Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
A sign of Toei Subway
1:00 JST, October 16, 2025
The Tokyo metropolitan government has begun coordinating a plan to extend the Toei Oedo Line subway, which is run by the metropolitan government and connects central Tokyo with Nerima Ward, according to sources.
The line is currently 40.7 kilometers long and has 38 stations. The plan would extend the line by 4 kilometers northwest from Hikarigaoka Station, adding three new stations within Nerima Ward, according to the sources.
The total project is estimated to cost about ¥160 billion, and the extension is expected to open around 2040.
The government is expected to announce the results of profitability studies for the project soon and proceed with discussions with the central government and the ward office.
The Yomiuri Shimbun
The area northwest of Hikarigaoka Station is mostly residential, and many areas are more than a kilometer from the nearest station, so it has been long referred to as a “railway deserted zone.” The ward has been requesting the metropolitan and central governments to extend the subway system for years.
In 2016, the Transportation Policy Council, an advisory panel to the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism minister, said the extension “would contribute to the improvement of the railway network along with the growth of local communities.”
The metropolitan government began profitability studies for the extension in 2023.
The studies were conducted with the assumption that three stations would be built in the Doshida, Oizumimachi and Oizumigakuencho districts and that the subway would run below metropolitan roads.
According to sources, while the project is estimated to cost about ¥160 billion, the results of the studies suggest that if the ward can create enough passenger demand through redevelopment around the new stations, the Oedo Line would see an increase of 60,000 passengers per day.
The studies suggest this could lead to profits within 40 years of opening the new section.
The benefit-cost ratio, which is used to evaluate the profitability of public works projects, exceeded 1, the benchmark for project viability.
To cover the cost of construction, the metropolitan government is considering using a subway construction subsidy program in which the central and local governments will shoulder a part of the cost.
The ward office plans to put more money into its reserve fund it has saved in preparation for the project and ultimately pay ¥20 billion. The metropolitan government and ward office will try to further improve the project’s profitability and begin drafting a specific plan.
AloJapan.com