The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is planning to extend its Oedo Line northwest, adding three new stations in Nerima Ward to improve rail access in areas currently underserved by public transportation.

The extension, announced Wednesday, will add approximately 4 kilometers of track beyond Hikarigaoka station toward northwestern Tokyo, with new stations planned at Doshida, Oizumimachi and Oizumigakuencho. The Oedo Line currently operates services between 38 stations and connects Nerima Ward with central Tokyo.

With the addition of the three new stations, the city aims to improve railway access for residents in underserved areas of Nerima Ward.

Located between Saitama Prefecture and central Tokyo, the ward is highly residential and home to over 750,000 people, making it Tokyo’s second-most populated ward.

The transport ministry has stressed that expanding the railway network in the area is crucial for its development in line with regional growth.

The project has been in the works since March 2023. It is still in its early stages, with profitability anticipated based on preliminary estimates. Since progress depends on negotiations with multiple stakeholders, no official timeline has been set for completion.

The estimated cost of the extension is currently around ¥160 billion, but that figure may change as the plan develops. If the expansion brings in the projected 60,000 additional daily riders, the city expects to make back the money over a period of roughly 40 years.

The city said that details of the plan still need to be finalized, including the specific cost-sharing arrangement between the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the relevant wards, as well as the use of national subsidies for railway development projects.

Other details that need to be fleshed out include planning for regional development around the new stations as well as how the city and ward governments will address potential increases in project costs due to inflation.