Sapporo Subway cancels midnight trains on New Year’s Eve – COVID-19

Due to the rapid spread of COVID-19, the Sapporo City Transportation Bureau has decided not to move the last train time behind on New Year’s Eve in 2020, which is done every year on the subway.

At the Sapporo Subway, the extended operation was carried out every year to move the last train time on New Year’s Eve by about 2 hours and 30 minutes in order to respond to the increase in demand for the “first shrine visit.” Initially, it is scheduled to be implemented in the same way in 2020, and it is writtened in the December issue of Sapporo City Bulletin that the last train departure time on December 31, 2020 (Thursday) will be carried down to 2:20 – 2:30 after New Year’s Eve.

However, COVID-19 has spread rapidly in Sapporo City since November, and extended operation was suspended from the perspective of preventing further spread. New Year’s Eve service will end at 0:00, which is departing time of the regular last trains from each starting station (Asabu & Makomanai Stations on the Namboku Line / Miyanosawa & Shin-Sapporo Stations on the Tozai Line / Sakaemachi & Fukuzumi Stations on the Toho Line).

On Sapporo Subway during the year-end and New Year holidays, the “Saturdays, Sundays and holidays timetable” will be carried out from December 29 (Tuesday) to 30 (Wednesday) / from January 2 (Saturday) to 3 (Sunday) 2021 (every 7 minutes during the day). Based on the “special timetable”, trains will run every 9 minutes during the day on December 31 (Thursday), and every 10 to 11 minutes on January 1 (Friday / holiday).