Good evening #TrainTwitter--it's time to take a close look at my personal favorite: the Odakyu Electric Railwaypic.twitter.com/mbiZX4kD0r
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Unlike the Tsukuba Express, which we saw earlier today, the Odakyu Railway has three lines: to Tama, to Enoshima, and to Hakonepic.twitter.com/JOXLqZI0aP
We'll follow the route to Enoshima tonight, beginning at Shinjuku, the world's busiest station. 492,234 Odakyu riders use it daily!pic.twitter.com/HIrrR8jz4I
The next few stops are skipped by most trains: this is Minami Shinjuku (3,815/daily)pic.twitter.com/17nqznUV1U
Next are Sangubashi (15,657) and Yoyogi Hachiman (20,411)...pic.twitter.com/brwOCMOMuV
...before we reach Yoyogi-Uehara, the first major station on the route. This is where Odakyu connects to the Chiyoda Subway Linepic.twitter.com/4Q1rhMaw1H
The connection is interlined: subway trains can proceed to the suburbs along Odakyu, Odakyu trains can cross the city via subwaypic.twitter.com/8CoFXzfLfy
251,439 Odakyu riders use this station every day
#TrainTwitterpic.twitter.com/1EG3yQbA8b
The next three stops are being rebuilt: this is Higashi Kitazawa, with 6,506 per day...pic.twitter.com/xIB7eDKgCE
...next is Shimo Kitazawa (114,118), the second major station on the route, with connections via Keio to Shibuya and Kichijojipic.twitter.com/6v7ZyLA6hC
The last stop being rebuilt is Setagaya Daita (7,886/daily). After this, the line emerges onto a 4-track viaductpic.twitter.com/S2bousYP2f
Umegaoka (32,199), Gotokuji (26,498), then Kyodo (74,691)pic.twitter.com/eMN6gwdpvK
Chitose Funabashi (56,293), Soshigaya Okura (47,857), underground again for Seijo Gakuen-mae (88,516), then Kitami (32,973)pic.twitter.com/YAYwZ52Vs7
Komae (45,650), Izumi Tamagawa (15,792), Noborito (161,548), Mukogaoka Yuen (64,411)
#TrainTwitterpic.twitter.com/TVyR2COule
Back to two tracks, the line winds through the Tama Hills: Ikuta (44,606), Yomiuri Land-mae (34,110), Yurigaoka (21,125)pic.twitter.com/WrPiTWHVQD
Next is Shin-Yurigaoka; this is where the Odakyu Tama Line branches off. A huge station: 3 platforms, 6 tracks, 124,747 people per daypic.twitter.com/3bQWzfACoS
Kakio (35,809), my own beloved Tsurukawa (69,261), then Tamagawa Gakuen-mae (48,199)
#TrainTwitterpic.twitter.com/8sRKXHQs6y
Two gigantic stations next: Machida (291,911), home to an Odakyu department store, and Sagami Ono (129,015)pic.twitter.com/Lm0taGNkLU
The main line continues to Odawara and Hakone, but we'll branch off here for Enoshima. The next stop is Higashi Rinkan (21,460)pic.twitter.com/tbMf4LGtpK
Chuo Rinkan (97,382), Minami Rinkan (33,555), Tsuruma (29,498), Yamato (116,042)pic.twitter.com/ZmFkzNjeaT
Sakuragaoka (20,602), Koza Shibuya (24,602), Chogo (34,839), Shonandai (90,208)pic.twitter.com/SGkRQm9JE4
Mutsuai Nichidai-mae (30,555), Zengyo (27,176), Fujisawa Hommachi (21,838), and finally Fujisawa (162,345), a major stop on the Tokaido Linepic.twitter.com/lq9LcHTny3
Two more--Hon Kugenuma (12,690) and Kugenuma Kaigan (19,696)--before we reach our final destination...pic.twitter.com/RNHzwY6POy
...the last stop: Katase Enoshima! 20,692 passengers use this station every day.pic.twitter.com/Yr53zpzdYs
Here, you can hit the beach, walk across the bridge to Enoshima Island, or pick up the Enoden and see the Great Buddha and Kamakurapic.twitter.com/68WHhi0AQT
Takeaways? - Odakyu is one of the most successful private railways in the world: it has cultivated ridership along its route very well
- Numbers THIS high are only possible in an evironment like Tokyo's, where they represent just a small share of the total rail market
- Nonetheless, Odakyu outperforms most other private railways *even in Tokyo.* Good vacation destinations & deluxe trains boost their appeal
- Ridership is concentrated at major transfer points (Machida, Fujisawa, etc), routinely exceeding 100,000 at those stations
- More mundane stops on the line still see tens of thousands of riders a day--only a few stops see less than 10,000 daily
Maybe another time, we can look at the rest of Odakyu. But for now, we thank you for riding, and hope you'll ride #TrainTwitter again soon!
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