Exploring the Maglev and Subway Lines of Nagoya

It's been a fortnight since I started living here in Nagoya, Japan. First weekend was fruitfully spent in exploring the SCMaglev and Railway Park. I woke up late, lazing around on the bed and reading up all the emails accumulated overnight. There was an urgent task assigned to me wherein I had to rush to the hotel to restart one of the servers. By the time I reached office, it was 12 noon and after completing the assigned task, I decided to complete some pending task for my parent hotel, Conrad Bengaluru. Eventually, I spent around 2 hours at work before logging off and deciding to walk back to my apartment.

I was in 2 minds of what exactly to do for the remaining part of the day. I decided to head to the Nagoya Science Museum and Planetarium(World’s Largest, it seems). This place was leisurely walk from Hilton Nagoya. With Google Maps to my rescue, I headed blindly to where it took me. No questions asked. Here is my first glimpse of this magnificent structure. The entry fee was Yen 800 for the Science Museum and the Planetarium. Closing time was 17:00. I knew, I couldn't do justice to the place in those 2.5 hours which I had with me. 

So, I decided to not venture in but leave it for a day where I could start early. In the park adjoining the museum, I could see a relic from the past, an old railcar as well as the semaphore signals.

I didn't want to walk back to my apartment but keep exploring. One look at the google maps indicated that I was just 400 metres from the Nagoya Subway Station, Fushimi. The railfan in me had started kicking in and making plans. I decided to wander on this subway network and travel as far and wide as I could in a day.  At the vending machine, I could see an option to purchase one day pass for Yen 600. That gives me unlimited access to all the Subway lines till the end of the day. The Nagoya Subway stations looks old and not swanky like newer subways in other cities in South East Asian Countries, but they are very much functional in design.

A typical pathway to the subway at Fushimi Station.

Map of Nagoya Subway System consisting of 6 lines.

I decided to head out to a place which is a no man’s land as far as Nagoya is concerned. Its called Fujigaoka on the yellow line.Reason: To experience a Maglev Train in operation. While taking the Subway ticket , I saw an option to buy a Day pass(tourist ticket) at 600 Yen. As my plan to take multiple lines through the day, this Day pass was of immense help to me.

My weekend ticket to do unlimited ride on the Nagoya Subway till midnight.

For first timers like me, there is a lot of pre-work in terms of understanding the place as 99% population hardly understands English. To complicate matters, each railway is private and doesnt show maps of other railways.So last week, we took a standalone Aonami line which operates only that section. Meitetsu Commuter trains run far and wide and mainly at grade running deep into suburbs and to the Airport.Then we have another private player called Kinetsu which operates 1-2 lines from Nagoya, but is supposed to be the one with biggest network in entire Japan. JR handles the Shinkansens. Nozomi,Hikari and Kodama (all long distance trains with varied speeds and cost) . Nozomi Shinkansen being the fastest.And finally the Linimo line which operates in this no man’s land . But the speciality is use of Maglev for this short train running less than 10 stations.If you put all these lines on one single map, I believe we cant read anything. Its that dense.

 Yellow line to Fujigaoka.

I start from Fushimi which is on the Yellow line(Higashiyama line) at H09 and head to Fujigaoka(H22).As you can see from the map, its at the eastern tip of the subway section. These trains are 6 coach long and work on 3rd rail principle.Only towards the fag end of the journey do we go elevated. Otherwise it runs underground. After reaching Fujigaoka, I walk out of the Subway terminal into the underground Linimo Line terminal in the adjacent building.This line was built for the World Expo 2005 as a showcase train due to Maglev technology. The train is 3 coacher and we need to pay separately for this short stretch as its a different company. A steep 740 Yen for return ticket.

A Linimo Line ticket to Yakusa.

These stations are more swankier and newer than the Nagoya Subway.

Linimo Mixed Seating Style.

Seating is differently laid out in the Maglev and no points for guessing. Its a driverless ride. So I take the vantage seats.

Only Fujigaoka on Linimo line is Underground after which we start to climb.As you can see there are no rails just pathways here.

Guided path is below these pathways and train is perched on these pathways like a Monorail to some extent.That will give you a side view of those rails beneath with power lines

Leaving the second station.An all glass structure which defines all the stations on this line. Minimalistic but very swanky in design.

Ascends and Descends are quite sharp and so are the curves.To be very frank, this ride is slightly more jerkier than subway trains and you cannot realise when it actually levitates.I had very similar impressions of a Monorail ride in Mumbai and Kuala Lumpur. I does reach speeds above 70-80.

You can spot the train on another track as we depart from yet another elevated station.

One of the many Toyota Museums in Nagoya Industrial Hub.

Its a delight to be at the last coach looking out.

Track changer guideways.

Site of the 2005 World Expo, which is now used for various recreational activities and exhibitions.

After reaching the last station, Yakusa, I just ventured out and found another line called the Aichi Loop Line. I can safely say, in Japan you are never away from the railway lines.

I returned back to the Higashima Line or the Yellow Line at Fujigaoka. They are piloted but I somehow managed this picture when the motorman got off.These look like 1435 mm gauge with 3rd rail traction.This is the view from the drivers cab looking at the dead end ahead. The railfan keeda within me wanted to put the weekend pass to its best use.I decided to milk it the way only we (Indian Railfans) can do.

Seats are nice and cushioned like the above.

Lets relook at the subway map. I was moving from H22 (Fujigaoka) to H16(Motoyama), to reach the circle line or the Meijo Line(Purple Line), to make it easier for me to hop onto the other lines.

Trains on this line travel in Clockwise and CounterClockwise on the 2 tracks of this subway. Thus connecting all the other Subway lines at multiple points making life easier.I am headed to Yagoto to cover another section of subway lines.

Now trains on the Meijo line use Overhead wires and not third rail

This line is packed as its a feeder or connector to many other sections of subway.I get off at Yagoto to explore the Blue line (Tsurumai line ) to Akaike(T20). What I got back was bonus.

The entire platform was built on stilts. An old world charm was so evident on this stretch.

The line actually went ahead of Akaike and further ahead was called the Meitetsu Toyota Line. So here was a case of Nagoya Subway trains which used over head wires taking the Meitetsu owned lines.

Then comes the train to take me back to Yagota on the Purple line.

Seats on the Blue Subway line with Heaters at the base.

From Yagoto on the Meijo purple line, I make another small hop to Aratama -bashi (M23/S14) to capture the red line or the Sakura-dori line to Tokushige(S21).

 Red line is again using overhead traction.

Seats on the Red line.

I return back to Aratama-bashi and head back on Purple Meijo line to get onto the Meiko(Tangent to the central purple  Meijo).So this dash is to Kanayama(M01) or E01.Interiors of a station with 3rd rail is shown below.This Meiko line is fully Underground and runs to the Nagoya Port or Nagoyaka.

I returned back having completed the ride in all 5 subway lines except a line which runs between 2 stations in the north called the Pink line. It was 8:45 pm and I had not eaten anything yet since morning.Even though comfortable, the heavy laptop, adapter, selfie sticks and other office stuff in my bag was weighing me down. I continued on the Meijo purple line to Sakae interchange(M05).Finally,  hopped onto Yellow line to reach Nagoya(H08).

Ran to a Family Mart to collect some eatables and trudged back to my apartment which is a stone's throw from the Nagoya Station. It was 13 degrees and after soaking in a warm bath I was extremely satisfied happy to have covered the subways of Nagoya.