The Sapporo Streetcar (札幌市電, Sapporo shiden) is a tram loop located in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is operated by the Sapporo City Transportation Bureau. The system is sometimes referred to by residents as simply the "shiden" (市電). [citation needed]The first section of the network opened in 1909 as the "Sapporo Stone Horsecar Railway" (札幌石材馬車鉄道, Sapporo sekizai basha tetsudō); it was electrified in 1918. The Transportation Bureau took over the network in 1927.

Trams in Sapporo
Overview
Native nameSapporo Shiden (札幌市電)
OwnerSapporo City Transportation Bureau
LocaleSapporo
Transit typeTram
Number of lines4
Number of stations24
Websitecity.sapporo.jp
Operation
Began operation1909
Reporting marksST
Technical
System length8,905 m (5.533 mi)
No. of tracks2
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification600 V DC from overhead catenary
System map

The unique "Sasara Tram" snow clearer which uses rotating bamboo brushes to clear tracks in winter, January 2009

Lines and routes

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At its peak in 1958, the network was 25 kilometers (16 mi) in length with 11 lines and 7 routes. However, the network shrank due to increased automobile ownership and the opening of the Sapporo Municipal Subway.

After the closures in the 1970s, three lines remained. They were collectively called the Ichijō-Yamahana Streetcar Line (一条・山鼻軌道線, Ichijō-yamahana-kidōsen) or simply the Streetcar Line (軌道線, Kidōsen), since the lines covered an incomplete city center route.

  • Ichijō Line (一条線): Nishi-Yon-Chōme – Nishi-Jūgo-Chōme
  • Yamahana-Nishi Line (山鼻西線): Nishi-Jūgo-Chōme – Chūō-Toshokan-Mae
  • Yamahana Line (山鼻線): Chūō-Toshokan-Mae – Susukino

The lines were combined into a single circle route following the opening of the Toshin Line (都心線) between Susukino and Nishi-Yon-Chōme in December 2015.[1]

Almost all trams run the full circle line, with several trams running between Nishi-Yon-Chōme and Nishisen-Jūroku-Jō during the morning rush hours. Trams run at a frequency of 7 to 8 minutes during the day and 3 minutes during weekday peak periods between Nishi-Yon-Chōme and Nishisen-Jūroku-Jō stations. Vehicles are taken out of service at Chūō-Toshokan-Mae.[2]

Sapporo Streetcars, 2016

The fare is ¥200. Like the subway, the tram accepts the SAPICA card,[3] a prepaid magnetic card. Any other electronic IC cards (like Kitaca or Suica) can also be used.[4]

Stations

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Official Line Name No.[5] Station Japanese Distance (km) Transfers Location
Line Total
Ichijō Line  SC01  Nishi-Yon-Chōme 西4丁目 0 0   Subway Namboku Line (Ōdōri,  N07 )
  Subway Tōhō Line (Ōdōri,  H08 )
  Subway Tōzai Line (Ōdōri,  T09 )
Minami 1-jō, Nishi 4-chōme
 SC02  Nishi-Hatchōme 西8丁目 0.501 0.501   Minami 1-jō, Nishi 8-chōme
 SC03  Chūō-Kuyakusho-Mae 中央区役所前 0.901 0.901   Subway Tōzai Line (Nishi-Jūitchōme,  T08 ) Minami 1-jō, Nishi 10-chōme
 SC04  Nishi-Jūgo-Chōme 西15丁目 1.436 1.436   Subway Tōzai Line (Nishi-Jūhatchōme,  T07 ) Minami 1-jō, Nishi 14-chōme
Yamahana-Nishi Line  SC05  Nishisen-Roku-Jō 西線6条 0.564 2.000   Minami 6-jō, Nishi 14-chōme
 SC06  Nishisen-Ku-Jō Asahiyama-Kōen-Dōri 西線9条旭山公園通 0.938 2.374   Minami 9-jō, Nishi 14-chōme
 SC07  Nishisen-Jūichi-Jō 西線11条 1.308 2.744   Minami 11-jō, Nishi 14-chōme
 SC08  Nishisen-Jūyo-Jō 西線14条 1.790 3.226   Minami 14-jō, Nishi 14-chōme
 SC09  Nishisen-Jūroku-Jō 西線16条 2.164 3.600   Minami 16-jō, Nishi 14-chōme
 SC10  Ropeway-Iriguchi ロープウェイ入口 2.537 3.973   Minami 19-jō, Nishi 14-chōme
 SC11  Densha-Jigyōsho-Mae 電車事業所前 2.873 4.309   Minami 21-jō, Nishi 14-chōme
 SC12  Chūō-Toshokan-Mae 中央図書館前 3.154 4.590   Minami 22-jō, Nishi 13-chōme
Yamahana Line  SC13  Ishiyama-Dōri 石山通 0.331 4.921   Minami 22-jō, Nishi 11-chōme
 SC14  Higashi-Tonden-Dōri 東屯田通 0.611 5.202   Minami 22-jō, Nishi 9-chōme
 SC15  Kōnan-Shōgakkō-Mae 幌南小学校前 1.023 5.613   Minami 22-jō, Nishi 7-chōme
 SC16  Yamahana-Jūku-Jō 山鼻19条 1.281 5.871   Minami 19-jō, Nishi 7-chōme
 SC17  Seishūgakuen-Mae 静修学園前 1.697 6.287   Subway Namboku Line (Horohira-Bashi,  N10 ) Minami 16-jō, Nishi 7-chōme
 SC18  Gyōkei-Dōri 行啓通 2.028 6.618   Minami 14-jō, Nishi 7-chōme
 SC19  Nakajima-Kōen-Dōri 中島公園通 2.505 7.095   Minami 11-jō, Nishi 7-chōme
 SC20  Yamahana-Ku-Jō 山鼻9条 2.848 7.438   Subway Namboku Line (Nakajima-Kōen,  N09 ) Minami 9-jō, Nishi 7-chōme
 SC21  Higashi-Honganji-Mae 東本願寺前 3.161 7.751   Minami 7-jō, Nishi 7-chōme
 SC22  Shiseikan-Shōgakkō-Mae 資生館小学校前 3.592 8.182   Minami 4-jō, Nishi 6-chōme
 SC23  Susukino すすきの 3.866 8.456   Subway Namboku Line (Susukino,  N08 )
  Subway Tōhō Line (Hōsui-Susukino,  H09 )
Minami 4-jō, Nishi 4-chōme
Toshin Line  SC24  Tanuki Koji 狸小路 0.247 8.703   Minami 3-jō, Nishi 4-chōme (anti-clockwise)
Minami 2-jō, Nishi 3-chōme (clockwise)
 SC01  Nishi Yon-Chome 西4丁目 0.449 8.905 Loop: see above

See also

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References

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  1. ^ https://www.city.sapporo.jp/st/shiden/shiden_loop.html (in Japanese). Retrieved on 29 June 2019.
  2. ^ http://www.city.sapporo.jp/st/time/index.html#shiden (in Japanese). Retrieved on 29 June 2019.
  3. ^ https://www.sapica.jp/en/#sapicaArea. Retrieved on 29 June 2019.
  4. ^ http://www.city.sapporo.jp/st/josyaken/card.html. Retrieved on 29 June 2019.
  5. ^ http://www.city.sapporo.jp/st/shiden/numbering.html (in Japanese). Retrieved on 29 June 2019.
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