese). Japan: Kotsu Shimbunsha. 25 July 2016. p. 213-214. ISBN 978-4-330-70116-5. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)

[response20150422-4] Kusamachi, Yoshimasa (22 April 2015). 東武鉄道、新型特急「500系」2017年春導入へ…分割・併合運転に対応. Response (in Japanese). Japan: IID Inc. Retrieved 22 April 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)

[mynavi20150617-5] 東京メトロ13000系・東武70000系"日比谷線直通"新型車両の仕様が明らかに!. Mynavi News (in Japanese). Japan: Mynavi Corporation. 17 June 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)

[dj389-6] 大手民鉄　2016年度の車両の新造・更新予定. Tetsudo Daiya Joho Magazine (in Japanese). Vol. 45, no. 389. Japan: Kotsu Shimbun. September 2016. p. 70. {{cite magazine}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)

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v t e Tobu Railway lines
Main lines	TS Skytree Kameido Daishi TI Isesaki Sano Koizumi Kiryū TN Nikkō Utsunomiya Kinugawa TD Urban Park
Tojo lines	TJ Tojo Ogose
Closed lines	Ikaho Tramway Keishi Line Kumagaya Line Nikkō Tramway Ōya Line Yaita Line
Related lines	Akechidaira Ropeway Yagan Railway
Major stations	Asakusa Funabashi Ikebukuro Kasukabe Kawagoe Kita-Senju Ōmiya Tōbu-Dōbutsu-Kōen Tōbu Nikkō

v t e Major and semi-major private rail operators of Japan
Kantō region	Keikyu Corporation Keio Corporation Keisei Electric Railway Odakyu Electric Railway Sagami Railway (Sōtetsu) Seibu Railway Tobu Railway Tokyo Metro^‡ Tokyu Corporation Shin-Keisei Electric Railway^§
Chūbu region	Nagoya Railroad (Meitetsu) Kintetsu Railway
Kinki region	Hankyu Corporation Hanshin Electric Railway Keihan Electric Railway Kintetsu Railway Nankai Electric Railway Kita-Osaka Kyuko Railway^‡^§ Kōbe Rapid Transit Railway^§ Osaka Metro^‡* Semboku Rapid Railway^§ Sanyō Electric Railway^§
Kyūshū region	Nishi-Nippon Railroad (Nishitetsu)
^‡ indicates rapid transit operators ^§ indicates semi-major rail operators ^*Not a member of Associations of Private Japanese Railways, therefore excluded under the formal Japanese definition, although its comparable size is undisputed

v t e Transit in the Greater Tokyo Area
Shinkansen lines	Tōhoku Shinkansen Yamagata Shinkansen Akita Shinkansen Jōetsu Shinkansen Hokuriku Shinkansen Tōkaidō Shinkansen Chūō Shinkansen (planned)
JR East lines passing through Central Tokyo	JY Yamanote JK Keihin-Tōhoku - Negishi JB Chūō-Sōbu Local JC Chūō Rapid JO Yokosuka - Sōbu Rapid JU Utsunomiya & Takasaki - JT Tōkaidō Ueno–Tokyo JA Saikyo JS Shonan–Shinjuku JJ Jōban Rapid JL Jōban Local JE Keiyō
Tokyo Metro lines	C Chiyoda F Fukutoshin G Ginza H Hibiya M Marunouchi N Namboku T Tōzai Y Yūrakuchō Z Hanzōmon
Toei Subway lines	A Asakusa E Ōedo I Mita S Shinjuku
Yokohama Municipal Subway	Blue Line Green Line
JR East lines in satellite cities or suburbs	JM Musashino JH Yokohama JN Nambu JI Tsurumi Sagami Hachikō - Kawagoe Ryōmō Jōetsu Agatsuma Shin'etsu Tohoku Direction Karasuyama Nikkō Chuo Direction CO Chūō Main JC Itsukaichi JC Ōme Koumi Minobu ( JR Central) Shinonoi Sobu Direction Sōbu Main Sotobō Uchibō Kururi Tōgane Joban Direction Mito Narita Suigun Kashima JT Tokaido Direction JT Itō Gotemba ( JR Central)
Keikyu	Keikyū Main Airport Daishi Kurihama Zushi
Keio	Keio Keiō New Dōbutsuen Keibajō Sagamihara Takao Inokashira
Keisei	Keisei Main Chiba Chihara Higashi-Narita Kanamachi Oshiage Narita Sky Access
Odakyu	Odawara Enoshima Tama
Seibu	Ikebukuro Sayama Seibu Chichibu Seibu Yūrakuchō Toshima Seibu Shinjuku Haijima Kokubunji Seibuen Tamagawa Tamako
Sotetsu	Sotetsu Main Izumino JR Link Line Shin-Yokohama
Tobu	Skytree Kameido Daishi Isesaki Sano Koizumi Kiryū Nikkō Kinugawa Utsunomiya Urban Park Tōjō Ogose
Tōkyū Railways	DT Den-en-toshi IK Ikegami MG Meguro OM Ōimachi TM Tamagawa TY Tōyoko KD Kodomonokuni SH Shin-Yokohama
Other commuter rail lines	Hokusō Kantō Jōsō Ryūgasaki Nagareyama Rinkai Line Saitama Rapid Shibayama Shin-Keisei Tōyō Rapid Tsukuba Express Minatomirai 21
Trams	Enoden SG Setagaya Arakawa
Monorails	Chiba Monorail Disney Resort Shōnan Monorail Tama Monorail Tokyo Monorail
People movers	New Shuttle Kanazawa Seaside NT Nippori-Toneri Seibu Yamaguchi Yūkarigaoka Yurikamome
Hinterland	Chichibu Main Line Jōmō Line Jōshin Dentetsu Jōshin Line Watarase Keikoku Line Yagan Railway Mooka Line Minato Line Ōarai Kashima Line Chōshi Electric Railway Line Isumi Line Kominato Line
Funiculars and aerial lifts	Ōyama Cable Car Hodosan Ropeway (Takao Tozan Railway Mitake Tozan Cable Car ) (Nokogiriyama Ropeway Mount Tsukuba Cable Car Mount Tsukuba Ropeway) Akechidaira Ropeway Ikaho Ropeway Yokohama Air Cabin
Bus services and hubs	Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal Tokyo City Air Terminal (& Bus) Willer Express List of bus operating companies in Japan
Public ferries	Tokyo-Wan Ferry Tokyo Cruise Ship Tokyo Mizube Line Keihin Ferry Boat The Port Service (Yokohama)
Major terminals	Rail Akihabara Chiba Hachiōji Ikebukuro Kita-Senju Mito Odawara Ōmiya Ōtemachi Shibuya Shinagawa Shinjuku Tachikawa Tokyo Ueno Yokohama Shin-Yokohama Airports Haneda Narita Chōfu Ibaraki Ports Yokohama Tokyo Heliports Tokyo Heliport Camp Zama
Miscellaneous	Smart cards Pasmo Suica Transport in Greater Tokyo Rail transport in Japan List of named passenger trains of Japan List of through trains in Japan Toei Subway rolling stock Tokyo Metro rolling stock List of East Japan Railway Company stations List of Toei Subway stations List of Tokyo Metro stations Station numbering
Japan transit: Tokyo Keihanshin Nagoya Fukuoka Hakone Fuji Izu Hokkaido Aomori Sendai Akita Niigata Toyama Nagano Okayama Hiroshima Shikoku Metro systems Shinkansen trams (list) aerial lifts (list)