EMU Sendai Subway 2000 series passes through Hirose River Valley
Six years have already passed since the second subway line was opened in Sendai City. I'm going to introduce the highlights of this route, namely Tozai line (East-West line), today.
To start, let me quickly review the Tozai line. It's a mini-sized subway operated by the Transportation Bureau of Sendai City. Similar to the Ooedo line in Tokyo Metropolis and the Green line in Yokohama City, linear motor technology is adopted for the train driving system. Connecting Arai and Yagiyama Zoological Park stations, the route length is 13.9 kilometers. The gauge size is 1,435 millimeters and the electric system is 1,500 V DC overhead. The EMU 2000 series is the sole model operated on the line. One train is 66.5 meters long, and consists of four cars.
Let's head to the main topic. Yagiyama Zoological Park terminal is located at the highest altitude of all subway lines throughout Japan. The platform of this station is 136.4 meters above sea level. To climb up this steep mountain, the railway track of the Tozai line passes Hirose River valley by a bridge, not underground. If the section of Hirose River Valley was underground, the platform of Yagiyama Zoological Park station would be very deep from the ground surface, because the subway trains wouldn't climb up the steep track. Thanks to this unique track, we can observe the Tozai line trains passing through Hirose River Valley above ground. It's a gorgeous photogenic spot for rail-fans.
To be continued...
Side view of the EMU Sendai Subway 2000 series