The Seishin-Yamate Line, also known as the "Midori no U-Line", is one of two lines of Kobe Municipal Subway that links the central district and suburbs of Kobe. The line color is green.
Service pattern
The line has a reciprocal through service with the Hokushin Kyuko Electric Railway; all trains run between either or and, stopping at every station. During rush hours, additional trains run between Shin-Kobe and.
History
On October 15, 1971, a railway license was issued to the Kobe Municipal Transportation Bureau to build a subway line linking the Myōdani district to the Shin-Kobe Shinkansen station; construction on the first segment of that line began on November 25 of that year. The first segment of the subway opened on March 13, 1977; a second segment of the line opened on February 17, 1982. The line was extended to Shin-Kobe on June 18, 1985; a western extension to Gakuen-toshi opened that same day. On March 18, 1987, the final segment of the subway line opened between Gakuen-toshi and Seishin-chūō. The Hokushin Kyuko Electric Railway opened on April 2, 1988, providing service between Tanigami and Shin-Kobe. An infill station opened in between Seishin-chūō and Ikawadani stations on March 20, 1993, expanding the line to a total of 16 stations. On January 17, 1995, the subway line was shut down due to damage caused by the Great Hanshin earthquake; the line resumed operation with limited service between Seishin-chūō and Itayado the following day, along with the entirety of the Hokushin Kyuko line. Limited service was resumed across the entire line on February 16, and full service was restored in March 1995 after repairs were completed, albeit with speed restrictions remaining in place until July 21 of that year. The subway began to accept the Surotto Kansaismart card in October 1999; it would start accepting PiTaPa in October 2006. Women-only cars began to be used on the subway line from December 16, 2002. Currently, one car heading in the direction of Seishin-chūō is reserved for women only; the restriction applies throughout the entire day.
All trains are based at Tanigami and Myōdani Depots. A fleet of new trains is to be introduced on the line between fiscal 2018 and 2022; these trains will replace all existing trains on the line. Built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, the design of the new trains will be overseen by Ken Okuyama Design.
