Overview | |||
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Native name | 札幌市営地下鉄 Sapporo-shiei-chikatetsu |
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Locale | Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan | ||
Transit type | Rubber-tyred metro | ||
Number of lines | 3 | ||
Number of stations | 49 | ||
Operation | |||
Began operation | December 16, 1971 | ||
Operator(s) | Sapporo City Transportation Bureau | ||
Technical | |||
System length | 48.0 km (29.8 mi) | ||
Electrification | 750 V DC third rail (Namboku LIne) 1,500 V DC overhead catenary (Tozai and Toho lines) |
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The Sapporo Municipal Subway (札幌市営地下鉄 Sapporo-shiei-chikatetsu?) is an underground rubber-tyred metro system in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan, operated by the Sapporo City Transportation Bureau.
The system consists of three lines: the green Namboku Line (North-South line), orange Tozai Line (East-West line), and blue Tōhō Line. The first, the Namboku Line, was opened in 1971 prior to the 1972 Winter Olympics. The Sapporo City Subway system operates out of two main hubs: Sapporo Station and Odori Station. Most areas of the city are within a reasonable walking distance or short bus ride from one of the subway stations.
The three lines all connect at Sapporo Station with the JR Hokkaido main lines. At Odori and Susukino stations, it connects to the streetcar (tram) above. The system has a total length of 48 km with 46 stations.
All lines of the subway use rubber-tired trains that travel on two flat steel roll ways, guided by a single central rail. This system is unique among subways in Japan and the rest of the world; while other rubber-tired metro networks use guide bars, the Sapporo system does not because the central rail makes them superfluous (similar to some guided buses, such as the Translohr).