The , also known as the Kyoto City Subway, is the rapid transit network in the city of Kyoto, Japan. Operated by the Kyoto Municipal Transportation Bureau, it has two lines.
History
In 1931, the Kyoto City Civil Engineering Bureau proposed a municipal development plan that included the construction of a “high-speed railway” along either the Horikawa Line (堀川線) or the Nishioji Line (西大路線), with a connection to Kyoto Station. At the time, the precise form of this system had not been defined, and possibilities included an underground railway, a monorail, or a surface line built on a dedicated right-of-way.
By 1939, amid growing international tensions during the World War II, the head of Kyoto City’s urban planning department advocated for formal study of a subway system, reportedly noting that air battles would occur, highlighting concerns over the vulnerability of surface transportation. In July of that year, the issue became a subject of debate at the Fourth Subcommittee of the Greater Kyoto Development Council (大京都振興審議会).
On October 24, 1972, the Minister of Transport granted Kyoto City a license to operate a local railway, authorizing construction of the Karasuma Line between Kitayama and Takeda. The initial plan envisioned the full opening of the Kitayama–Takeda corridor by March 1978. However, worsening municipal finances and prolonged land acquisition negotiations, particularly in the sections between Kitayama and Kitaōji, and between Kyoto and Takeda necessitated a revision of the construction schedule. As a result, the Kitaōji–Kyoto segment was designated as a priority development area and advanced ahead of the remaining sections.
A groundbreaking ceremony for the project was held on November 29, 1974, marking the formal start of construction. The first operational section of the Karasuma Line, running between Kitaōji Station and Kyoto Station, commenced service on May 29, 1981.
Lines
The Kyoto Municipal Subway is made up of two lines: the long, 15-station Karasuma Line, and the long, 17-station Tōzai Line, which together share one interchange station (Karasuma Oike Station):
{| class="wikitable" <!--style="margin: 0 auto; text-align:center;"-->
! colspan=2| Color & Icon
! Mark
! colspan=2| Name
! First section<br />opened
! Last ex-<br />tension
! Length
! Stations
|-
| rowspan=3 style="background:#3cb371; color:white;"|Green
| rowspan=3|25px
| K
| -
| style="text-align:left;"|Karasuma Line
| 1981
| 1997
|
| 15
|-
| rowspan=2|-
| rowspan=2|Via trackage rights
| style="text-align:left;"|Kintetsu Kyōto Line
| 1988
| 2000
| '
| 22
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|Kintetsu Nara Line
| 2000
| -
| '
| 3
|-
| rowspan=4 style="background:orangered; color:white;"|Vermilion
| rowspan=4|25px
| rowspan=4| T
| -
| rowspan=4 style="text-align:left;"|Tōzai Line
| 1997
| 2004
|
| 8
|-
| Via trackage rights
| 1997
| -
|
| 3
|-
| -
| 1997
| -
|
| 4
|-
| -
| 2008
| -
|
| 2
|- style="background:#F2F2F2;"
| colspan=7 style="text-align:center;"|Total
|
| 31
|}
Rolling stock
Karasuma Line
- Kyoto Municipal Subway 10 series
- Kyoto Municipal Subway 20 series
- Kintetsu 3200 series
- Kintetsu 3220 series
<gallery>
File:Kyoto City 10 series EMU early type 001.JPG|Kyoto Municipal Subway 10 series
File:京都市営地下鉄20系KS31編成 急行 国際会館行.jpg|Kyoto Municipal Subway 20 series
File:Kintetsu-3200 001 JPN.JPG|Kintetsu 3200 series
File:Kintetsu-3220 001 JPN.JPG|Kintetsu 3220 series
</gallery>
Tozai Line
- Kyoto Municipal Subway 50 series
- Keihan 800 series
<gallery>
File:Kyotoshi5604keihan814.jpg|Kyoto Municipal Subway 50 series and Keihan 800 series
</gallery>
Stations
Network map
See also
- Transport in Keihanshin
- List of metro systems
Notes
References
External links
- Kyoto City Bus & Subway Information Guide (Official website)
- Network map (to scale)
- Kyoto Municipal Subway map