Keihin-Tōhoku Line

Keihin-Tōhoku Line

A Keihin-Tohoku Line E233 series EMU at Saitama-Shintoshin Station
Overview
Native name 京浜東北線
Type Heavy rail
Locale Tokyo, Saitama, Kanagawa prefectures
Termini Ōmiya
Yokohama
Stations 35
Operation
Opened 1914
Operator(s) JR East
Depot(s) Saitama
Rolling stock E233-1000 series
Technical
Line length 59.1 km (36.7 mi)
Track gauge 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification 1,500 V DC overhead catenary
Operating speed 90 km/h (55 mph)
Route map

The Keihin-Tōhoku Line (京浜東北線 Keihin-tōhoku-sen), is a railway line in Japan which connects the cities of Saitama, Kawaguchi, Tokyo, Kawasaki, and Yokohama. It is part of the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) network. The line's name is derived from the characters for Tokyo (), Yokohama () and the Tōhoku Main Line (東北本線). The Keihin-Tōhoku Line officially follows portions of the Tōhoku Main Line and Tōkaidō Main Line. Between Ueno and Akabane stations the Keihin-Tohoku and Tohoku Main lines are physically separate and thus alternate routes.

All Keihin-Tōhoku Line trains have through service onto the Negishi Line between Yokohama and Ōfuna stations. As a result, the entire service between Ōmiya and Ōfuna is typically referred to as the Keihin-TōhokuNegishi Line (京浜東北線・根岸線) on system maps and in-train station guides. Keihin-Tōhoku LineNegishi Line trains are recognizable by their light blue stripe (the line's color on maps is also light blue).

Service outline

Trains run every 23 minutes at peak hours, every 5 minutes during the daytime, and less frequently the rest of the time. In most instances, these trains are classified as "Local" (各駅停車 Kakueki-Teisha), stopping at all stations en route. However, during the daytime, trains are classified as "Rapid" (快速 kaisoku). These rapid trains skip some stations in central Tokyo, where it runs parallel to the Yamanote Line.

Station list

Line name Station No. Station Japanese Distance (km) Rapid Transfers Location
Between
stations
Total
from
Ōmiya
from
Tokyo
Tōhoku Main Line JK47 Ōmiya 大宮 - 0.0 30.3 Ōmiya-ku, Saitama Saitama
JK46 Saitama-Shintoshin さいたま新都心 1.6 1.6 28.7
JK45 Yono 与野 1.1 2.7 27.6   Urawa-ku, Saitama
JK44 Kita-Urawa 北浦和 1.6 4.3 26.0  
JK43 Urawa 浦和 1.8 6.1 24.2
JK42 Minami-Urawa 南浦和 1.7 7.8 22.5 Musashino Line Minami-ku, Saitama
JK41 Warabi 2.8 10.6 19.7   Warabi
JK40 Nishi-Kawaguchi 西川口 1.9 12.5 17.8   Kawaguchi
JK39 Kawaguchi 川口 2.0 14.5 15.8  
JK38 Akabane 赤羽 2.6 17.1 13.2 Kita Tokyo
JK37 Higashi-Jūjō 東十条 1.8 18.9 11.4  
JK36 Ōji 王子 1.5 20.4 9.9
JK35 Kami-Nakazato 上中里 1.1 21.5 8.8  
JK34 Tabata 田端 1.7 23.2 7.1 Yamanote Line
JK33 Nishi-Nippori 西日暮里 0.8 24.0 6.3 Arakawa
JK32 Nippori 日暮里 0.5 24.5 5.8
JK31 Uguisudani 鶯谷 1.1 25.6 4.7 Yamanote Line Taitō
JK30 Ueno 上野 1.1 26.7 3.6
JK29 Okachimachi 御徒町 0.6 27.3 3.0
JK28 Akihabara 秋葉原 1.0 28.3 2.0 Chiyoda
JK27 Kanda 神田 0.7 29.0 1.3
JK26 Tokyo 東京 1.3 30.3 0.0
Tōkaidō Main Line
JK25 Yūrakuchō 有楽町 0.8 31.1 0.8
JK24 Shimbashi 新橋 1.1 32.2 1.9
Minato
JK23 Hamamatsuchō 浜松町 1.2 33.4 3.1
JK22 Tamachi 田町 1.5 34.9 4.6
JK21 TBD Expected to open in 2020
Transfer planned with Yamanote Line
JK20 Shinagawa 品川 2.2 37.1 6.8
JK19 Ōimachi 大井町 2.4 39.5 9.2 Tōkyū Ōimachi Line
Rinkai Line
Shinagawa
JK18 Ōmori 大森 2.2 41.7 11.4   Ōta
JK17 Kamata 蒲田 3.0 44.7 14.4
JK16 Kawasaki 川崎 3.8 48.5 18.2 Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki Kanagawa
JK15 Tsurumi 鶴見 3.5 52.0 21.7 Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama
JK14 Shin-Koyasu 新子安 3.1 55.1 24.8 Keikyu Main Line (Keikyū Shin-Koyasu) Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama
JK13 Higashi-Kanagawa 東神奈川 2.2 57.3 27.0
JK12 Yokohama 横浜 1.8 59.1 28.8 Nishi-ku, Yokohama
Through service via the Negishi Line to Sakuragichō, Isogo, and Ōfuna

Rolling stock

A Keihin-Tohoku Line E233-1000 series EMU, March 2009

As of January 2010, all Keihin-Tohoku Line services are formed of E233-1000 series 10-car electrical multiple unit (EMU) trains. These were phased in from December 2007, and replaced the previous 209 series 10-car EMUs by 24 January 2010. All Keihin-Tohoku Line rolling stock is based at Urawa Depot. Yokohama Line E233-6000 series 8-car EMUs also operate on through services over the Keihin-Tohoku Line between Higashi-Kanagawa and Ofuna stations.

Keihin-Tohoku Line & Negishi Line services

Yokohama Line through services

Rolling stock used in the past

Timeline

72 series
101 series
103 series
205 series
209-900 series
209-0 series
209-500 series
E233-1000 series
1955
1960
1965
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010
2015

Rolling stock transitions since the 1950s

History

A test train on the Keihin Line at Yurakucho Station around 1914

The line opened on 20 December 1914 as an electrified passenger line connecting Shinagawa Station in Tokyo with Takashimacho Station in Yokohama.[5] (The latter station was renamed Yokohama Station in August 1915, when the former Yokohama Station was renamed Sakuragicho Station).[5] It was originally called the Tokaido Electric Line (東海道電車線)m and was subsequently renamed the Keihin Line (京浜線).[5] From 30 December 1915, services were extended south to the new Sakuragicho Station.[5]

The Keihin Line service was extended north via the Tohoku Main Line to Akabane Station in February 1928, and to Ōmiya Station in September 1932.[5]

The Keihin Line initially had third-class and second-class cars, analogous to today's ordinary cars and Green Cars respectively. Second-class service ended in 1938 in order to accommodate special military cars during World War II. The military seating was converted to seating for women and children after the war, and back to ordinary seating in 1973 amid overcrowding concerns: second-class service was briefly restored in the 1950s but abandoned shortly thereafter.

Morning peak on the Keihin-Tohoku and Yamanote lines at Ueno Station

From November 1956, the Keihin-Tohoku Line was physically separated from the Yamanote Line between Tamachi and Tabata, allowing more frequent service.[5] Through service with the Negishi Line began on 19 May 1964.[5] 10-car trains (103 series) began operating from 1 April 1966.[5]

Limited-stop "Rapid" services were introduced in 1988 to further ease congestion along the Yamanote Line corridor. From 14 March 2015, all rapid services began serving Kanda Station. Additionally, rapid services began serving Okachimachi Station on weekends and national holidays only.[6]

Future developments

In January 2012, it was announced that a new station would be built on the Yamanote Line and Keihin-Tohoku Line between Shinagawa and Tamachi stations.[7] The distance between Shinagawa and Tamachi stations is 2.2 km.[7] The new station will be constructed on top of the current 20-hectare railyard which is undergoing rationalization and redevelopment by JR East. The Yamanote Line and the Keihin Tohoku Line tracks will be moved slightly to the east to be aligned closer to the Tokaido Shinkansen tracks. The area on the west side of the yard made available will be redeveloped with high-rise office buildings, creating an international business center with good connections to the Shinkansen and Haneda Airport.[7] The new station is scheduled to open in time for the 2020 Summer Olympics to be held in Tokyo.[8]

Accidents

At around 01:11 in the morning of 23 February 2014, an empty stock train operating from Sakuragicho to Kamata hit a track maintenance vehicle on the track close to Kawasaki Station.[9] The first two cars of the 10-car E233 series train derailed, with the first car ending up on its side.[10] The train was carrying no passengers, and the driver and conductor escaped with minor injuries.[11]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 鉄道友の会 東京支部 JR電車部会 (December 2007). "京浜東北線を駆け抜けた車両たち 後編". Japan Railfan Magazine. Vol. 48 no. 562. pp. 77–84.
  2. 横浜線用の205系が営業運転を終了 [End of 205 series revenue operations on Yokohama Line]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 24 August 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  3. 鉄道友の会 東京支部 JR電車部会 (November 2007). "京浜東北線を駆け抜けた車両たち 前編". Japan Railfan Magazine. Vol. 48 no. 561. pp. 86–93.
  4. Hobidas: "京浜東北線・根岸線209系引退で記念イベント" (14 December 2009). Retrieved 14 December 2009. (Japanese)
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "京浜東北線・根岸線" [Keihin-Tohoku Line and Negishi Line]. Tetsudō Daiya Jōhō Magazine. Vol. 37 no. 293. Japan: Kotsu Shimbun. September 2008. pp. 2–11.
  6. "2015年3月 ダイヤ改正について" [Information regarding the March 2015 timetable amendment] (pdf). East Japan Railway Company. 19 December 2014. p. 10. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  7. 1 2 3 "New Yamanote Line station eyed". The Japan Times. 5 January 2012. Retrieved 2014-02-04.
  8. 田町~品川駅間に新駅を設置し、まちづくりを進めます [New station to be constructed between Tamachi and Shinagawa] (PDF). News release (in Japanese). East Japan Railway Company. 3 June 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  9. 京浜東北線事故:1両目が横転 蒲田−鶴見間始発から不通 [Keihin-Tohoku Line accident: 1st car overturned, line closed between Kamata and Tsurumi]. Mainichi Shimbun (in Japanese). Japan: The Mainichi Newspapers. 23 February 2014. Retrieved 24 February 2014.
  10. "JR East train derails near Kawasaki". The Japan Times. Japan: The Japan Times Ltd. 23 February 2014. Retrieved 24 February 2014.
  11. "JR京浜東北線横転事故 運輸安全委の調査官らが原因を調査" [Keihin-Tohoku Line accident: Transport Safety Board investigators start investigation]. FNN (in Japanese). Japan: Fuji News Network. 23 February 2014. Retrieved 24 February 2014.
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