The Chiyoda Line (千代田線) is a Tokyo Metro (東京地下鉄, 東京メトロ) line. It runs from Kita-Ayase Station in Adachi, Tokyo, to Yoyogi-Uehara Station in Shibuya, Tokyo.
History
The line began as a city transport plan in 1962. On 8 June 1962 an advisory council to the Ministry of Transport recommended a line from the Kitami area to the Matsudo area. On 29 August 1962 the number was changed to Tokyo Line 9, because the Yurakucho Line, which was then planned, became Line 8. On 24 April 1964 the Teito Rapid Transit Authority (帝都高速度交通営団, Eidan) decided to build Line 9 between Ayase and Yoyogi-Uehara. On 15 May 1964 it applied for a licence for the route from Kami-Chiba in Katsushika to Yoyogi-Uehara. The first plan aimed to open the whole line by the end of fiscal 1968. On 16 December 1964 Line 9 was fixed as a city planning line, and on 18 December 1964 the licence was granted.
On 30 July 1966 construction began on the Kita-Senju to Otemachi section. On 26 September 1969 the line was named the Chiyoda Line (千代田線). On 20 December 1969 the 9.9 km section from Kita-Senju to Otemachi opened, with 3-car 5000 series trains. The Eidan's total route length passed 100 km at that point. On 14 December 1970 all trains were lengthened to 5 cars. On 20 March 1971 the 2.2 km section from Otemachi to Kasumigaseki opened, and 6000 series trains began service, running 10-car trains all day. On 20 April 1971 the 2.6 km section from Ayase to Kita-Senju opened, and through running to Abiko on the Joban Line local tracks (常磐緩行線) began. On 20 October 1972 the 6.2 km section from Kasumigaseki to Yoyogi-Koen opened. On 29 November 1972 construction began on the last section, Yoyogi-Koen to Yoyogi-Uehara.
The last section was delayed by work linked to the Odakyu Line's grade separation plan. On 31 March 1978 the 1.0 km section from Yoyogi-Koen to Yoyogi-Uehara opened, which completed the whole line. Odakyu through running to Motoatsugi began at the same time, at first only on weekday mornings and evenings, running as Kyuko trains on the Odakyu line. The Kita-Ayase to Ayase branch was applied for on 17 May 1978 and licensed on 1 September 1978. On 20 December 1979 the 2.1 km branch from Ayase to Kita-Ayase opened, after the depot line was opened to passengers. On 1 October 1981 the 5000 series stopped running outside the Ayase to Kita-Ayase section, and most of its cars moved to the Tozai Line. On 15 November 1982 the Joban through service was extended to Toride during weekday rush hours, and the 203 series began service on those trains.
On 1 April 1987 the national railways were split up, and the Joban through trains became JR East services. On 1 June 1988 car cooling began. On 27 March 1989 Odakyu 1000 series trains began through running, but only some sets could run through. On 27 March 1990 the Odakyu 9000 series through running ended. On 16 March 1991 Odakyu through running was extended to Saturdays and holidays, with a Saturday timetable. On 18 March 1993 the 06 series began service, and on 27 March 1993 a train operation management system (PTC) was introduced. On 12 October 1997 an event train, Dream Express '97, ran in round trips between Karakida on the Odakyu Tama Line and Kasumigaseki. It was the first event train run by the Eidan. On 11 March 1998 three staff were struck and killed by an empty train between Yoyogi-Uehara and Yoyogi-Koen. On 27 November 1999 the whole line switched to the new CS-ATC signalling system. On 4 December 1999 a timetable change raised the top speed between Ayase and Yoyogi-Uehara from 75 km/h to 80 km/h, and cut the travel time by 50 seconds to 38 minutes 10 seconds. JR East added 209 series 1000 番台 trains at that time.
On 2 December 2000 Odakyu through trains were greatly increased, with a 30-minute interval in the daytime, and a new express ran from Karakida on the Tama Line to Ayase. Chiyoda cars began to be stabled overnight on the Odakyu line. On 26 August 2001 Ayase to Kita-Senju was closed all day for refurbishment work. On 23 March 2002 most Odakyu-bound trains changed from Sagami-Ono to Karakida, and Eidan cars ran on the Tama Line as regular trains for the first time. One-man operation began on Ayase to Kita-Ayase. On 29 March 2003 Eidan cars stopped running onto the Odakyu Odawara Line. Odakyu cars ran to and from Motoatsugi and Sagami-Ono until 25 March 2016. On 1 April 2004 the Teito Rapid Transit Authority was succeeded by Tokyo Metro. On 11 December 2004 more Odakyu trains were added. On 15 May 2006 a women-only car was introduced in the morning commuting hours. On 18 March 2007 the PASMO IC card began. On 29 September 2007 Odakyu introduced its 4000 series for through running, and the 1000 series was withdrawn from this line by 2011. On 15 March 2008 Odakyu's all-reserved limited express, the Romancecar 60000 MSE, began service. On 9 September 2009 JR East introduced the E233 series 2000 番台 for through running.
On 1 January 2010 the MSE ran as a special Romancecar from Kita-Senju to Katase-Enoshima. On 4 November 2010 the 16000 series began service. On 14 March 2011 TEPCO carried out rotating planned blackouts, after the 11 March 2011 earthquake had stopped power generation. Through running to Odakyu and the Tama Line, and Romancecar trains, were suspended. Through running resumed on 1 April 2011 in weekday rush hours only, Romancecar trains resumed on 29 April, and weekend and holiday through running resumed on 2 July. On 12 September 2011 weekday daytime through running resumed, and service returned to what it was before the earthquake. On 30 August 2012 mobile phones could be used between Ayase and Yushima. On 26 December 2012 they could be used between Kasumigaseki and Yoyogi-Uehara. On 7 February 2013 they could be used between Nijubashimae and Kasumigaseki, and on 14 March 2013 between Yushima and Nijubashimae. On 15 March 2014 the daytime service was shortened to a 5-minute interval from Yoyogi-Uehara to Ayase and a 10-minute interval from Ayase to Kita-Ayase. On 28 April 2014 the 05 series began running on Ayase to Kita-Ayase. On 26 March 2016 cars from JR East, Tokyo Metro and Odakyu each ran through in their own arrangements, and more Odakyu trains were added. A departure melody began at Nogizaka that day.
On 17 March 2018 the Tama Line was removed from the through running with Odakyu, except one weekday morning A-line train, so only the Odakyu Odawara Line remained, and the through section was extended to Isehara. On 24 March 2018 automatic train operation (ATO) was used on most trains from Yoyogi-Uehara to Ayase. On 11 November 2018 the 6000 series ended service. On 16 March 2019 the Kita-Ayase platform was lengthened for 10-car trains, and through running from Yoyogi-Uehara to Kita-Ayase began. On 12 March 2022 the through running with the Odakyu Tama Line ended. On 15 March 2025 through running with the Tama Line resumed.
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Written by an AI from the line's history on Japanese Wikipedia, nothing else, and checked by a program for dates and numbers that are not in those facts. It can still be wrong. Adapted from Japanese Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0; this text is shared under the same licence.