Sapporo Streetcar

The Sapporo Streetcar is a streetcar system based in Sapporo, Japan operated by the Sapporo Municipal Transport Bureau, which also operates the Sapporo Municipal Subway.
The company's history dates back to 1909, with the first section of the network opening as the Sapporo Stone Horsecar Railway; the line was electrified in 1918, with the Sapporo Municipal Transport Bureau taking over operations in 1927. At its peak in 1958, the network had 11 lines, 7 routes and was 16 miles (25 km) in length; the network would quickly shrink due to increasing automotive ownership and the opening of the Sapporo Municipal Subway, with three lines, the Ichijō, Yamahana-Nishi and Yamahana Lines, remaining by the 1970s after a mass closure of lines, collectively referred to as the Ichijō-Yamahana Streetcar Line or the Streetcar Line, forming an incomplete loop around the city center.
With the opening of the Toshin Line in December 2015, the loop was closed; almost all streetcars run the full loop line with a frequency of about 7 to 8 minutes a day and 3 minutes during peak hours. 
Category:Companies
Category:Japanese Railways