Tobu Isesaki Line

The is a Japanese railway line operated by the private railway company Tobu Railway, extending from Tōbu-Dōbutsu-Kōen Station in Saitama to Isesaki Station in Gunma Prefecture. The Isesaki Line can refer to the entire section between Asakusa - Isesaki and Oshiage - Hikifune, but from March 2012, the Template:Cvt section south of Tōbu-Dōbutsu-Kōen was branded as the Tobu Skytree Line in conjunction with the opening of the Tokyo Skytree tower.

Descriptions

Track

single: Template:STN − Template:STN Template:Cvt

double: the rest

Operation

Service patterns

Stops and operated sections are as of 2023, February 15.

(announced as or for short) (L)

• Tōbu-Dōbutsu-Kōen − Ōta. Connection with Express. Three per hour, with one between Kuki and Tatebayashi.
• Ōta − Isesaki. One per hour per direction, conductorless.

(SSE)

Between Asakusa and Tōbu-Dōbutsu Kōen, Kuki or Minami-Kurihashi on Nikkō Line.

(SmE)

Early morning and late night. Down to Tōbu-Dōbutsu-Kōen, Kuki or to Minami-Kurihashi on the Nikkō Line through from Chūō-Rinkan of Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line via Hanzōmon Line. 10 cars.

(SE)

Between Asakusa and Tōbu-Dōbutsu-Kōen, Tatebayashi or Ōta.

(Ex)

From morning to night. Down to Tōbu-Dōbutsu-Kōen, Kuki (nearly half to Minami-Kurihashi on the Nikkō Line), through from Chūō-Rinkan on the Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line via Hanzōmon Line. 10 cars.

(LE)

Stops not shown for now. Charged for seat reservation and rapid service. Mainly through to the Nikkō Line for the Nikko area named and . Some through to Isesaki from Asakusa, sole direct service named . The 70090 Series Services runs through to Ebisu from Kuki, Home liner service named TH Liner.

Stations

• O: Stop
• *1: To/from Template:STN on the Tobu Skytree Line section of the Isesaki Line.
• *2: To/from Template:STN on Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line via Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line
• For the section between Tōbu-Dōbutsu-Kōen and Asakusa, see Tobu Skytree Line.

No.	Station		L	SSE	SmE	SE	Ex	Transfers	Location
Template:TBSN	Template:STN	東武動物公園	O	O *1	O *2	O *1	O *2	Template:Plainlist	Miyashiro	Saitama
Template:TBSN	Template:STN	和戸	O	O	O	O	O
Template:TBSN	Template:STN	久喜	O	O	O	O	O	Template:JRLS Utsunomiya Line	Kuki
Template:TBSN	Template:STN	鷲宮	O	O		O
Template:TBSN	Template:STN	花崎	O	O		O			Kazo
Template:TBSN	Template:STN	加須	O	O		O
Template:TBSN	Template:STN	南羽生	O	O		O			Hanyū
Template:TBSN	Template:STN	羽生	O	O		O		Template:ColorbullChichibu Main Line
Template:TBSN	Template:STN	川俣	O	O		O			Meiwa	Gunma
Template:TBSN	Template:STN	茂林寺前	O	O		O			Tatebayashi
Template:TBSN	Template:STN	館林	O	O		O		Template:Plainlist
Template:TBSN	Template:STN	多々良	O
Template:TBSN	Template:STN	県	O						Ashikaga	Tochigi
Template:TBSN	Template:STN	福居	O
Template:TBSN	Template:STN	東武和泉	O
Template:TBSN	Template:STN	足利市	O
Template:TBSN	Template:STN	野州山辺	O
Template:TBSN	Template:STN	韮川	O						Ōta	Gunma
Template:TBSN	Template:STN	太田	O					Template:Plainlist
Template:TBSN	Template:STN	細谷	O
Template:TBSN	Template:STN	木崎	O
Template:TBSN	Template:STN	世良田	O
Template:TBSN	Template:STN	境町	O						Isesaki
Template:TBSN	Template:STN	剛志	O
Template:TBSN	Template:STN	新伊勢崎	O
Template:TBSN	Template:STN	伊勢崎	O					Template:ColorbullRyomo Line

Rolling stock

Current

• Tobu 200 series
• Tobu 500 series
• Tobu 10000 series
• Tobu 50000 series
• Tobu 50050 series
• Tobu 70090 series (TH Liner)
• Tokyu 2020 series
• Tokyu 5000 series
• Tokyo Metro 18000 series
• Tokyo Metro 8000 series
• Tokyo Metro 08 series

• Tobu 200 series
  Tobu 200 series
• Tobu 10000 series
  Tobu 10000 series
• Tobu 50050 series
  Tobu 50050 series
• Tokyu 2020 series
  Tokyu 2020 series
• Tokyu 5000 series
  Tokyu 5000 series
• Tokyu 8500 series
  Tokyu 8500 series
• Tokyo Metro 8000 series
  Tokyo Metro 8000 series

Former

• Tokyu 8500 series (1975-2023)
• Tobu 30000 series

History

File:Asakusa Station 1927.jpg

Overview of the original Asakusa Station terminus (present-day Tokyo Skytree Station) in 1927

File:Tobu Isesaki Line 194003.jpg

An up express service on the Tobu Isesaki Line formed of a 4-car EMU in March 1940

The first section of the Isesaki Line was opened by the present company in 1899 between Template:STN and Template:STN utilising steam motive power. In 1902, Tobu extended the line south to have a maritime connection at present Template:STN (then , later renamed Asakusa) in downtown Tokyo, and north to Template:STN. The following year a further northern extension to Template:STN (then on the south bank of Tone River) was opened. Further northward extension progressed, and in 1910 the line arrived at Template:STN. In 1931, a bridge over the Sumida River was built and present Asakusa Station (then ) opened as part of the department store building, the entire line being completed.

The Asakusa to Nishiarai section was double-tracked in 1912, and the rest of the line was double-tracked between 1920 and 1927, except for the Hanyu to Kawamata section, which was double-tracked when a second bridge was built over the Tonegawa in 1992.

Electrification was begun in 1924 on the section of Asakusa and Template:STN, and in 1927 completed as far as Isesaki. The distance of over Template:Cvt was then one of the longest electrified railway lines together with the present Kintetsu Osaka Line and Yamada Lines.

After World War II, the Tobu Lines had no connection to the Yamanote Line or other major lines of the then Japanese National Railways (JNR) to offer efficient transfers to central Tokyo. The sole connection was with the Jōban Line at Kitasenju, which offered poor access to central Tokyo. To solve the inefficiencies of transfers at Kitasenju and notoriously narrow Asakusa, in 1962, the Hibiya Line of the then , known as TRTA, present Tokyo Metro) was built, connecting at Kitasenju.

Further growing traffic required Tobu to build a second through line to Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line in the 1990s. In 2003, the company built new tracks from Hikifune to connect at Template:STN, officially an annex station of Tokyo Skytree.

From the 3 March 2006, timetable revision, less than half of trains originated or terminated at Asakusa, with more trains operating through to Tokyo Metro subway lines.

From 17 March 2012, the section south of Tōbu-Dōbutsu-Kōen was rebranded as the Tobu Skytree Line.

References

This article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia Template:Reflist

External links

• Tobu Railway Isesaki Line information page Template:In lang