Sapporo Streetcar

Type 8520 tramcar

The unique "Sasara Tram" snow clearer which uses rotating bamboo brushes to clear tracks in winter, January 2009

The Sapporo Streetcar (札幌市電, Sapporo shiden^?) is a tram network located in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is operated by the Sapporo City Transportation Bureau. The system is sometimes referred to by residents as simply the "shiden" (市電, lit. "streetcar"^?). The first section of the network opened in 1909 as the "Sapporo Stone Horsecar Railway" (札幌石材馬車鉄道, Sapporo sekizai basha tetsudō^?); it was electrified in 1918. The Transportation Bureau took over the network in 1927.

Basic data

• Distance: 8.41 km / 5.2 mi.
• Gauge: 1,067 mm / 3 ft. 6 in.
• Stations: 23
• Double-tracking: Entire line (except at terminals)
• Electrification: 600 V DC overhead catenary

Lines and routes

Line map

At its peak in 1958, the network was 25 kilometers in length with 11 lines and 7 routes. However, the network shrank due to increased automobile ownership and the opening of the Sapporo Municipal Subway.

Officially, there are three lines currently in operation. They are collectively called the Ichijō-Yamahana Streetcar Line (一条・山鼻軌道線, Ichijō-yamahana-kidōsen^?) or simply the Streetcar Line (軌道線, kidōsen^?).

• Ichijō Line (一条線^?): Nishi-Yon-Chōme – Nishi-Jūgo-Chōme
• Yamahana-Nishi Line (山鼻西線^?): Nishi-Jūgo-Chōme – Chūō-Toshokan-Mae
• Yamahana Line (山鼻線^?): Chūō-Toshokan-Mae – Susukino

Almost all trams traverse the entire network from Nishi-Yon-Chōme to Susukino. Other sectional services include:

• Nishi-Yon-Chōme – Nishisen-Jūroku-Jō
• Nishi-Yon-Chōme — Chūō-Toshokan-Mae
• Chūō-Toshokan-Mae — Susukino

Trams run at a frequency of 7 to 8 minutes during the day and 3 minutes during weekend peak periods between Nishi-Yon-Chōme and Nishisen-Jūroku-Jō stations. The fare is ¥170. Like the subway, the tram accepts the With You Card, a prepaid magnetic card.

Stations

• All stations are located in Chūō-ku, Sapporo.

Line Name	Station	Japanese	Distance (km)		Transfers	Location
			Line	Total
Ichijō Line
	Nishi-Yon-Chōme	西4丁目	0.00	0.00	Sapporo Municipal Subway: ■ Namboku Line (N07), ■ Tōhō Line (H08), ■ Tōzai Line (T09) (Ōdōri)	Minami 1-jō, Nishi 4-chōme
	Nishi-Hatchōme	西8丁目	0.44	0.44		Minami 1-jō, Nishi 8-chōme
	Chūō-Kuyakusho-Mae	中央区役所前	0.85	0.85	Sapporo Municipal Subway: ■ Tōzai Line (Nishi-Jūitchōme, T08)	Minami 1-jō, Nishi 10-chōme
	Nishi-Jūgo-Chōme	西15丁目	1.38	1.38	Sapporo Municipal Subway: ■ Tōzai Line (Nishi-Jūhatchōme, T07)	Minami 1-jō, Nishi 14-chōme
Yamahana -Nishi Line			0.00
	Nishisen-Roku-Jō	西線6条	0.55	1.93		Minami 6-jō, Nishi 14-chōme
	Nishisen-Ku-Jō Asahiyama-Kōen-Dōri	西線9条旭山公園通	0.93	2.31		Minami 9-jō, Nishi 14-chōme
	Nishisen-Jūichi-Jō	西線11条	1.30	2.68		Minami 11-jō, Nishi 14-chōme
	Nishisen-Jūyo-Jō	西線14条	1.78	3.16		Minami 14-jō, Nishi 14-chōme
	Nishisen-Jūroku-Jō	西線16条	2.15	3.53		Minami 16-jō, Nishi 14-chōme
	Ropeway-Iriguchi	ロープウェイ入口	2.53	3.90		Minami 19-jō, Nishi 14-chōme
	Densha-Jigyōsho-Mae	電車事業所前	2.85	4.23		Minami 21-jō, Nishi 14-chōme
	Chūō-Toshokan-Mae	中央図書館前	3.15	4.53		Minami 22-jō, Nishi 13-chōme
Yamahana Line			0.00
	Ishiyama-Dōri	石山通	0.26	4.79		Minami 22-jō, Nishi 11-chōme
	Higashi-Tonden-Dōri	東屯田通	0.61	5.14		Minami 22-jō, Nishi 9-chōme
	Kōnan-Shōgakkō-Mae	幌南小学校前	1.03	5.56		Minami 22-jō, Nishi 7-chōme
	Yamahana-Jūku-Jō	山鼻19条	1.28	5.81		Minami 19-jō, Nishi 7-chōme
	Seishūgakuen-Mae	静修学園前	1.67	6.20	Sapporo Municipal Subway: ■ Namboku Line (Horohira-Bashi, N10)	Minami 16-jō, Nishi 7-chōme
	Gyōkei-Dōri	行啓通	2.04	6.57		Minami 14-jō, Nishi 7-chōme
	Nakajima-Kōen-Dōri	中島公園通	2.51	7.04		Minami 11-jō, Nishi 7-chōme
	Yamahana-Ku-Jō	山鼻9条	2.86	7.39	Sapporo Municipal Subway: ■ Namboku Line (Nakajima-Kōen, N09)	Minami 9-jō, Nishi 7-chōme
	Higashi-Honganji-Mae	東本願寺前	3.17	7.70		Minami 7-jō, Nishi 7-chōme
	Shiseikan-Shōgakkō-Mae	資生館小学校前	3.59	8.12		Minami 4-jō, Nishi 6-chōme
	Susukino	すすきの	3.88	8.41	Sapporo Municipal Subway: ■ Namboku Line (Susukino, N08), ■ Tōhō Line (Hōsui-Susukino, H09)	Minami 4-jō, Nishi 4-chōme

See also

• List of light-rail transit systems
• Sapporo City Transportation Bureau
• Sapporo Municipal Subway

External links

• Official website (Japanese)
• Sapporo Public Transport Information (English)