Tobu Isesaki Line
The  is a Japanese railway line operated by the private railway company Tobu Railway, extending from Tōbu-Dōbutsu-Kōen Station in Saitama to Isesaki Station in Gunma Prefecture. The Isesaki Line can refer to the entire section between Asakusa - Isesaki and Oshiage - Hikifune, but from March 2012, the  section south of Tōbu-Dōbutsu-Kōen was branded as the Tobu Skytree Line in conjunction with the opening of the Tokyo Skytree tower.

Descriptions
Track
single:  −  
double: the rest

Operation

Service patterns
Stops and operated sections are as of 2023, February 15.
 (announced as  or  for short) (L)
Tōbu-Dōbutsu-Kōen − Ōta. Connection with Express. Three per hour, with one between Kuki and Tatebayashi.
Ōta − Isesaki. One per hour per direction, conductorless.
 (SSE)
Between Asakusa and Tōbu-Dōbutsu Kōen, Kuki or Minami-Kurihashi on Nikkō Line.
 (SmE)
Early morning and late night. Down to Tōbu-Dōbutsu-Kōen, Kuki or to Minami-Kurihashi on the Nikkō Line through from Chūō-Rinkan of Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line via Hanzōmon Line. 10 cars.
 (SE)
Between Asakusa and Tōbu-Dōbutsu-Kōen, Tatebayashi or Ōta.
 (Ex)
From morning to night. Down to Tōbu-Dōbutsu-Kōen, Kuki (nearly half to Minami-Kurihashi on the Nikkō Line), through from Chūō-Rinkan on the Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line via Hanzōmon Line. 10 cars.
 (LE)
Stops not shown for now. Charged for seat reservation and rapid service. Mainly through to the Nikkō Line for the Nikko area named  and . Some through to Isesaki from Asakusa, sole direct service named . The 70090 Series Services runs through to Ebisu from Kuki, Home liner service named TH Liner.

Stations
O: Stop
*1: To/from  on the Tobu Skytree Line section of the Isesaki Line.
*2: To/from  on Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line via Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line
For the section between Tōbu-Dōbutsu-Kōen and Asakusa, see Tobu Skytree Line.

Rolling stock

Current
Tobu 200 series
Tobu 500 series
Tobu 10000 series
Tobu 50000 series
Tobu 50050 series
Tobu 70090 series (TH Liner)
Tokyu 2020 series
Tokyu 5000 series
Tokyo Metro 18000 series
Tokyo Metro 8000 series
Tokyo Metro 08 series

Former
Tokyu 8500 series (1975-2023)
Tobu 30000 series

History

The first section of the Isesaki Line was opened by the present company in 1899 between  and  utilising steam motive power. In 1902, Tobu extended the line south to have a maritime connection at present  (then , later renamed Asakusa) in downtown Tokyo, and north to . The following year a further northern extension to  (then on the south bank of Tone River) was opened. Further northward extension  progressed, and in 1910 the line arrived at . In 1931, a bridge over the Sumida River was built and present Asakusa Station (then ) opened as part of the department store building, the entire line being completed.

The Asakusa to Nishiarai section was double-tracked in 1912, and the rest of the line was double-tracked between 1920 and 1927, except for the Hanyu to Kawamata section, which was double-tracked when a second bridge was built over the Tonegawa in 1992.

Electrification was begun in 1924 on the section of Asakusa and , and in 1927 completed as far as Isesaki. The distance of over  was then one of the longest electrified railway lines together with the present Kintetsu Osaka Line and Yamada Lines.

After World War II, the Tobu Lines had no connection to the Yamanote Line or other major lines of the then Japanese National Railways (JNR) to offer efficient transfers to central Tokyo. The sole connection was with the Jōban Line at Kitasenju, which offered poor access to central Tokyo. To solve the inefficiencies of transfers at Kitasenju and notoriously narrow Asakusa, in 1962, the Hibiya Line of the then , known as TRTA, present Tokyo Metro) was built, connecting at Kitasenju.

Further growing traffic required Tobu to build a second through line to Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line in the 1990s. In 2003, the company built new tracks from Hikifune to connect at , officially an annex station of Tokyo Skytree.

From the 3 March 2006, timetable revision, less than half of trains originated or terminated at Asakusa, with more trains operating through to Tokyo Metro subway lines.

From 17 March 2012, the section south of Tōbu-Dōbutsu-Kōen was rebranded as the Tobu Skytree Line.

References
This article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia

External links

 Tobu Railway Isesaki Line information page 

 
Isesaki Line
Rail transport in Saitama Prefecture
Rail transport in Gunma Prefecture
Rail transport in Tochigi Prefecture
Railway lines opened in 1899
1067 mm gauge railways in Japan
1899 establishments in Japan
1500 V DC railway electrification