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 (東京), Yokohama (横浜) 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-Tōhoku—Negishi Line (京浜東北線・根岸線) on system maps and in-train station guides. Keihin-Tōhoku Line—Negishi Line trains are recognizable by their light blue stripe (the line's color on maps is also light blue).

Service outline

Trains run every 2–3 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

• Local trains stop at all stations. Rapid trains stop at stations marked "●" and "■" on weekdays. (Stations marked "■" allow cross-platform transfers to the Yamanote Line). Additionally, stations marked "▲" are served by rapid trains on weekends and national holidays only.

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

• E233-1000 series 10-car EMUs (sky blue stripe) (from December 2007)^[1]

Yokohama Line through services

• E233-6000 series 8-car EMUs (light/dark green stripe) (from February 2014)

• 
  A Yokohama Line E233-6000 series EMU

Rolling stock used in the past

• 72 series 8-car EMUs (brown livery) (until October 1970)
• 101 series 10-car EMUs (sky blue livery) (from December 1970 until March 1978)^[1]
• 103 series 10-car EMUs (sky blue livery) (from October 1965 until March 1998)^[1]
• 205 series 10-car EMU (sky blue stripe) (from October 1989 until February 1996)^[1]
• 205 series 8-car EMUs (light/dark green stripe, on Yokohama Line through services until August 2014)^[2]
• 209-900 series 10-car EMUs (sky blue stripe) (from May 1992 until August 2007)^[3]
• 209-0 series 10-car EMUs (sky blue stripe) (from March 1993 until January 2010)^[4]
• 209-500 series 10-car EMUs (sky blue stripe) (from January 2001 until 2009)

• 
  A Keihin-Tohoku Line 103 series EMU in March 1998
• 
  A Keihin-Tohoku Line 205 series EMU in February 1992
• 
  A Yokohama Line 205 series EMU
• 
  A Keihin-Tohoku Line 901 series (later 209-900 series) EMU in March 1993
• 
  A Keihin-Tohoku Line 209 series EMU, March 2009
• 
  A Keihin-Tohoku Line 209-500 series EMU in November 2008

Timeline

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

• List of railway lines in Japan

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Keihin-Tōhoku Line.

• Stations of the Keihin-Tōhoku Line (JR East) (Japanese)
• japan-guide.com: JR Keihin-Tōhoku Line

Mass transit in the Greater Tokyo Area
JR East lines passing through Central Tokyo	Short-distance Yamanote Keihin-Tōhoku - Negishi (Chūō-Sōbu) Local Mid-distance Utsunomiya (Tohoku Main) & Takasaki - Tokaido ■ Ueno-Tokyo Chuo Rapid Yokosuka - Sobu Rapid Joban Keiyo Kawagoe (Eastern Section) - Saikyo (Akabane) - Rinkai Shonan-Shinjuku
Tokyo Metro lines	Chiyoda Fukutoshin Ginza Hibiya Marunouchi Namboku Tōzai Yūrakuchō Hanzōmon
Toei subway lines	Asakusa Ōedo Mita Shinjuku
Yokohama Municipal	Blue Green
JR East lines in satellite cities or suburbs	Yokohama Musashino Nambu ■ Sagami ■ Hachiko - Kawagoe (Western Section) ■ Ryōmō Tsurumi Tohoku Direction ■ Karasuyama ■ Nikkō Chuo Direction ■ Chūō Main ■ Itsukaichi ■ Ōme Sobu Direction ■ Sōbu Main ■ Sotobō ■ Uchibō ■ Kururi ■ Tōgane Joban Direction ■ Mito ■ Narita Tokaido Direction ■ Itō ■ Gotemba (JR Central)
Keikyu	Keikyu Main Airport Daishi Kurihama Zushi
Keio	Keio Keio New Dōbutsuen Keibajō Sagamihara Takao Inokashira
Keisei	Keisei Main Chiba Chihara Higashi-Narita Kanamachi Oshiage Narita Sky Access
Odakyu	Odawara Enoshima Tama
Seibu	Ikebukuro lines ■ Ikebukuro ■ Sayama ■ Seibu Chichibu ■ Seibu Yūrakuchō ■ Toshima Shinjuku lines ■ Shinjuku ■ Haijima Kokubunji Seibu-en Tamagawa Tamako
Sotetsu	Sotetsu Main Izumino
Tobu	Skytree Kameido Daishi Isesaki Sano Koizumi Kiryū Nikkō Kinugawa Utsunomiya Urban Park Tōjō Ogose
Tokyu	Den-en-toshi Ikegami Meguro Oimachi Tokyu Tamagawa Toyoko Kodomonokuni
Other commuter rail lines	Hokusō Kantō Jōsō Ryūgasaki Nagareyama Rinkai Saitama Rapid Shibayama Shin-Keisei Tōyō Rapid Tsukuba Express Minatomirai 21
Monorails and light transit	Monorails Chiba Monorail Disney Resort Shōnan Monorail Tama Monorail Tokyo Monorail People movers New Shuttle Kanazawa Seaside Nippori-Toneri Seibu Yamaguchi Yūkarigaoka Yurikamome Trams Enoden Setagaya Arakawa
Hinterland	Chichibu Main Line Fujikyuko Line
Cable cars and aerial tramways	Ōyama Cable Car Hodosan Ropeway (Takao Tozan Railway Mitake Tozan Cable Car ) (Nokogiriyama Ropeway Mount Tsukuba Cable Car Mount Tsukuba Ropeway) Akechidaira Ropeway Ikaho Ropeway
Bus	Willer Express List of bus operating companies in Japan (east)
Public ferries	Tokyo-Wan Ferry Tokyo Cruise Ship Tokyo Mizube Line Keihin Ferry Boat The Port Service (Yokohama)
Major terminals	Rail Akihabara Chiba Hachiōji Ikebukuro Kita-Senju Mito Odawara Ōmiya Ōtemachi Shibuya Shinagawa Shinjuku Tachikawa Tokyo Ueno Yokohama Airports Haneda Narita Chofu Ibaraki Heliports Tokyo Heliport Camp Zama Ports Yokohama Tokyo
Miscellaneous	Shinkansen Smart cards Pasmo Suica Transportation in Greater Tokyo Rail transport in Japan List of named passenger trains of Japan List of through trains in Japan Tokyo subway rolling stock List of Toei Subway stations List of Tokyo Metro stations
Construction projects	Sōtetsu JR Link Line
Japan transit: Tokyo Osaka Nagoya Fukuoka Hakone Fuji Izu Hokkaido Sendai Niigata Toyama Nagano Okayama Hiroshima Shikoku Metro systems Shinkansen trams (list) aerial lifts (list)

JR East lines
Shinkansen	Hokuriku Jōetsu Tōhoku Akita Yamagata
Main	Chūō Ōu Shin'etsu Sōbu Tōhoku Tōkaidō Uetsu
Local	Agatsuma Aterazawa Ban'etsu East Ban'etsu West Echigo Gonō Hachikō Hachinohe Hakushin Hanawa Iiyama Ishinomaki Itō Itsukaichi Jōban Jōetsu Kamaishi Karasuyama Kashima Kawagoe Keiyō Kesennuma Kitakami Koumi Kururi Mito Musashino Nambu Narita Negishi Nikkō Ōfunato Oga Ōito Ōme Ōminato Rikuu East Rikuu West Ryōmō Sagami Senseki Senzan Shinonoi Sotobō Suigun Tadami Takasaki Tazawako Tōgane Tsugaru Tsurumi Uchibō Utsunomiya Yahiko Yamada Yamanote Yokohama Yokosuka Yonesaka
Others	Chūō Rapid Chūō-Sōbu Gala-Yuzawa Keihin-Tōhoku Saikyō (incl. Akabane) Senseki-Tōhoku Shōnan-Shinjuku Sōbu Rapid Ueno-Tōkyō
Past	Aizu Ashio Iwaizumi Kihara Marumori Mōka Nagai Shin'etsu Main (Shinano / Echigo Tokimeki) Tōhoku Main (Aoimori / Iwate Galaxy)