JAPAN: Yokohama Municipality op-ened its second metro line on March 30, the 13·1 km Green Line serving Kohoku New Town northwest of the city centre. Also known as Line 4, the route runs from Nakayama to Hiyoshi, interchanging with the Blue Line at Centre-Kita and Centre-Minami. Connections are provided with JR East's Yokohama Line at Nakayama and with Tokyu Railway's Toyoko Line at Hiyoshi.
The standard gauge line runs underground for 10·7 km and on the surface for 2·4 km. It is electrified at 1·5 kV DC, and has 15 Series 10 000 linear-motor 80 km/h EMUs supplied by Kawasaki Heavy Industries. These are currently four-car sets, but provision has been made for extension to six. The aluminium-bodied cars are 15 m long and 2 490 mm wide. The depot is located at Kawawa, near Nakayama. Services operate at 6 min intervals off-peak and every 4 min 30 sec at peak hours, with a journey time of around 20 min.
- Tokyo Metro's 8·9 km Line 13 between Ikebukuro and Shibuya is expected to open for revenue service on June 14. It will also take over the Yurakucho New Line running northwest from Ikebukuro, allowing trains from Tobu Railway's Tojo Main Line and Seibu's Ikebukuro Line to reach Shibuya. In 2012 it will be connected with the Toyoko Line, permitting through services to Yokohama via the Minato-Mirai Line (MR 05 p19).
