Midōsuji Line

Osaka Metro Midōsuji Line
Osaka Metro Midōsuji Line
	A Midōsuji Line 30000 series (right) and 21 series (left) train at Shin-Osaka Station in September 2021
Overview
Owner	Osaka Metro (2018–present); Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau (1933–2018);
Line number	1
Locale	Osaka
Termini	Esaka; Nakamozu;
Stations	20
Color on map	Red (#E5171F)
Service
Type	Rapid transit
System	Osaka Metro
Depot(s)	Nagai, Nakamozu
Rolling stock	21 series; 30000 series;
Daily ridership	1,295,420 (daily 2015)
History
Opened	20 May 1933; 91 years ago
Last extension	18 April 1987; 37 years ago
Technical
Line length	24.5 km (15.2 mi)
Track length	24.5 km (15.2 mi)
Number of tracks	Double-track
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	750 V DC (third rail)
Operating speed	70 km/h (43 mph)
Signalling	Automatic closed block
Train protection system	WS-ATC, TASC
Route map

Midōsuji Line route map

Legend

Connections are of Osaka Municipal Subway lines
unless otherwise noted

8.4

M06 Minō-Kayano

7.3

M07 Minō-Semba-Handaimae

5.9

M08 Senri-Chūō

Osaka Monorail Main Line

(temporary) Senri-Chūō / Expo Central Gate

right: Kita-Osaka Kyuko Railway: Expo Line

3.9

M09 Momoyama-dai

Kita-Osaka Kyuko Railway Momoyamadai Depot

1.9

M10 Ryokuchi-kōen

0.0

M11 Esaka

Kita-Osaka Kyuko Railway

Osaka Municipal Subway

2.0

M12 Higashi-Mikuni

Osaka Higashi Line (projected)

Tōkaidō Shinkansen and Sanyō Shinkansen

2.9

M13 Shin-Osaka

Tōkaidō Main Line (JR Kyoto Line)

3.6

M14 Nishinakajima-Minamigata

Hankyu Kyoto Line (Minamikata)

Hankyu Kobe Line. Takarazuka Line, Kyoto Line (Juso)

Yodo River

Nakatsu (Hankyu)

5.4

M15 Nakatsu

Tōkaidō Main Line (JR Kyoto Line, JR Kobe Line, JR Takarazuka Line)

Kita-Umeda

Hankyu Kobe Line. Takarazuka Line, Kyoto Line (Umeda)

Osaka: Osaka Loop Line

6.4

M16 Umeda

left: Hanshin Main Line

Tanimachi Line Higashi-Umeda (T20)

Yotsubashi Line Nishi-Umeda (Y11)

JR Tōzai Line (Kitashinchi)

Dojima River

Tosabori River

Keihan Nakanoshima Line (Ōebashi)

7.7

M17 Yodoyabashi

left: Higobashi / right: Keihan Main Line

8.6

M18 Hommachi

Yotsubashi Line (Y13)

Chūō Line (C16)

Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi Line (N15)

9.6

M19 Shinsaibashi

Yotsubashi Line (Yotsubashi: Y14)

Sennichimae Line (S16)

Kintetsu Namba Line (Osaka Namba); Hanshin Namba Line (Osaka Namba)

10.5

M20 Namba

Yotsubashi Line (Y15)

Nankai Main Line, Nankai Kōya Line

11.7

M21 Daikokuchō

Yotsubashi Line (Y16)

Nankai (Shin-Imamiya); Nankai Line and Kōya Line

Osaka Loop Line, Kansai Main Line (Yamatoji Line) (Shin-Imamiya)

Hankai Tramway Hankai Line (Minami-Kasumichō)

Sakaisuji Line (K19)

12.9

M22 Dōbutsuen-mae

Tanimachi Line (T27)

13.9

M23 Tennōji

Hankai Uemachi Line Tennōji-ekimae

Osaka Abenobashi

Osaka Loop Line

Kansai Main Line (Yamatoji Line)

Kintetsu Minami Osaka Line

Tanimachi Line (T29: Fuminosato)

15.7

M24 Shōwachō

17.0

M25 Nishitanabe

Nagai Maintenance Base

/Nagai Depot

18.3

M26 Nagai

Hanwa Line

19.5

M27 Abiko

Abiko Depot

abandoned in 1987

Yamato River

21.4

M28 Kita-Hanada

23.0

M29 Shinkanaoka

Nakamozu Depot

24.5

M30 Nakamozu

Nankai Koya Line

Semboku Rapid Railway

The Osaka Metro Midōsuji Line (御堂筋線, Midōsuji-sen) is a rapid transit line in Osaka, Japan, operated by Osaka Metro. Constructed under Midōsuji, a major north-south street, it is the oldest line in the Osaka subway system and the second oldest in Japan, following the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line. Its official name is Rapid Electric Tramway Line No. 1 (高速電気軌道第1号線), while the Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau refers to it as Osaka City Rapid Railway Line No. 1 (大阪市高速鉄道第1号線), and in MLIT publications it is referred to as Line No. 1 (Midōsuji Line) (1号線（御堂筋線）). On line maps, stations on the Midōsuji Line are indicated with the letter "M".

North of Nakatsu it runs above ground in the median of Shin-midōsuji, an elevated freeway.

The section between Minoh-kayano and Esaka is owned and operated by Kita-Osaka Kyuko Railway (北大阪急行電鉄, Kita Osaka Dentetsu), but is seamless to the passengers except with respect to fare calculations.

In June 2018, the Midosuji line is the most congested railway line in the Kansai region of Japan,^[2] at its peak running at 151% capacity between Umeda and Yodoyabashi stations.

Line data

Above-ground section: north of Nakatsu to Esaka; Esaka to south of Senri-Chūō; (Kita-Osaka Kyuko Railway)
Block signalling: Automatic
Train protection system: WS-ATC
Cars per train: 10 (1996 – present)^[3]
Stations equipped with platform screen doors: all^[4]

Stations

No.	Station	Japanese	Distance	Transfers	Location
↑ Through services to/from Minoh-kayano via the Kita-Osaka Kyuko Railway ↑
M 11	Esaka	江坂	0.0	Kita-Osaka Kyuko Railway (through service)	Suita
M 12	Higashi-Mikuni	東三国	2.0		Yodogawa-ku, Osaka
M 13	Shin-Ōsaka	新大阪	2.9	Tōkaidō Shinkansen San'yō Shinkansen A JR Kyōto Line (Tōkaidō Main Line) (JR-A46) F Osaka Higashi Line (JR-F02)
M 14	Nishinakajima- Minamigata	西中島南方	3.6	Hankyu Kyoto Main Line (HK-61)
M 15	Nakatsu	中津	5.4		Kita-ku, Osaka
M 16	Umeda	梅田	6.4	Tanimachi Line (T20) Yotsubashi Line(Y11) JR West – Ōsaka: A JR Kyoto Line (JR-A47) A JR Kōbe Line (JR-A47) G JR Takarazuka Line (JR-G47) F Osaka Higashi Line (JR-F01) O Osaka Loop Line (JR-O11) H JR Tōzai Line (JR-H44:Kitashinchi) Hankyu (HK-01): Hankyu Kobe Line Hankyu Takarazuka Line Hankyu Kyoto Main Line Hanshin (HS-01): Hanshin Main Line	Kita-ku, Osaka
M 17	Yodoyabashi (Osaka City Hall)	淀屋橋（市役所前）	7.7	Keihan Main Line (KH01) Keihan Nakanoshima Line (KH52: Oebashi)	Chūō-ku, Osaka
M 18	Hommachi (Semba-nishi)	本町（船場西）	8.6	Chūō Line (C16) Yotsubashi Line (Y13)
M 19	Shinsaibashi	心斎橋	9.6	Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi Line(N15)
M 20	Namba	難波・なんば	10.5	Sennichimae Line (S16) Yotsubashi Line (Y15) Nankai (NK01) Nankai Main Line Nankai Koya Line A Kintetsu Namba Line (A01) Hanshin Namba Line (HS41) Q Yamatoji Line (V Kansai Line) (JR-Q17)
M 21	Daikokuchō	大国町	11.7	Yotsubashi Line (Y16)	Naniwa-ku, Osaka
M 22	Dōbutsuen-mae (Shinsekai)	動物園前（新世界）	12.9	Sakaisuji Line (K19) JR West – Shin-Imamiya O Osaka Loop Line (JR-O19) Q Yamatoji Line (V Kansai Main Line) (JR-Q19) Nankai (NK03: Shin-Imamiya) Nankai Main Line Nankai Koya Line Hankai Line (HN52: Shin-Imamiya)	Nishinari-ku, Osaka
M 23	Tennōji	天王寺	13.9	Tanimachi Line (T27) O Osaka Loop Line (JR-O01) Q Yamatoji Line (V Kansai Main Line) (JR-Q20) R Hanwa Line (JR-R20) F Minami Osaka Line (F01: Osaka Abenobashi) Hankai Uemachi Line (HN01)	Abeno-ku, Osaka
M 24	Shōwachō	昭和町	15.7
M 25	Nishitanabe	西田辺	17.0
M 26	Nagai	長居	18.3	R Hanwa Line (JR-R24)	Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka
M 27	Abiko	あびこ	19.5		Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka
M 28	Kitahanada	北花田	21.4		Kita-ku, Sakai
M 29	Shinkanaoka	新金岡	23.0
M 30	Nakamozu	なかもず	24.5	Nankai Koya Line (NK59) Semboku Rapid Railway (SB01)

Rolling stock

Since 1987, all Midōsuji Line rolling stock operated by Osaka Metro are stored and maintained at Nakamozu Depot, the first underground depot in the Osaka Metro system. Additionally, said rolling stock can also access Midorigi Depot on the Yotsubashi Line via a crossover located after Daikokuchō Station and Morinomiya Depot on the Chūō Line via the Daikokuchō crossover and then onto a spur track near Hommachi Station, built in 2014. The first depot for the Midōsuji Line was located near Umeda station, which was replaced by Abeno Depot in 1950, Nagai Depot in 1954 (now used mainly for maintenance-of-way vehicles), and Abiko Depot in 1960 (closed in 1987).

21 series (since 1991)
30000 series (since 10 December 2011)^[5]
Kita-Osaka Kyuko 8000 series (since 1987)
Kita-Osaka Kyuko 9000 series (since 28 April 2014)^[6]

Midōsuji Line 30000 series set 31904 in April 2018
Kita-Osaka Kyuko 8000 series in April 2018
Kita-Osaka Kyuko 9000 series in May 2014

Former

100 series (1933–1969)
200 series (1935–1969)
300 series (1938–1969)
400 series (1943–1969)
500 series (1949–1969)
600 series (1951–1969)
1000 series (1953–1969)
1100 series (1957–1969)
1200 series (1958–1969)
50 series (1960–1969)
30 series (1968–1993)
10/10A series (1973–2022)
Kitakyū 7000/8000 series (1969–1970)
Kitakyū 2000 series (1969–1993)

A preserved 100 series car, November 2006
30 series on the Midōsuji Line, c.1987
Midōsuji Line 10A series EMU in April 2018

History

The Midōsuji Line was the first subway line in Osaka and the first government-operated subway line in Japan. Its construction was partly an effort to give work to the many unemployed people in Osaka during the early 1930s. The initial tunnel from Umeda to Shinsaibashi, as well as the Umeda depot, were constructed entirely by hand and opened in 1933 after being initially plagued by cave-ins and water leakage caused by the poor composition of the earth below northern Osaka and the equally poor engineering skills of the work crew.^[7] The first cars were hauled onto the line by manpower and pack animals from the Government Railway tracks near Umeda.^{[citation needed]}

Although the line only operated with single cars at first, its stations were designed from the outset to handle trains of up to eight cars. The line was gradually extended over the next few decades, completing its current length in 1987, making it the second-longest subway line in Osaka after the Tanimachi Line (excluding the Kita-Osaka Kyūkō Railway extension of the Midōsuji Line).

20 May 1933 – Umeda (temporary station) – Shinsaibashi (opening).^[8] Trains started running in single car formation on a single track.
6 October 1935 – Umeda Station (present station) opened. Trains started running on two tracks.
30 October 1935 – Shinsaibashi – Namba (opening). Trains started running in 2-car formation.^[9]
21 April 1938 – Namba – Tennōji (opening). Trains started running in 3-car formation.
Construction stopped during World War II.
20 December 1951 – Tennōji – Shōwachō (opening)
5 October 1952 – Shōwachō – Nishitanabe (opening)
1 August 1953 – Trains started running in 4-car formation.
1 April 1957 – Trains started running in 5-car formation.
1 May 1958 – Trains started running in 6-car formation.
1 July 1960 – Nishitanabe – Abiko (opening)^[10]
1 June 1963 – Trains started running in 8-car formation.
1963 – Highest-ever crush load capacity on the Midōsuji Line recorded at 264% on the Namba – Shinsaibashi section.
1 September 1964 – Umeda – Shin-Osaka (opening)
29 August 1968 – 30 series EMUs began operation.^[11]
24 February 1970 – Shin-Osaka – Esaka together with Kita-Osaka Kyuko Railway (Kitakyu) (opening). Automatic Train Control and cab signalling replaced the previous mechanical Automatic Train Stop train protection system.
1 April 1971 – Centralized traffic control introduced.
16 February 1976 – 10 series EMUs begin operation.
18 April 1987 – Abiko – Nakamozu (opening).^[12] Refurbishment of stations to accommodate 9-car trainsets began.^[13]
24 August 1987, Refurbishment of stations complete, hence all trains were regrouped into 9-car formation.
14 May 1991 – 21 series EMUs begin operation.
1993 – All trains on the Midōsuji Line are fully air-conditioned after the withdrawal of the 30 series and the Kitakyū 2000 series the same year.
9 December 1995 – Refurbishment of stations to accommodate 10-car trainsets began.
1 September 1996 – Refurbishment of stations completed, hence all trains were regrouped into 10-car formation.
11 November 2002 – Women-only cars were introduced.
December 2011 – 30000 series EMUs entered service.
14 February 2015 – First half-height platform screen doors installed at Tennōji Station.^[14]
27 March 2020 – First three sets of 30000 series EMUs equipped with on-board Wi-Fi.^[15]
2021 – TASC implemented on the Midōsuji Line.
5 March 2022 – Platform screen doors retrofit work completed on the Midōsuji Line.^[16]
4 July 2022 – Last 10 series EMU retired from service.

Women-only passenger cars

Women-only cars were introduced on the line from 11 November 2002. There is one such designated car in each train (Car No. 6), the use of which is restricted all day on weekdays.

Women-only car

←Nakamozu

Esaka/Minoh-kayano→

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10

References

^ "平成27年大都市交通センサス近畿圏報告書" (PDF). P:84. 国土交通省. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-09-29. Retrieved 2018-09-28.
^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-09-29. Retrieved 2021-01-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ 小佐野, カゲトシ (2016). 日本縦断！地下鉄の謎 [Across Japan! Subway Mystery] (in Japanese). Japan: 実業之日本社. ASIN B01NAS4TMD.
^ "可動式ホーム柵の設置状況" [Installation status of movable platform fences]. subway.osakametro.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 1 December 2021.
^ "大阪市交御堂筋線用30000系が営業運転を開始" [Osaka Municipal Subway 30000 series begins revenue service on the Midosuji Line]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 2011-12-11. Retrieved 2022-07-25.
^ "北大阪急行9000形が営業運転を開始" [Kita-Osaka Kyuko 9000 series enters revenue service]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 2014-04-29. Retrieved 2022-07-25.
^ 大阪市交通局七十五年史 [Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau 75 Years History] (in Japanese). Osaka, Japan: 大阪市交通局. 1980.
^ "公営地下鉄在籍車数ビッグ３大阪市交通局 (One of the big three public subway operators: Osaka Municipal Subway)". Japan Railfan Magazine. Vol. 49, no. 576. April 2009. pp. 88–99.
^ "官報. 1935年10月28日" [Official Bulletin. 28 October 1935] (in Japanese). 28 October 1935. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
^ 加古, 信志 (24 July 2014). "れとろ探訪:地下鉄長居駅" [Retro Exploration: Nagai Subway Station]. Mainichi Shimbun (in Japanese).
^ 大阪市交通局百年史 [Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau 100 Years History] (in Japanese). 大阪市交通局. 2005. p. 1124. ISBN 978-4990172411.
^ "鉄道ジャーナル" [Railway Journal]. 鉄道ジャーナル. 21: 122. July 1987.
^ "12日からダイヤ改正". 交通新聞 (in Japanese). 8 April 1987.
^ "大阪市交通局｜可動式ホーム柵".
^ "Osaka Metroの車内で無料Wi-Fiをご利用いただけます～御堂筋線の3列車から順次導入～｜Osaka Metro".
^ "御堂筋線なんば駅の可動式ホーム柵の運用開始について｜Osaka Metro".