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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). 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.
Contents
Basic data
Lines and routes
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.
After the closures in the 1970s, three lines remained. They were 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), since the lines covered an incomplete city center route.
The lines were combinated into a single route following the opening of the link between Susukino and Nishi-Yon-Chōme in December 2015.
Almost all trams used to traverse the entire network from Nishi-Yon-Chōme to Susukino. Other sectional services include:
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. Beginning in June, 2013, the tram will also accept Kitaca electronic IC cards used on JR Hokkaido trains.
Stations
