F Liner (Fライナー, Efu Rainā) is the name for the fastest through service train among five railway companies: the Tobu Railway, Seibu Railway, Tokyo Metro, Tokyu Corporation and Yokohama Minatomirai Railway.[1][2]

F Liner
The F Liner Logo (Top)
Tobu 9000 series train on an F Liner service (Bottom)
Overview
StatusOperational
LocaleTokyo, Kanagawa Prefecture, Saitama Prefecture
First service26 March 2016
Current operator(s)
Route
Termini

Motomachi-Chūkagai
Line(s) used
Technical
Rolling stockSee § Rolling stock
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification1,500 V DC overhead

This name is trademarked by the aforementioned five companies (No. 5885630).[3]

Service pattern

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The name "F Liner" is given to trains under the two route systems explained below. The service type of trains may change once across boundary stations for two different lines.[2] Therefore, systematically, the name "F Liner" will be added before the service type; this means all F Liner trains are referred to as "F Liner, (Service type on current line)". For instance: Within the Fukutoshin Line → "F Liner, Express", bound for Motomachi-Chūkagai; Within the Toyoko Line → "F Liner, Limited Express", bound for Shinrin-Kōen.

  1. Seibu Line system: Hannō / Kotesashi - Motomachi-Chūkagai
  2. Tōbu Line system: Ogawamachi / Shinrin-Kōen - Motomachi-Chūkagai
    • Tōbu Tōjō Line: Rapid Express (快速急行)
    • Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line: Express (急行)
    • Tōkyū Tōyoko Line and Minatomirai Line: Limited Express (特急)

Within the Fukutoshin Line, the Tōyoko Line and the Minatomirai Line, four F Liner trains operate every hour at 15-minute intervals during daytime: two operate on the Tōbu Line system from/to Shinrin-Kōen, and the other two operate on the Seibu Line system, with one operating from/to Hannō, and the other from/to Kotesashi, each operating at 1-hour intervals. For northbound trains on weekend mornings, only one F Liner train operates every hour which terminates at Hannō.[4]

The longest distance travelled for an F Liner journey is 100.1 kilometres (62.2 mi), from Ogawamachi to Motomachi-Chūkagai.

From 18 March 2023, F Liner services now operate as Rapid Express services on the Tobu Tojo Line instead of Express services, skipping Shiki and Fujimino.[5] Previously, F Liner trains did not operate as the fastest possible through service on the Tojo Line, as faster Rapid Express through services ran alongside the F Liner's Express services.

Stations served

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Legend
  • ● : Stops
  • ∥ : Does not run through here
Company Route Service type Station No. Station Japanese Seibu Line system Tōbu Line system
Seibu Railway  

Yurakucho & Ikebukuro Line

Rapid Express SI26 Hannō 飯能  
SI23 Irumashi 入間市
SI19 Kotesashi 小手指
SI17 Tokorozawa 所沢
SI13 Hibarigaoka ひばりヶ丘
SI10 Shakujii-Kōen 石神井公園
SI06 Nerima 練馬
Tobu Railway TJ

Tōjō Line

Rapid Express TJ33 Ogawamachi 小川町
TJ32 Musashi-Ranzan 武蔵嵐山
TJ31 Tsukinowa つきのわ
TJ30 Shinrin-Kōen 森林公園
TJ29 Higashi-Matsuyama 東松山
TJ28 Takasaka 高坂
TJ27 Kita-Sakado 北坂戸
TJ26 Sakado 坂戸
TJ25 Wakaba 若葉
TJ24 Tsurugashima 鶴ヶ島
TJ23 Kasumigaseki 霞ヶ関
TJ22 Kawagoeshi 川越市
TJ21 Kawagoe 川越
TJ13 Asakadai 朝霞台
TJ11F01 Wakōshi 和光市
Tokyo Metro F

Fukutoshin Line

Express
SI37F06 Kotake-Mukaihara 小竹向原
F09 Ikebukuro 池袋
F13 Shinjuku-Sanchōme 新宿三丁目
F15 Meiji-Jingumae 'Harajuku' 明治神宮前〈原宿〉
F16TY01 Shibuya 渋谷
Tokyu Corporation TY

Tōyoko Line

Limited Express
TY03 Naka-Meguro 中目黒
TY07 Jiyūgaoka 自由が丘
TY11 Musashi-Kosugi 武蔵小杉
TY16 Kikuna 菊名
TY21  Yokohama 横浜
Yokohama Minatomirai Railway  

Minatomirai Line

  Minatomirai みなとみらい
  Motomachi-Chūkagai 元町・中華街 

Rolling stock

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LED displays, from left to right: Tokyo Metro 10000 series, Tokyu 5050-4000 series, Seibu 6000 series

Regularly, all F Liner trains are operated in 10-car sets.

Former

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Namesake

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The F in F Liner stands for 3 English words starting with the letter F, which are:

  • Fast, which this train is envisioned to become.
  • Five, referring to through services between 5 railway companies.
  • Fukutoshin (副都心), Japanese for secondary city center.

See also

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Notes & references

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Notes

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References

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This article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia.

  1. ^ "新愛称「Fライナー」、メトロ副都心線系統に来春導入" [New service "F Liner" to be introduced to Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line next spring]. Norimono News (Media Vague). 18 December 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2016.
  2. ^ a b "副都心線で運転する、速達性の高い直通列車の愛称名を『Fライナー』といたします。" [The new fast through service train that will operate on the Fukutoshin Line will be named the "F Liner"]. Tokyo Metro. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  3. ^ "Reg.No.5885630". Japan Platform for Patent Information. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  4. ^ "時刻表 | 元町・中華街駅 | みなとみらい線 | 横浜高速鉄道株式会社" [Timetable | Motomachi-Chūkagai Station | Miratomirai Line | Yokohama Minatomirai Railway].
  5. ^ "2023年3月18日(土)ダイヤ改正に係る各列車の時刻変更について" [March 18, 2023 (Saturday) Timetable change for each train due to timetable revision]. Tobu Railway. Archived from the original on 14 March 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023. Fライナーの種別を急行から快速急行に変更することで、新宿、渋谷、横浜方面への速達性向上を図ります [By changing the service of F Liner trains from Express to Rapid Express, we will improve travel times to Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Yokohama.]
  6. ^ 東京メトロ「兄弟車」有楽町線・副都心線17000系と半蔵門線18000系 [Tokyo Metro "Brother Car" Yurakucho Line & Fukutoshin Line 17000 series and Hanzomon Line 18000 series]. Mynavi News (in Japanese). Mynavi Corporation. 25 September 2021. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  7. ^ "横浜高速鉄道Y500系が10両編成の運用を代走" [Yokohama Minatomirai Railway Y500 series operates temporary service]. railf.jp. 6 May 2017.