Seibu Ikebukuro Line

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Seibu Ikebukuro Line
Seibu 001 series near Nishi-Tokorozawa Station, October 2021
Overview
Native name西武池袋線
OwnerSeibu Railway
LocaleKanto region
Termini
Stations31
Service
Depot(s)Kotesashi
Daily ridership892,025 (2010)[1]
History
Opened15 April 1915
Technical
Line length57.8 km (35.9 mi)
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Minimum radius200 m (660 ft)
Electrification1,500 V DC, overhead catenary
Operating speed105 km/h (65 mph)[2]

The Seibu Ikebukuro Line (西武池袋線, Seibu Ikebukuro-sen) is a railway line of the Japanese private railway operator Seibu Railway. It originates at Ikebukuro Station, a large railway junction in north-western Tokyo, extending to northwest suburbs as far as Tokorozawa, Saitama, and nominally terminates at Agano Station.

The Seibu Chichibu Line from Agano to Seibu-Chichibu Station is an extension. The operation is largely divided into two sections: from Ikebukuro to Hannō Station and from Hannō to Seibu-Chichibu Station.

The section from Hannō to Seibu-Chichibu is single track, but every station except for Higashi-Hanno has passing loops, and trains may pass each other at any stop. There is also a passing loop inside a tunnel where the signal controls bi-directional operation. The rest of all the lines is double track with 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) track gauge.

Branch lines[edit]

The Ikebukuro Line has three branches with through operation, apart from the Seibu Chichibu Line.

Toshima Line
1.0 km (0.62 mi) length, with Local trains through from Ikebukuro.
Seibu Yūrakuchō Line
The bypass to Tokyo Metro Yūrakuchō Line/Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line, with Semi Expresses and Rapids from Hannō to Shin-Kiba Station/Motomachi-Chukagai Station, with Locals.
Seibu Sayama Line
Through trains are operated daily during off-peak hours. Special Limited Express "Dome" services are occasionally operated for baseball games of the Saitama Seibu Lions.[3][4]

Line data[edit]

Tracks:

  • 4-track: Nerima to Shakujii-kōen (4.6 km (2.9 mi))[5]
  • 2-track: Ikebukuro to Nerima (6.0 km (3.7 mi)), Shakujii-kōen to Hannō (33.1 km (20.6 mi)), Kita-Hannō rail yard to Musashigaoka Rail yard (1.5 km (0.93 mi))
  • 1-track: the remainder

Service pattern[edit]

Abbreviations here are for the table below, not formally used.

  Local (各停, Kakutei)
Stops at all stations. The longest operations are Ikebukuro to Hannō, through to Seibu Kyūjō-mae on Sayama Line, through to Toshimaen on Toshima Line. Also through from Tokyo Metro Yūrakuchō Line to Kotesashi and Hannō. Major sections of service are from: Ikebukuro to Toshima-en and Hōya; from Shin-Kiba on Tokyo Metro Yūrakuchō Line to Hōya, Kiyose and Kotesashi and from Motomachi-Chūkagai on the Minatomirai Line to Shakujii-kōen, Hōya, and Hannō.[6][7]
  Semi-Express (準急, Junkyū) (SE)
Operated all day. Longest from Ikebukuro to Hannō and Seibu Kyūjō-mae. Through from Yūrakuchō Line to Hannō.
  Commuter Semi-Express (通勤準急, Tsūkin Junkyū) (CSE)
Morning hours only, one direction up from Kotesashi to Ikebukuro.[8]
  Rapid (快速, Kaisoku) (Ra)
Morning and evening hours to/from Ikebukuro, daytime through to Yūrakuchō Line. Longest to Hannō (seasonally one service a day to Seibu-Chichibu) and Seibu Kyūjō-mae.
  Commuter Express (通勤急行, Tsūkin Kyūkō) (CE)
Morning hours only, one direction up from Hannō to Ikebukuro.
  Express (急行, Kyūkō) (Ex)
All day operation, from Ikebukuro to Hannō.
  Rapid Express (快速急行, Kaisoku Kyūkō) (RE)
Morning rush hour from Hannō to Ikebukuro, daytime to and from Hannō/Kotesashi to Motomachi-Chūkagai via the Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line, Tokyu Toyoko Line and Minatomirai Lines.
  S-Train (エストレイン, Esutorein) (ST)
Morning and evening reserved-seat services between Seibu-Chichibu and Motomachi-Chūkagai via the Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line, Tokyu Toyoko Line and Minatomirai Lines at weekends, and between Tokorozawa and Toyosu via the Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line on weekdays.
  Limited Express (特急, Tokkyū) (LE)
Ikebukuro to Seibu-Chichibu, trains named Chichibu (ちちぶ), Musashi (むさし), with supplementary limited express charge.

Stations[edit]

Hannō Station in August 2009

Local services are not shown, as they stop at all stations.

  • O: stop; |: pass; ↑: pass (services run in one direction, towards Ikebukuro only); *: limited stop; ↓: boarding only towards Ikebukuro, alighting only towards Tokorozawa (weekdays)
No. Station Japanese Distance (km) SE CSE Ra CE Ex RE ST LE Transfers Location
SI01 Ikebukuro 池袋 0.0 O O O O O O [Note 1] O Toshima Tokyo
SI02 Shiinamachi 椎名町 1.9 | | |   |  
SI03 Higashi-Nagasaki 東長崎 3.1 | | | |
SI04 Ekoda 江古田 4.3 | | | | Nerima
SI05 Sakuradai 桜台 5.2 | | | |
Through services via the Seibu Yūrakuchō Line To/from Shin-Kiba via the Y Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line
To/from Motomachi-Chūkagai via the F Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line, TY Tōkyū Tōyoko Line, and Minatomirai Line
SI06 Nerima 練馬 6.0 O O O | | *[Note 2] *[Note 3] | Seibu Yūrakuchō Line (Through Service)
Seibu Toshima Line
E Toei Oedo Line
SI07 Nakamurabashi 中村橋 7.5 | | | | | |  
SI08 Fujimidai 富士見台 8.3 | | | | | |
SI09 Nerima-Takanodai 練馬高野台 9.5 | | | | | |
SI10 Shakujii-kōen 石神井公園 10.6 O O O O O *[Note 4] |
SI11 Ōizumi-gakuen 大泉学園 12.5 O O | O | | | |
SI12 Hōya 保谷 14.1 O O | O | | *[Note 5] | Nishi-
Tokyo
SI13 Hibarigaoka ひばりヶ丘 16.4 O O O O O | |
SI14 Higashi-Kurume 東久留米 17.8 O O O O | | | | Higashi-
Kurume
SI15 Kiyose 清瀬 19.6 O O O | | | | Kiyose
SI16 Akitsu 秋津 21.8 O O O | | | | JM Musashino Line (Shin-Akitsu Station) Higashi-
Murayama
SI17 Tokorozawa 所沢 24.8 O O O O O O * [Note 6] O Seibu Shinjuku Line Tokorozawa Saitama
SI18 Nishi-Tokorozawa 西所沢 27.2 O O O O O | * [Note 7] | Seibu Sayama Line
SI19 Kotesashi 小手指 29.4 O O O O O O * [Note 8] |  
SI20 Sayamagaoka 狭山ヶ丘 31.6 O   O O O | | |
SI21 Musashi-Fujisawa 武蔵藤沢 32.9 O O O O | | | Iruma
SI22 Inariyama-kōen 稲荷山公園 35.9 O O O O | | | Sayama
SI23 Irumashi 入間市 36.8 O O O O O O O Iruma
SI24 Bushi 仏子 39.7 O O O O | | |
SI25 Motokaji 元加治 41.0 O O O O | | |
SI26 Hannō 飯能 43.7 O O O O O O O Hannō
SI27 Higashi-Hannō 東飯能 44.5           | | Hachiko Line
SI28 Koma 高麗 48.5 | |   Hidaka
SI29 Musashi-Yokote 武蔵横手 51.3 | |
SI30 Higashi-Agano 東吾野 53.8 | | Hannō
SI31 Agano 吾野 57.8 | | Seibu Chichibu Line

[9]

Notes:

  1. ^ S-Train services stop at the Fukutoshin Line subway platforms on weekends and national holidays for alighting passengers only.
  2. ^ F Liner services only.
  3. ^ On weekdays, trains heading for Tokorozawa stops but you can not board. Alighting only. On weekends, both pass.
  4. ^ On weekdays: For trains heading to Nerima, boarding only, for trains heading to Tokorozawa, alighting only. On weekends: Both can alight/board
  5. ^ On weekdays: For trains heading to Nerima, boarding only, for trains heading to Tokorozawa, alighting only. On weekends: both pass.
  6. ^ On weekdays: For trains heading to Nerima, boarding only, for trains heading to Seibu-Chichibu, alighting only. On weekends: both stop
  7. ^ Only trains heading for Seibu-Chichibu in weekdays stop.
  8. ^ Only trains heading for Seibu-Chichibu in weekdays stop.

Rolling stock[edit]

History[edit]

The line opened 15 April 1915 as the Musashino Line (武蔵野線, Musashino-sen) (separate from the Musashino Line currently operated by JR East), by the then Musashino Railway (武蔵野鉄道, Musashino Tetsudō), the predecessor of the present Seibu Railway with the first section from Ikebukuro to Hannō. In 1922, electrification began in three stages from Ikebukuro, until reaching Hannō in 1925. In the late 1920s, a second track was added from Ikebukuro to Hōya Station, and in 1929 the line was extended to Agano Station, the present nominal end. On 25 March 1952, the line was renamed to the Ikebukuro line, and throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the 2-track section was extended in stages until reaching Kasanui yard in 1969.[citation needed]

In 1969, the Seibu Chichibu Line was completed to Seibu-Chichibu Station to begin through operation from Ikebukuro; in 1989, bypass tracks were laid to the Chichibu Railway Main Line; and in 1998, through service via Seibu Yurakucho Line of Seibu to the Tokyo Metro's Yurakucho Line began to Shinkiba Station.[citation needed]

In 2001, a second track of 350 m was built to complete the double-track section from Ikebukuro to Hannō. At the same time, the elevated 4-track section from Nerima-Takanodai to Nakamurabashi opened. This elevated 4-track section was extended to Nerima in 2003.[citation needed]

Station numbering was introduced on all Seibu Railway lines during fiscal 2012, with Seibu Ikebukuro Line stations numbered prefixed with the letters "SI".[11]

From 10 September 2012, 10-car 5050-4000 series sets entered revenue service on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line and Seibu Yurakucho Line, with inter-running through to the Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line.[12]

From 16 March 2013, through running via the Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line commenced beyond Shibuya over the Tokyu Toyoko Line and Minatomirai Line to Motomachi-Chukagai in Yokohama.[13]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Seibu ridership in 2010 Train Media (sourced from Seibu) Retrieved 28 May 2012.
  2. ^ Terada, Hirokazu (July 2002). データブック日本の私鉄 [Databook: Japan's Private Railways]. Japan: Neko Publishing. pp. 58–59. ISBN 4-87366-874-3.
  3. ^ "Ikebukuro Station Timetable (weekdays)" (in Japanese). Yokohama Minatomirai Railway Company. 16 March 2013. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  4. ^ 停車駅のご案内 [Information regarding stations that are served] (in Japanese). Yokohama Minatomirai Railway Company. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  5. ^ "Ikebukuro Line Double Track Project Announcements". Seibu Railways. 30 July 2013. Archived from the original on 7 April 2016.
  6. ^ "Shin-Kiba Station Timetable". Tokyo Metro. 30 July 2013.
  7. ^ "Motomachi-Chukagai Station Timetable". Yokohama Minatomirai Railway Company. 30 July 2013.
  8. ^ "Kotesashi Station Timetable". Seibu Railways. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  9. ^ https://www.seiburailway.jp/railway/ikebukuro_rosenzu.pdf (This reference represents for all the "Stations" section.)
  10. ^ "西武10000系, 池袋線・秩父線での定期運転を終了" [Seibu 10000 series ends revenue service on Ikebukuro Line and Chichibu Line]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 14 March 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  11. ^ 西武線全駅で駅ナンバリングを導入します [Station numbering to be introduced at all Seibu stations] (PDF). News Release (in Japanese). Japan: Seibu Railway. 23 February 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  12. ^ 東急5050系が西武鉄道池袋線で営業運転開始 [Tokyu 5050 series enters service on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line]. RM News (in Japanese). Japan: Neko Publishing. 10 September 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
  13. ^ 池袋線が東急東横線、横浜高速みなとみらい線との相互直通運転を開始します。 [Inter-running to commence between Ikebukuro Line and Tokyu Toyoko and Minatomirai Lines] (PDF). News Release (in Japanese). Seibu Railway. 24 July 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 August 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2012.

External links[edit]