Hachikō Line

Hachikō Line

209 series EMU crossing the Tama River, February 2007
Overview
Native name 八高線
Type Heavy rail
Locale Tokyo Metropolis, Saitama Prefecture, Gunma Prefecture
Termini Hachiōji
Kuragano
Stations 23
Operation
Opened 1931
Owner JR East
Rolling stock 205-3000 series, 209-3000 series, 209-3100 series, E233 series, KiHa 110 series
Technical
Line length 92.0 km (57.2 mi)
Number of tracks Double-track shared with Takasaki Line (Kita-Fujioka - Kuragano)
Track gauge 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification 1,500 V DC overhead catenary (Hachiōji - Komagawa)
Route map

The Hachikō Line (八高線 Hachikō-sen) is a 92.0 km regional railway line owned and operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It is located within Tokyo, Saitama, and Gunma Prefectures in Japan. It connects Hachiōji Station in Hachiōji, Tokyo with Kuragano Station in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture.

Services

Komagawa Station in Hidaka, Saitama is the boundary point between two distinct sections. The southern section from Hachiōji to Komagawa is electrified at 1,500 V DC. Some trains terminate at Komagawa, while others continue over the Kawagoe Line to Kawagoe Station. A few trains leave the Hachikō Line at Haijima Station, entering the Ōme Line and terminating at Tokyo Station.

The non-electrified northern section connects Komagawa with Kuragano. All trains continue on the Takasaki Line to Takasaki, where transfer to the Jōetsu Shinkansen is available. There are no through services connecting the southern and northern halves of the line.

The Hachikō Line takes the first kanji of its name from the first character of Hachiōji (八王子) and the second kanji from the first character of Takasaki (高崎).

Stations

Station Japanese Distance (km) Transfers   Location
Between
stations		 Total
Hachiōji 八王子 - 0.0 Chūō Line (Rapid), Yokohama Line
Keiō Line (Keiō-Hachiōji)		 o Hachiōji Tokyo
Kita-Hachiōji 北八王子 3.1 3.1   o
Komiya 小宮 2.0 5.1   o
Haijima 拝島 4.8 9.9 Ōme Line (some through trains), Itsukaichi Line
Seibu Haijima Line		 o Akishima
Higashi-Fussa 東福生 2.8 12.7   o Fussa
Hakonegasaki 箱根ヶ崎 3.0 15.7   o Mizuho, Nishitama District
Kaneko 金子 4.8 20.5   o Iruma Saitama
Higashi-Hannō 東飯能 5.1 25.6 Seibu Ikebukuro Line o Hannō
Komagawa 高麗川 5.5 31.1 Kawagoe Line (some trains through to Kawagoe) ｜ Hidaka
Moro 毛呂 5.8 36.9   o Moroyama, Iruma District
Ogose 越生 2.7 39.6 Tobu Ogose Line o Ogose, Iruma District
Myōkaku 明覚 5.2 44.8   o Tokigawa, Hiki District
Ogawamachi 小川町 8.0 52.8 Tobu Tojo Line o Ogawa, Hiki District
Takezawa 竹沢 3.5 56.3   o
Orihara 折原 4.0 60.3   ｜ Yorii, Ōsato District
Yorii 寄居 3.6 63.9 Tobu Tojo Line
Chichibu Main Line		 o
Yōdo 用土 4.5 68.4   ｜
Matsuhisa 松久 2.7 71.1   ｜ Misato, Kodama District
Kodama 児玉 4.8 75.9   o Honjō, Saitama
Tanshō 丹荘 4.1 80.0   o Kamikawa, Kodama District
Gunma-Fujioka 群馬藤岡 4.7 84.7   o Fujioka Gunma
Kita-Fujioka 北藤岡 3.7 88.4   ^
Kuragano 倉賀野 3.6 92.0 Takasaki Line (for Ueno) ∥ Takasaki
Through to Takasaki on the Takasaki Line
Takasaki 高崎 4.4 96.4 Joetsu Shinkansen, Hokuriku Shinkansen, Shinetsu Main Line, Joetsu Line, Ryōmō Line, Agatsuma Line
Jōshin Dentetsu　Jōshin Line		 ∥ Takasaki Gunma

Rolling stock

Rolling stock previously used

History

The first section of the line, named the Hachiko North Line (八高北線), opened from Kuragano to Kodama on 1 July 1931, followed by the section from Hachioji to Higashi-Hanno, named the Hachiko South Line (八高南線), on 10 December 1931.[1] The Hachiko North Line was extended southward from Kodama to Yorii on 25 January 1933, and the Hachiko South Line was extended northward from Higashi-Hanno to Ogose on 15 April 1933.[1] The Hachiko South Line was further extended northward from Ogose to Ogawamachi on 24 March 1934, and the last section between Ogawamachi and Yorii opened on 6 October 1934, connecting the north and south sections, and completing the entire line, which became known simply as the Hachiko Line.[1]

All passenger operations were switch from steam haulage to electric trains from 20 November 1958.[1]

CTC signalling was commissioned over the entire line from 27 February 1985.[1] On 1 April 1987, with the privatization and splitting of Japanese National Railways (JNR), the Hachiko Line was transferred to the ownership of JR East.[1]

From 16 March 1996, the Hachioji to Komagawa section was electrified at 1,500 V DC from 16 March 1996, and services on the non-electrified section north of Komagawa to and from Takasaki were operated separately as wanman driver only operation services using KiHa 110 series DMUs.[1][3]

Former connecting lines

Accidents

In 1945, a head-on collision at the Tamagawa bridge resulted in 105 fatalities.

The Hachiko Line derailment in 1947 is Japan's worst rail accident since World War II in terms of fatalities.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hachikō Line.
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 埼玉のローカル線のんびり旅 [Saitama Rural Railway Line Leisurely Trips] (in Japanese). Japan: Mikishobou. 31 July 2013. p. 59. ISBN 978-4-906799-26-8.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "川越線に209系3100代を投入　103系を置換え" [209-3100 series introduced on Kawagoe Line - Replacing 103 series]. Railway Journal. Japan: Tetsudō Journal. 39 (465): 106. July 2005.
  3. ↑ JR気動車客車編成表 '04年版 [JR DMU & Coaching Stock Formations - 2004]. Japan: JRR. 1 July 2004. p. 197. ISBN 4-88283-125-2.
  4. ↑ Kawashima, Ryozo (February 2011). 日本の鉄道　中部ライン　全線・全駅・全配線　第１１巻　埼玉南部・東京多摩北部 [Railways of Japan - Chubu Line - Lines/Stations/Track plans - Vol 11 Southern Saitama and Northern Tama Tokyo]. Japan: Kodansha. p. 68. ISBN 978-4-06-270071-9.
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