Tōyoko Line


The Tōyoko Line is a major railway line connecting Tokyo to Yokohama. The line is owned and operated by the private railway operator Tokyu Corporation. The name of the line, Tōyoko, is a combination of the first characters of Tōkyō and Yokohama, and is the main line of the Tokyu network. The section between Den-en-chofu and Hiyoshi Station is a quadruple track corridor with the Tōkyū Meguro Line.

Services

Almost all services operate as a through service at one or both ends of the line onto other railway lines - refer to "Through Operation" below for details.
Upon opening of the Tōkyū Shin-yokohama Line in March 2023, the typical weekday off-peak services are as follows:

Limited Express (Tōyoko Express)

Limited Express is the fastest service provided on the line at no extra charge. These types of trains can complete the journey between Shibuya and Motomachi-Chukagai in 35 minutes. Most Limited Express trains are through service to Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line and some to the Tobu Tojo Line or Seibu Ikebukuro Line via Fukutoshin Line. All Limited Express trains are through service to the Minatomirai Line. Trains that continuously and completely operate as express services through Tobu/Seibu, Tokyo Metro, Tokyu, and Yokohama Minatomirai railways are dubbed as "F-Liner" services. In daytime, connects to a local train at Jiyūgaoka, Musashi-Kosugi, and Kikuna.

Commuter Express

Commuter Express trains stop at all stations that Limited Express trains stop at, with the sole addition of on the Toyoko Line. They operate in the AM and PM rush hours during the weekday when Limited Express trains are not operating. It is also guided as ”Commuter Limited Express” in some cases. Most Commuter Limited Express trains will through operate into Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line as Commuter Express trains and beyond into the Tobu Tojo and Seibu Ikebukuro lines as Rapid services.

Express

Express trains operate all day. Upbound-wise some Express Trains will through operate into Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line as local services. In daytime, connects to a local train at Jiyūgaoka and Kikuna. Downbound-wise, some Express Trains will through operate into after instead of continue onward to /.

Local

Local trains stop at all stations.
Most Limited Express and Express trains are 10 cars long, and all local trains are 8 cars long.

Through operation

Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line

On 16 March 2013, the section of the Tōyoko line between Shibuya and Daikanyama Station was put underground, and connected to the Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line platforms at Shibuya. Through an engineering project culminating in a dramatic single overnight maneuver, the existing surface rail line was disconnected, sunken, and reconnected with the new underground line in time for the normal morning train schedule to run.
The re-routing allowed for through operation between the Tōyoko and Fukutoshin lines. Since opening of the Fukutoshin Line in 2008, trains would through operate between the Seibu Ikebukuro line and the Tobu Tojo line at the northern end of the Fukutoshin Line. The new connection allows trains from Tobu Railway, Seibu Railway, Tokyo Metro, Tokyu Corporation and Yokohama Minatomirai Railway to operate trains in a common corridor. As a result of the new connection, the original elevated Shibuya terminal for Tokyu trains was abandoned and demolished.

Minatomirai Line

On 1 February 2004, Tōyoko line was realigned underground between Tammachi and Yokohama stations to enable through services with the Minatomirai Line. The original alignment to Yokohama Station was demolished and turned into a rail trail.

Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line (discontinued)

Through operation with the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line started on 29 August 1964, with trains starting at Hiyoshi station will travel into Kita-Senju Station via a connection to the Hibiya Line at Naka-Meguro Station. In 1988, this service was extended to Kikuna Station temporarily during the realignment of Hiyoshi station to an underground corridor, but was retained as official service due to its popularity.
On 15 March 2013, with the start of through service with Fukutoshin Line, services to and from the Hibiya Line were discontinued. Passengers must transfer between lines at Naka-Meguro Station.

Sōtetsu–Tōkyū Link Line

Through operation of the Tōkyū Shin-Yokohama Line and the Sōtetsu Shin-Yokohama Line started on 18 March 2023, with trains starting at Wakoshi station on the Fukutoshin Line travelling into Shin-yokohama and Shonandai via a connection to the Tōkyū Shin-yokohama Line at Hiyoshi Station.
In May 2006, both the Tokyu and Sagami Railway announced a plan to build a long connection to allow through services between the Sōtetsu Main Line and Tōyoko Line. The connection starts at Hiyoshi Station and head to Sōtetsu Main Line's Nishiya Station. New stations are set up at Tsunashima Station, Shin-Yokohama Station and Hazawa Yokohama Kokudai Station. However, when a concrete plan was specified in November 2008 for Tsunashima station, the plan was changed to the establishment of a " Station" to be constructed near Tsunashima station.

Stations

Key:
Eight-car Tokyo Metro 10000 series sets entered revenue service on the Tokyu Tōyoko Line and Minatomirai Line from 7 September 2012. These 8-car sets were subsequently reformed back into 10-car sets.

Former rolling stock

The first section of the line from Tamagawa to Kanagawa opened on 14 February 1926. The line was extended incrementally until the entire length from Shibuya to in Yokohama was opened on 31 March 1932. On 29 August 1964, through service to the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line via Naka-Meguro Station was started.
On 31 January 2004, the section of to Sakuragichō was abandoned. From 1 February, Tokyu Toyoko Line trains started through service from Yokohama to the Minatomirai Line.
On 16 March 2013, the section between Shibuya to Daikan-yama was replaced with an underground connection to the Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line. The original ground-level terminal platforms were closed after the last service at 1 am that morning. Just four hours later, at 5 am, trains began calling at a new set of underground platforms adjacent to those previously served only by the Fukutoshin Line. During this time, 1,200 workers shifted the track alignment at Daikan-yama Station along a pre-built incline.
Since that day, Tokyu and Yokohama Minatomirai Railway trains commenced through running onto the Fukutoshin Line and beyond. Tokyo Metro, Tobu, and Seibu also started operating their trains through to the Tōyoko and Minatomirai Lines. At the same time, through service on Hibiya Line ended.
In 2022, Tokyu announced the commencement of "Q-Seat" service on the Tōyoko Line for fiscal 2023. The Tōyoko Line will be the second Tokyu line to feature reserved seating services, the first being the Oimachi Line. Therefore, 5050 series 8-car set 5166 was reformed as 10-car set 4112 with two newly built “Q-Seat” cars. They feature the same livery used for the Oimachi Line, however were painted in red instead of orange. Set 4112 is currently undergoing testing and is being stored at Nagatsuta Depot. The cars started service on 24 October 2022 with "Q-Seat" services originally scheduled for February 2023. However as of August 2023, "Q-Seat" services are scheduled to begin service within the beginning of the month on 10 August.
Platform screen doors were scheduled to be installed at all station on the line by 2020. This work was finished on time before April 2020.

Incidents and accidents

On 15 February 2014, two trains collided and derailed at Motosumiyoshi station resulting in nineteen injuries. Operations continuing at normal speed during heavy snow were seen as likely cause.

Future developments

  • On 13 May 2022, Tokyu Corporation announced its decision to implement driver-only operation on the Tōyoko Line by fiscal 2023, at the earliest. The Tōyoko Line fleet is due to be modified accordingly.