On December 15th, 2021, Keio Electric Railway celebrated the 50th anniversary of the express train operation on the Inokashira line.
To start, let me quickly review the Keio-Inokashira line. It's a short commuter route penetrating the western part of Tokyo Metropolis. There are 17 stations over a total operating length of 12.7 kilometers. The Inokashira line isn't connected with other lines. In other words, all trains are not directly operated onto other lines. So why is the express train necessary on this short and isolated Inokashira line?
It's because railway companies in Tokyo are in competition to attract passengers. The railway network in Tokyo is dense, so, it allows passengers to choose the best line to get to their destination. Keio's rival is giant JR East. Which do you take, the Keio-Inokashira line or the JR East line from Kichijoji to Shibuya station? It takes 16 minutes by the express train on the Inokashira line. It's faster than the JR East train. It costs 200 yen by Keio. It's more economical than that of the JR East line. Thanks to the express train operation and the economical fare, the Inokashira line carries an average of 0.97 million passengers per day. It's a gold mine for Keio.
In commemoration of the 50th anniversary, Keio displays a memorial plate on set number 1701 (1701F) of the EMU 1000 series. 1701F was built as the first set of the EMU 1000 series by Tokyu-sharyo in 1995. Happy 50-year anniversary, Inokashira express train!
