Feature New Stations

A Comparison of Tokyo’s Oedo Line & ’s Extension Masayuki Fuchigami

Tokyo’s 6-shaped 40.8-km Oedo Line London’s first ‘Tube’ opened in 1863 to approve government funding for the was fully opened on 12 December 2000. when Japan’s Edo period (1603–1867) (JLE), making the But the new subway line was a hot topic was coming to an end and before any redeveloped areas much more accessible. even before construction was completed railways had been built in Japan. The plan involved an eastward because it finally links areas of Tokyo with The progressiveness of the British system extension of the existing (completed in poor transport connections to the was truly remarkable. The earliest 1977) Jubilee Line linking Charing extensive public transport network. For underground trains were hauled by steam Cross in central London with example, Akabanebashi, which used to locomotive on the in the northwest . The new be thought of as an isolated ‘island’ in running some 4 miles (about 6 km) extension begins at Green Park in south central Tokyo, is now just a 15- between Paddington Station and London’s West End, and runs out minute ride to the Shinjuku subcentre. Farringdon Street. The current Tube through the to Stratford in However, much of the interest comes network runs a total of over 400 km on the east, providing a revolutionary high- from the unique designs of the line’s 12 lines with 270 stations. Japan was 64 speed, high-capacity link bringing stations. The designs were decided by years behind Britain in opening its first many benefits to London’s citizens. an architectural competition in which subway, which ran 2.2 km between Areas with no previous Tube access, suggestions were invited from a wide Asakusa and Ueno (see A History of such as North and range of contestants. According to Japanese Railways, 1872–1999, published , are now on the map. popular rumour, the Tokyo Metropolitan by EJRCF). Today, including the Oedo People living in south- and Government (TMG) set the architects and Line, the Tokyo system covers 280.5 km can use Park and Ride (a system builders a target of building high-quality with 264 stations. In terms of stations, of leaving one’s car at a suburban underground facilities at low cost, which the two networks are similar, but the Tokyo station and taking the train) to commute led to significant challenges and network is still about 30% shorter. to work, contributing to reduced traffic sharpened abilities. Like Tokyo, some parts of London were congestion in central London. Interestingly, , the transport-isolated islands and the issue of International connections from world’s first subway system, also recently linking south London with the East End Stratford and Waterloo have also completed a project in which various was first raised in 1949. However, it was become much easier. architects worked together to design not until the redevelopment of the derelict Unlike suburban railways in Britain, fabulous new stations. It is fascinating docklands into new financial and Japan’s Oedo Line does not have a Park to note the similarities between the two residential centres during the late 1980s and Ride system, because the Oedo projects, which occurred at almost and 1990s that an acute need for Line runs mainly through crowded exactly the same time in both east and improved transport links was real