Sapporo Streetcar


The Sapporo Streetcar is a tram loop located in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is operated by the Sapporo City Transportation Bureau. The system is often referred to as simply "shiden".
The first section of the network opened in 1909 as the "Sapporo Stone Horsecar Railway"; it was electrified in 1918. The city transportation bureau took over the network in 1927. Since 2020, it has been managed by a subsidiary company, Sapporo Transportation Service Promotion Corporation.
WWW stsp.or.jp/business/stree...

Lines and routes

At its peak in 1958, the network was in length with 11 lines and 7 routes. However, the network shrank due to increased automobile ownership and the opening of the Sapporo Municipal Subway.
After the closures in the 1970s, three lines remained. They were collectively called the Ichijō-Yamahana Streetcar Line or simply the Streetcar Line, since the lines covered an incomplete city center route.
  • Ichijō Line: Nishi-Yon-Chōme - Nishi-Jūgo-Chōme
  • Yamahana-Nishi Line: Nishi-Jūgo-Chōme - Chūō-Toshokan-Mae
  • Yamahana Line: Chūō-Toshokan-Mae - Susukino
The lines were combined into a single circle route following the opening of the Toshin Line between Susukino and Nishi-Yon-Chōme in December 2015.
Almost all trams run the full circle line, with several trams running between Nishi-Yon-Chōme and Nishisen-Jūroku-Jō during the morning rush hours.
Trams run at a frequency of 7 to 8 minutes during the day and 3 minutes during weekday peak periods between Nishi-Yon-Chōme and Nishisen-Jūroku-Jō stations.
Vehicles are taken out of service at Chūō-Toshokan-Mae.
The fare is ¥230. Like the subway, the tram accepts the SAPICA card, a prepaid magnetic card. Any other electronic IC cards can also be used.

Stations