Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit Rinkai Line

Rinkai Line
TWR 70-000 series train on the Tokyo Waterfront Railway, heading towards Ōsaki
Overview
Locale	Tokyo
Termini	Shin-Kiba Ōsaki
Stations	8
Daily ridership	200,200[1]
Operation
Opening	1996
Owner	Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit
Rolling stock	TWR 70-000 series, etc.
Technical
Line length	12.2 km (7.6 mi)
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	1,500 V DC overhead catenary

The Rinkai Line (りんかい線, Rinkai-sen) is a railway line located in Tokyo, Japan. It is the only line operated by the third-sector company Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit. It connects central Tokyo to the artificial islands of Aomi and Odaiba. The line is served by some trains on the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) Saikyō Line which continue on to Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Ōmiya, and Kawagoe.

Overview

While usually not considered an official part of the Tokyo subway network (as it was built to JR specifications and does not connect to any of the two major subway networks), the Rinkai Line runs underground for nearly 10 km of its 12.2 km distance, going as low as 40 meters below the ground when crossing under the Port of Tokyo. Only the Shinonome – Shin-Kiba segment (which uses the former Keiyō Freight line) is elevated.

Station list

All stations are located in Tokyo. All trains stop at every station on the line.

Rolling stock

Yashio Depot, January 2010

• TWR 70-000 series 10-car EMUs (since 1996)
• JR East 205 series 10-car EMUs (since 2002)^[2]
• JR East E233-7000 series 10-car EMUs (since 30 June 2013)

The TWR 70-000 series electric multiple unit (EMU) trains are based at Yashio Depot, which is accessed via a spur located between Tennōzu Isle Station and Tokyo Teleport Station (the spur track also provides access to Tokyo Freight Terminal), while the 205 and E233 series trains are based at Kawagoe Depot.

The first of a fleet of 31 new 10-car E233-7000 series sets were introduced on Saikyō Line, Kawagoe Line, and Rinkai Line services between Kawagoe and Shin-Kiba from 30 June 2013, displacing the fleet of 205 series EMUs.^[3][4]

• 

  TWR 70-000 series EMU

• 

  A Saikyo Line 205 series EMU

• 

  A JR East E233-7000 series EMU

History

Construction of the line started in 1992, with the eastern end of the line using the right-of-way of the Keiyō Freight Line (abandoned in 1983).^[5] The first portion of the line between Shin-Kiba and Tokyo Teleport opened for service on March 30, 1996, initially under the name Rinkai Fukutoshin Line (臨海副都心線, Rinkai-fukutoshin-sen). The name was officially changed to the Rinkai Line on September 1, 2000. The extension to Tennōzu Isle opened on March 31, 2001 and the final portion to Osaki on December 1, 2002.

The project ran severely over budget, with an estimated final cost of over ¥440 billion.^[5] In 2005, the Rinkai Line's average ridership was 140,000 passengers per day^[5] and, in 2006, the line finally registered its first operational profit, although interest payments on ¥389 billion yen in debt have resulted in a consistent net loss since 1991. By comparison, the competing elevated Yurikamome line is profitable, thanks to lower construction expenses, higher ticket prices and popularity among tourists and leisure visitors for its scenic views.^[6]

However, the Rinkai Line's ridership has steadily increased since, reaching 200,200 passengers per day in 2010. The ridership is forecast to increase further due to future development planned for the area served by the line.

Operating company

Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit
東京臨海高速鉄道株式会社

Type	Stock company (KK)
Industry	Rail transport
Founded	March 12, 1991
Headquarters	Kōtō, Tokyo, Japan
Area served	Tokyo
Key people	Hiroyasu Kawasaki, Representative Director and CEO
Services	Rinkai Line rail service
Revenue	15.588 billion yen (FY2008)[7]
Operating income	1.623 billion yen (FY2008)[7]
Net income	-2.503 billion yen (FY2008)[7]
Total assets	303.408 billion yen (FY2008)[7]
Owner(s)	Tokyo Metropolis (91.32%) East Japan Railway Company (2.41%) Shinagawa City (1.77%) Mizuho Bank (0.70%) (as of March 31, 2009)
Employees	247
Website	www.twr.co.jp

Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit, Inc. (東京臨海高速鉄道株式会社, Tōkyō Rinkai Kōsoku Tetsudō Kabushiki-gaisha) was founded on March 12, 1991 for the express purpose of constructing and operating the railway line. As a third-sector company, 91% of shares are held by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, 2.41% by East Japan Railway Company, and 1.77% by Shinagawa Ward.

In spite of its severe financial situation, TWR was discovered to have made a five million yen donation to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government on October 16, 2009 to encourage the city's bid for the 2016 Olympic Games.^[8] The company stood to benefit financially if the games were held in Tokyo, as several of the proposed venues were located along the Rinkai Line.

In addition to its ownership and operation of the Rinkai Line, TWR is also involved in real estate and subcontracting/management of station- and building-related design.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit.

• Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit (official) (Japanese)

v t e Mass transit in the Greater Tokyo Area JR East lines (Tokyo urban/suburban area) ■ Chūō ■ Rapid ■ (Chūō-Sōbu) Local ■ Hachikō ■ Itsukaichi ■ Jōban ■ Karasuyama ■ Kawagoe ■ Keihin-Tōhoku ■ Keiyō ■ Mito ■ Musashino ■ Nambu ■ Narita ■ Negishi ■ Nikkō ■ Ōme ■ Ryōmō ■ Sagami ■ Saikyō Akabane ■ ■ Shōnan-Shinjuku ■ Sōbu ■ Rapid ■ (Chūō-Sōbu) Local ■ Sotobō ■ Takasaki ■ Tōgane ■ Tōkaidō ■ Tsurumi ■ Uchibō ■ Utsunomiya(Tōhoku) ■ Yamanote ■ Yokohama ■ Yokosuka Tokyo Metro lines Chiyoda Fukutoshin Ginza Hibiya Marunouchi Namboku Tōzai Yūrakuchō Hanzōmon Toei subway lines Asakusa Ōedo Mita Shinjuku Major private lines Keikyu Keikyū Main Airport Daishi Kurihama Zushi Keio Keiō Keiō New Dōbutsuen Inokashira Keibajō Sagamihara Takao Keisei Keisei Main Chiba Chihara Higashi-Narita Kanamachi Narita Sky Access Oshiage Odakyu Enoshima Odawara Tama Seibu Ikebukuro lines ■ Ikebukuro ■ Sayama ■ Seibu Chichibu ■ Seibu Yūrakuchō ■ Toshima Shinjuku Lines ■ Shinjuku ■ Haijima ■ Kokubunji ■ Seibu-en ■ Tamagawa ■ Tamako Sotetsu Sotetsu Main Izumino Tobu Tobu main lines Daishi Isesaki Skytree Kameido Kinugawa Kiryū Koizumi Nikkō Noda Sano Utsunomiya Tojo lines Tōjō Ogose Tokyu ■ Den-en-toshi ■ Ikegami ■ Meguro ■ Oimachi ■ Tokyu Tamagawa ■ Toyoko ■ Kodomonokuni Other commuter rail lines Hokusō Kantō Jōsō Ryūgasaki Nagareyama Rinkai Saitama Rapid Shibayama Shin-Keisei Tōyō Rapid Tsukuba Express Minatomirai Kodomonokuni(Tōkyū Kodomonokuni) Minatomirai 21 Yokohama Municipal Subway Blue Green Other lines Monorails Chiba Monorail Disney Resort Shōnan Monorail Tama Monorail Tokyo Monorail People movers New Shuttle Seaside Nippori-Toneri Yamaguchi Yūkarigaoka Yurikamome Streetcars ■ Enoden ■ Setagaya ■ Toden Arakawa Cable cars and aerial tramways Ōyama Cable Car Hodosan Ropeway Takao Tozan Railway Nokogiriyama Ropeway Mount Tsukuba Cable Car Mount Tsukuba Ropeway Akechidaira Ropeway Ikaho Ropeway Mitake Tozan Cable Car Fuji-Hakone-Izu subregion 3 cable 5 ropeways 5 rail lines Hakone Tozan Major terminals Rail Akihabara Chiba Hachiōji Ikebukuro Kawasaki Kita-Senju Machida Station (Odakyu) Machida Station (JR East) Mito Odawara Ōmiya Ōtemachi Shibuya Shinagawa Shinjuku Tachikawa Tokyo Ueno Yokohama Airports Haneda Int'l Narita Int'l Chofu Ibaraki Ports Yokohama Tokyo Miscellaneous Shinkansen Pasmo Suica Transportation in Greater Tokyo Rail transport in Japan Named regional trains (sometimes used for commuting) Construction projects Sōtetsu JR Link Line Ueno-Tokyo Line