The Tokyu Meguro Line (目黒線) is a line run by Tokyu Electric Railway (東急電鉄). It runs from Meguro Station in Shinagawa ward, Tokyo, to Hiyoshi Station in Kōhoku ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa.
History
The line began in 1923. On 11 March 1923 the Meguro Line opened from Meguro to Maruko (now Numabe). In October 1923 Meguro-Fudō-mae station was renamed Fudō-mae. On 1 November 1923 the Maruko to Kamata section opened, which completed the whole line, and it was named the Mekama Line (目蒲線). On 1 June 1924 Koyama station was renamed Musashi-Koyama. On 1 January 1926 Chōfu station was renamed Den-en-chōfu, and Tamagawa station was renamed Maruko-Tamagawa. On 1 August 1928 Nishi-Koyama station opened.
On 1 January 1931 Maruko-Tamagawa station was renamed Tamagawaen-mae. On 5 November 1955 the overhead line voltage was raised from 600 V to 1500 V. In 1965 Senzoku station was moved underground to cross Ring Road 7 (環七通り) at a grade separation. On 18 March 1989 the old first-generation 3000 series ended service. The Ikegami Line stopped using them on 9 March 1989, and its stainless-steel cars, such as the 7200 series, moved to the Ikegami Line, while first-generation 3000 series cars gathered on the Mekama Line. On 27 November 1994 Den-en-chōfu station moved underground.
In 1997 Ōokayama station went underground on 27 June, and Meguro station on 27 July. On 10 October 1999 the area near Fudō-mae station was elevated. On 6 August 2000 the Meguro to Den-en-chōfu section was separated from the Mekama Line and renamed the Meguro Line. Trains that ran through from Den-en-chōfu to Musashi-Kosugi on the Tokyu Toyoko Line (東急東横線) were also called the Meguro Line. The same day Tamagawaen-mae was renamed Tamagawa, and one-man operation began.
On 26 September 2000 through running began with the Namboku Line (南北線) of Teito Rapid Transit Authority (Eidan, now Tokyo Metro) and the Mita Line (三田線) of the Toei subway. The timetable change was made on 22 September. Until 25 September, the new section from Meguro to Tameike-Sannō and Mita ran as empty trains in trial runs. From 22 September Eidan 9000 series and Toei 6300 series cars were used on the Meguro Line, and the second-generation 3000 series on the Namboku and Mita lines. On 28 March 2001 through running with the Saitama Rapid Railway began via the Namboku Line. On 13 March 2003 the 5080 series began service.
On 2 July 2006 Musashi-Koyama and Nishi-Koyama stations moved underground as part of continuous grade separation between Fudō-mae and Senzoku. On 25 September 2006 express service began on the whole line. Weekday morning rush-hour service rose from 17 local trains to 21, made up of 7 express and 14 local. In the daytime, 2 more express trains an hour were added at 30-minute intervals, to 10 an hour. Because the trains no longer matched the through-running destinations, local trains turning back at Meguro ran at 30-minute intervals. On 22 June 2008 the line was extended 2.8 km from Musashi-Kosugi to Hiyoshi. Weekday morning rush-hour service rose to 24 trains, with 10 express and 14 local, and 3 more express were added. In the daytime, the local trains bound for Meguro were changed to express trains through to the subway. The express interval changed from 2 an hour (30 minutes) to 4 an hour (15 minutes), and all daytime trains then ran through to the subway.
On 14 March 2011 rolling blackouts followed the Tōhoku earthquake of 11 March, and express service was suspended. On 25 April 2011 express service resumed only in weekday rush hours. On 2 July 2011 the weekend timetable returned to normal, and express service fully resumed. In February 2012 station numbering was introduced on all Tokyu lines, including the Meguro Line, with the route letters MG.
On 22 November 2019 the 3020 series began service. Japanese Wikipedia gives no date for a change at Musashi-Koyama in weekday mornings (about 7:30 to 9:00), where trains now arrive alternately so that a local train can wait for an express. On 14 March 2020 the last train to Okusawa was extended to Ōokayama because of works at Okusawa station. On 27 January 2022 through running with the Sōtetsu Shin-Yokohama Line (相鉄新横浜線) was decided. On 12 March 2022 the passing facilities at Okusawa came into use. On 1 April 2022 Tokyu cars began running 8-car sets, at first only on the Namboku Line system. On 15 May 2022 Toei 6500 series began 8-car sets. In September 2022 the departure sounds were to be renewed by March 2023, and on 16 October 2022 digital radio came into use. On 18 March 2023 through running began with the Tokyu Shin-Yokohama Line (東急新横浜線), which opened that day, and the Sōtetsu Shin-Yokohama, Sōtetsu Main and Izumino lines. A train from Musashi-Koyama to Hiyoshi was set up, and Sōtetsu 21000 series 8-car sets began running. On 18 December 2023 Tokyo Metro 9000 series 8-car sets began running. On 20 January 2024 the train stopping position at Hiyoshi moved toward Shin-Yokohama. On 16 March 2024 a timetable change extended some Meguro Line trains to Shin-Yokohama station and added early morning and daytime trains.
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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.