・What’s the Mita Line?
The Mita Line is Tokyo’s sixth-oldest subway line. It opened in 1968 and is operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation (Toei). The line is 26.5 km long, connecting Meguro and Nishi-takashimadaira. For your information, the 2.3 km section between Meguro and Shirokane-takanawa is shared with Tokyo Metro. Another 5.1 km of the line, mainly in the northwest, runs above ground.
The line has a track gauge of 1,067 mm and uses a 1,500 V DC overhead power supply. Its subway line number is “6,” and its line color is blue. Mita Line trains also run directly onto the Tokyu and Sotetsu lines.
Toei currently operates Series 6300 and 6500 EMUs on the line. Meanwhile, Tokyu’s Series 3000, 3020, and 5080 EMUs, along with Sotetsu’s Series 21000 trains, run directly onto the Mita Line from their respective lines.
・Something Unique: A Photo Spot at an Underground Station
All right, please take a look at the photo above. It shows a Toei Series 6300 EMU arriving at Hakusan Station, which is underground. Until recently, I had been photographing Mita Line trains mainly on above-ground sections. However, I recently discovered that this underground station also offers a good spot for train photography.
Here, we can photograph a train with its bogies clearly in the frame. Why is that possible? The station has separate side platforms, and there are no pillars between the two tracks. Thanks to Hakusan Station’s unusual layout, I was able to get the shot without much difficulty.
・Something Unique: A Railyard Directly Beneath an Apartment Complex
Next, please take a look at the photo below. It shows a blue Toei Series 6500 EMU standing on Siding No. 6 at Shimura Railyard. The Series 6500 is one of the newest train types on the Mita Line.
But what I’d like you to notice is the building immediately above the railyard—a large, older apartment complex! Here’s a little history behind it.
Shimura Railyard was built at ground level in 1968, when the Mita Line opened. At the time, Tokyo’s population was growing rapidly. To make effective use of the space above the railyard, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government built an artificial ground over it. A large Toei apartment complex was then constructed on this platform in 1970 to help address the housing shortage.
Looking at this structure, I got a sense of how hard Tokyo was struggling to accommodate its rapidly growing population more than a half century ago.
I thoroughly enjoyed discovering these “unique” features of the Mita Line!
