Friday, 2 May 2014

Drink Station: Urban Oasis on the Blue Line

EMU Yokohama Municipal Subway 3000N series stands at Mitsuzawa-shimocho Station
 
Japan is a country of vending machines. There are over five million vending machines in this country. You can find a number of different machines everywhere, and they sell railway tickets, soft-drinks, snacks, noodles, rice, stamps, newspapers, magazines, batteries, and even paper fortunes in shrines.

You can see a "soft-drink station" in Sakuragi-cho Station on the Blue Line of Yokohama Municipal Subway. It is a small corner of the station yard. There are many soft-drink vending machines provided by a soft-drink vendor. Customers just buy a drink and take a breather over a canned coffee, tea or cola at the counter. It is simple, but good enough for busy city-dwellers as an urban oasis.

For your information, The Blue Line (40.4km) is the main transportation artery in Yokohama City, some 30km south of Tokyo. Because of its line alignment, it has a total of 12 transfer stations to other railways making it very convenient. The track gauge is 1,435mm and the electric system is 750V DC. The electric collecting system is the third rail without pantographs, which is same as the subway Ginza and Marunouchi lines in Tokyo.

The EMU 3000N series is one of the main fleet on the line. It was launched in 1999. A total of 7 sets, 42 units have been manufactured so far by Tokyu Sharyo. IGBT-VVVF inverter control and pure electrical brake systems are equipped. A black-colored belt on the front face is my favorite.

 
"Drink Station" in Sakuragi-cho station yard on the Yokohama Municipal Subway Blue Line