Tsukuba Express

Railway line in Tokyo, Japan

Tsukuba Express

A Tsukuba Express train (TX-2000 series)

Overview
Native name| つくばエクスプレス
Status| In operation
Owner| Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company
Locale| Kanto Region
Termini|

* Akihabara
* Tsukuba

Stations| 20
Service
Type| Commuter rail
Operator(s)| Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company
Depot(s)| Moriya
Rolling stock| TX-1000 series / TX-2000 series / TX-3000 series
Daily ridership| 431,060 (daily 2015)[1]
History
Opened| 24 August 2005
Technical
Line length| 58.3 km (36.2 mi)
Character| Urban
Track gauge| 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification| 1,500 V DC overhead catenary (Akihabara–Moriya)
20 kV AC, 50 Hz (Moriya–Tsukuba)
Operating speed| 130 km/h (81 mph)

* v
* t
* e

Tsukuba Express

Legend

Station stops

|  |  |

|  | Rapid

|
|
|
|

|  |

|  | Semi-Rapid
|  |

|  | Local
|  |  |  |  |  |
|  |  |

|
|
|
|

|  |

|  |
|  |

0.0

| Akihabara

Chuo-Sobu Line

|  |

|  |

| Yamanote Line

Keihin-Tōhoku Line

|  |

|  |

Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line

|  |

|  |

Toei Ōedo Line

|  |

1.6

Shin-Okachimachi

|  |

|  |

Toei Ōedo Line

|  |

|  |

Tokyo Metro Ginza Line

|  |

3.1

| Asakusa
|  |

|  |

Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line

|  |

|  |

| Sumidagawa Freight Terminal

Jōban Line

|  |

5.6

| Minami-Senju
|  |

|  |

Sumida River

|  |

|  |

Keisei Main Line

|  |

|  |

| Tōbu

Isesaki Line
│ Tokyo Metro

Chiyoda Line

|  |

7.5

| Kita-Senju
|  |

|  |

Arakawa

|  |

|  |

Kosuge

|  |

|  |

Tōbu Isesaki Line

|  |

|  |

Jōban Line

|  |

|  |

Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line

|  |

10.6

| Aoi
|  |

12.0

| Rokuchō
|  |

|  |

Ayasegawa River

| Tokyo

Saitama Prefecture

|  |

15.6

| Yashio
|  |

|  |

Naka River

|  |

19.3

| Misato-chūō
|  |

|  |

Edo River

| Saitama Prefecture

Chiba Prefecture

|  |

22.1

| Minami-Nagareyama

Musashino Line'

|  |

|  |

Nagareyama Line

|  |

24.3

| Nagareyama-centralpark
|  |

26.5

| Nagareyama-ōtakanomori

Tōbu Noda Line

|  |

30.0

| Kashiwanoha-campus
|  |

32.0

| Kashiwa-Tanaka
|  |

|  |

Tone River

| Chiba Prefecture

Ibaraki Prefecture

|  |

37.7

| Moriya

Jōsō Line

|  |

|  |

depot

|  |

|  |

| 1500 V DC

20 kV AC

|  |

|  |

Kokaigawa River

|  |

44.3

| Miraidaira
|  |

48.6

| Midorino
|  |

51.8

| Bampaku-kinenkōen
|  |

55.6

| Kenkyū-gakuen
|  |

58.3

| Tsukuba
|  |  |  |  |  |

(video) Tsukuba Express line train

The Tsukuba Express (つくばエクスプレス, Tsukuba Ekusupuresu), or TX, is a Japanese railway line operated by the third-sector company Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company, which links Akihabara Station in Chiyoda, Tokyo and Tsukuba Station in Tsukuba, Ibaraki. The route was inaugurated on 24 August 2005.[2]

## Contents

* 1 History
* 2 Driving
* 3 Electrification and rolling stock
* 4 Operation
* 4.1 Station list
* 5 Ridership figures
* 6 See also
* 7 References
* 8 External links

## History[edit]

Platform level of Tsukuba Station

The Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company (首都圏新都市鉄道株式会社, Shuto-ken Shin Toshi Tetsudō Kabushiki-gaisha) was founded on 15 March 1991 to construct the Tsukuba Express, which was then provisionally called the Jōban New Line (常磐新線, Jōban Shinsen). The new line was planned to relieve crowding on the Jōban Line operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East), which had reached the limit of its capacity. However, with the economic downturn in Japan, the goal shifted to development along the line. This was facilitated by the enactment of the Special Measures Law in September 1989 which allowed the expedition of large housing projects as well as the expansion and construction of new and existing railway lines.[2]

During the early stages of construction, the construction company (Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency, or JRTT) as well as associated keiretsu and associates in the public sector purchased land situated on the alignment of the route. Eventually, all the lots would be joined continuously, completed or not, and their ownership transferred to the eventual railway operator, MIRC.[2] Construction of all stations were centered around the theme of universal design.[2]

Also, the initial plan called for a line from Tokyo Station to Moriya, but expenses forced the planners to start the line at Akihabara instead of Tokyo Station, and pressure from the government of Ibaraki Prefecture resulted in moving the extension from Moriya to Tsukuba into Phase I of the construction.

The original schedule called for the line to begin operating in 2000, but delays in construction pushed the opening date to summer 2005. The line eventually opened on 24 August 2005.

From the start of the revised timetable on 15 October 2012, new "Commuter rapid" (通勤快速, tsūkin kaisoku) services were introduced in the morning (inbound services) and evening (outbound services) peak periods.[3]

In September 2013, a number of municipalities along the Tsukuba Express line in Ibaraki Prefecture submitted a proposal to complete the extension of the line to Tokyo Station at the same time as a new airport-to-airport line proposed as part of infrastructure improvements for the 2020 Summer Olympics.[4]

The line made worldwide news in November 2017 when an apology was issued by Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company due to a train departing 20 seconds earlier than scheduled.[5]

## Driving[edit]

The Tsukuba Express is operated as a one-man train. The driver opens and closes the doors manually, but the operation is automatic. (ATO : Automatic Train Operation) The line has a top speed of 130 km/h (81 mph). The Rapid service has reduced the time required for the trip from Akihabara to Tsukuba from the previous 1 hour 30 minutes (by the Jōban Line, arriving in Tsuchiura, about 15 km from Tsukuba) or 70 minutes (by bus, under optimal traffic conditions) to 45 minutes. From Tokyo, the trip takes 50-55 minutes. The line has no level crossings.

## Electrification and rolling stock[edit]

To prevent interference with the geomagnetic measurements of the Japan Meteorological Agency at its laboratory in Ishioka, the portion of the line from Moriya to Tsukuba operates on alternating current. As a result, three train models are used on the line; TX-1000 series DC-only trains, which can operate only between Akihabara and Moriya, TX-2000 series and TX-3000 series dual-voltage AC/DC trains, both of which can operate over the entire line.[6]

Volume production of the line's initial rolling stock began in January 2004, following the completion in March 2003 of two (TX-1000 and TX-2000 series) six-car trains for trial operation and training. The full fleet of 84 TX-1000s (14 six-car trains) and 96 TX-2000s (16 six-car trains) was delivered by January 2005. New TX-3000 series trains built by Hitachi Rail entered service on 14 March 2020.

## Operation[edit]

Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company offers four types of train services on the Tsukuba Express:

* : Local (普通, Futsū)
* : Semi Rapid (区間快速, Kukan Kaisoku)
* : Commuter Rapid (通勤快速, Tsūkin Kaisoku)
* : Rapid (快速, Kaisoku)

Overview of service patterns on the Tsukuba Express

### Station list[edit]

Trains stop at stations marked "●" and skip stations marked "|".

During the morning rush hour on weekdays, Semi Rapid trains bound for Akihabara make an additional stop at Rokuchō (marked "▲").

No.  | Station name  | Distance  | Elec. | Local  | Semi-Rapid  | Commuter
Rapid  | Rapid  | Transfers  | Location

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Japanese  | English  | Ward / City  | Prefecture
TX01  | 秋葉原  | Akihabara | 0.0 km (0 mi)  | DC | ●  | ●  | ●  | ●  |

* JB Chuo-Sobu Line
* JK Keihin-Tohoku Line
* JY Yamanote Line
* Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line (H-16)

| Chiyoda | Tokyo
TX02  | 新御徒町  | Shin-Okachimachi | 1.6 km (0.99 mi)  | ●  | ●  | ●  | ●  |  Toei Oedo Line (E-10)  | Taitō
TX03  | 浅草  | Asakusa | 3.1 km (1.9 mi)  | ●  | ●  | ●  | ●  |  Tokyo Metro Ginza Line (at Tawaramachi (G-18))
TX04  | 南千住  | Minami-Senju | 5.6 km (3.5 mi)  | ●  | ●  | ●  | ●  | JJ Joban Line (Rapid)
Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line (H-21)  | Arakawa
TX05  | 北千住  | Kita-Senju | 7.5 km (4.7 mi)  | ●  | ●  | ●  | ●  |

* JJ Joban Line (Rapid)
* TS Tobu Skytree Line
* Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line (C-18)
* Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line (H-22)

| Adachi
TX06  | 青井  | Aoi | 10.6 km (6.6 mi)  | ●  | |  | |  | |
TX07  | 六町  | Rokuchō | 12.0 km (7.5 mi)  | ●  | ▲  | ●  | |
TX08  | 八潮  | Yashio | 15.6 km (9.7 mi)  | ●  | ●  | ●  | |  |  | Yashio | Saitama
TX09  | 三郷中央  | Misato-chūō | 19.3 km (12.0 mi)  | ●  | ●  | |  | |  |  | Misato
TX10  | 南流山  | Minami-Nagareyama | 22.1 km (13.7 mi)  | ●  | ●  | ●  | ●  | JM Musashino Line | Nagareyama | Chiba
TX11  | 流山セントラルパーク  | Nagareyama-centralpark | 24.3 km (15.1 mi)  | ●  | |  | |  | |
TX12  | 流山おおたかの森  | Nagareyama-ōtakanomori | 26.5 km (16.5 mi)  | ●  | ●  | ●  | ●  | TD Tobu Urban Park Line
TX13  | 柏の葉キャンパス  | Kashiwanoha-campus | 30.0 km (18.6 mi)  | ●  | ●  | ●  | |  |  | Kashiwa
TX14  | 柏たなか  | Kashiwa-Tanaka | 32.0 km (19.9 mi)  | ●  | |  | |  | |
TX15  | 守谷  | Moriya | 37.7 km (23.4 mi)  | ●  | ●  | ●  | ●  | ■ Jōsō Line | Moriya | Ibaraki
TX16  | みらい平  | Miraidaira | 44.3 km (27.5 mi)  | AC | ●  | ●  | |  | |  |  | Tsukubamirai
TX17  | みどりの  | Midorino | 48.6 km (30.2 mi)  | ●  | ●  | |  | |  |  | Tsukuba
TX18  | 万博記念公園  | Bampaku-kinenkōen | 51.8 km (32.2 mi)  | ●  | ●  | |  | |  |
TX19  | 研究学園  | Kenkyū-gakuen | 55.6 km (34.5 mi)  | ●  | ●  | ●  | |  |
TX20  | つくば  | Tsukuba | 58.3 km (36.2 mi)  | ●  | ●  | ●  | ●  |

## Ridership figures[edit]

Fiscal year  | Passengers carried
(in millions)  | Days operated  | Passengers per day  | Source

|
|
|
|

2005  | 34.69  | 220  | 150,000  | [7]
2006  | 70.69  | 365  | 195,000
2007  | 84.85  | 366  | 234,000
2008  | 93.21  | 365  | 258,000
2009  | 97.79  | 365  | 270,300  | [8]
2010  | 102.22  | 365  | 283,000  | [9]
2011  | 104.89  | 366  | 290,000  | [10]
2012  | 110.66  | 365  | 306,000  | [11]
2013  | 118.22  | 365  | 323,900  | [12]
2014  | 118.84  | 365  | 325,600  | [13]
2015  | 124.14  | 365  | 340,100  | [14]
2016  | 129.64  | 366  | 354,200  | [15]
2017  | 135.12  | 365  | 370,200  | [16]

## See also[edit]

* List of railway companies in Japan

## References[edit]

1. ^ "平成27年 大都市交通センサス 首都圈報告書" (PDF). P.93. 国土交通省. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 August 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
2. ^ a b c d Yamada, Kazunobu (December 2005). "Tsukuba Express – Introduction to Stations" (PDF). Japan Railway & Transport Review. 42: 50–59. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 March 2017 - via East Japan Railway Culture Foundation.
3. ^ 10月15日(月)にダイヤ改正を実施いたします。 [15 October Timetable Revision]. News Release (in Japanese). Japan: Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company. 26 July 2012. Archived from the original on 30 July 2012. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
4. ^ "ＴＸ東京駅延伸で茨城の沿線自治体市議会が意見書". 日本経済新聞. 21 September 2013. Archived from the original on 24 August 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
5. ^ "Apology after Japanese train departs 20 seconds early". 16 November 2017. Archived from the original on 16 November 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
6. ^ Barrow, Keith (12 June 2018). "Hitachi to supply extra trains for Tsukuba Express". railjournal.com. Simmons-Boardman Publishing. Archived from the original on 29 October 2019. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
7. ^ "開業３周年を迎えるつくばエクスプレス（ＴＸ）" (Tsukuba Express Celebrates its 3rd Anniversary). Tetsudō Daiya Jōhō Magazine, August 2008 issue, p.63
8. ^ 平成21年度 輸送実績のお知らせ [Transportation Figures for 2009] (PDF). News Release (in Japanese). Japan: Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company. 25 May 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
9. ^ 首都圏新都市鉄道（株）の平成22年度営業実績 [Business Performance of Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company for 2010] (PDF). News Release (in Japanese). Japan: Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company. 6 June 2011. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
10. ^ 首都圏新都市鉄道(株)の平成２３年度営業実績 [Business Performance of Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company for 2011] (PDF). News Release (in Japanese). Japan: Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company. 4 June 2012. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 November 2013. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
11. ^ 平成２４年度営業実績 [Business Performance for 2012]. News Release (in Japanese). Japan: Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company. 7 June 2013. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
12. ^ 平成２５年度営業実績 [Business Performance for 2013]. News Release (in Japanese). Japan: Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company. 6 June 2014. Archived from the original on 3 July 2014. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
13. ^ 平成２6年度営業実績 [Business Performance for 2014]. News Release (in Japanese). Japan: Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company. 2 June 2015. Archived from the original on 18 June 2015. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
14. ^ 2015年度営業実績 [Business Performance for 2015]. News Release (in Japanese). Japan: Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company. 8 June 2016. Archived from the original on 15 August 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
15. ^ 2016年度営業実績 [Business Performance for 2016]. News Release (in Japanese). Japan: Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company. 1 June 2017. Archived from the original on 15 August 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
16. ^ 2017年度営業実績 [Business Performance for 2017]. News Release (in Japanese). Japan: Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company. 3 June 2018. Archived from the original on 15 August 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2021.

## External links[edit]

* Official Site

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passing through
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