Tōkaidō Main Line


The Tōkaidō Main Line is one of the most important railway corridors in Japan, connecting the major cities of Tokyo and Kobe via Shizuoka, Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka. The line, with termini at Tokyo and Kobe stations, is long, not counting its many freight feeder lines around the major cities. The high-speed Tōkaidō Shinkansen largely parallels the line.
The term "Tōkaidō Main Line" is largely a holdover from pre-Shinkansen days; now various portions of the line have different names which are officially used by JR East, JR Central, and JR West. Today, the only daily passenger train that travels the entire length of the line is the combined Sunrise Izumo/Sunrise Seto service which runs overnight. During the day, longer intercity trips using the line require several transfers along the way.
The Tokaido Main Line is owned and operated by three Japan Railways Group companies:

History

Completion and early days, 1872–1913

The Tōkaidō route takes its name from the ancient road connecting the Kansai region with the Kantō region through the Tōkai region. Its name meant "Tōkai road", or the road running through Tōkai. The Tōkaidō Line does not follow the old road exactly, since the latter diverges at Nagoya toward the Mie Prefecture coastline; to follow it by train, the Kansai Main Line and Kusatsu Line would have to be followed from Nagoya to Kusatsu. Japan's largest population centers are all along this route: Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe. Since construction of the line, these centers have since grown to occupy an ever more dominant role in the country's government, financial, manufacturing, and cultural life.
Historically, one of the first priorities of Japanese railway planners was to build a line from Tokyo to the Kansai region, either following the Tokaido route or the northern Nakasendō route. This decision remained unresolved as regional needs were addressed. The first railway in Japan was the line from Shimbashi to Sakuragicho in Yokohama, which opened in 1872; another segment of today's Tokaido Main Line, between Kyoto and Kobe, opened in 1877.
In 1883, the government decided to use the Nakasendō route, and construction of several segments commenced. Railways were opened between Ogaki and Nagahama and between Nagoya and Kisogawa in line with the Nakasendo plan. However, by 1886, it was clear that the Tokaido route would be more practical, and so the Nakasendo plan was abandoned.
The lines between Kisogawa and Ogaki, Yokohama and Kozu, and Hamamatsu and Obu were completed in 1887, and the first line from Tokyo to Kobe was completed in 1889, when Kozu and Hamamatsu were connected through the present-day Gotemba Line corridor. The final segments were completed between Kasumigahara and Otsu. At the time, there was one Tokyo–Kobe train in each direction per day, taking over 20 hours each way. The "Tokaido Line" name was formally adopted in 1895. In October 1895, following the Sino-Japanese War, through service to the Sanyo Railway began.
Express service between Tokyo and Kobe began in 1896, sleeper service in 1900, and dining car service in 1901. In 1906, all privately run main lines were nationalized under the newly created Japanese Government Railways, which at the time had a network of just over of track.

Capacity expansion and route changes, 1914–1945

On 20 December 1914, Tokyo Station opened and succeeded Shimbashi Station as the Tokyo-side terminus of the line. On the same day, an electrified commuter line was inaugurated along the section between Tokyo Station and today’s Yokohama Station, which is now part of the Keihin–Tōhoku Line. Automatic couplers were introduced on all freight wagons in 1926. In 1930, the first Tsubame express was introduced, reducing the Tokyo - Kobe travel-time to nine hours - a significant reduction from the twenty hours required in 1889 and fifteen in 1903.
By the start of the Taishō era, route changes on several stretches of the line were deemed necessary to accommodate growing demand. The route bypassing Osakayama, in use since 1878, was closed when the current, less steep route with two long tunnels was completed on 25 September 1919. The mountainous Gotemba stretch required an even larger-scale route change, culminating in the completion of the Tanna Tunnel in 1934 after 15 years of construction. The new route through the tunnel is 11.2 kilometres long, compared to the old Gotemba route, which took a 60.2-kilometre detour around the Tanna Basin. With the opening of the tunnel, the section between Tokyo and Numazu was fully electrified, as steam locomotives were unable to operate through the long tunnel safely.
Electrification also progressed on the other end of the line around the same time, in 1934. Commuter rapid services between Kyoto and Kobe, using 52 Series streamliner EMUs, began in 1937. However, further electrification of the line was overshadowed by the Second World War and did not resume until after the war. For security reasons, the army preferred to keep the middle portion of the line unelectrified, as unelectrified tracks were much easier to repair in the event of an enemy attack.
During the war, the line's focus shifted towards freight services. Express services were significantly reduced, and sleepers and restaurant cars were withdrawn from service in 1944. JNR Class D52 locomotives were introduced for wartime freight transport, but their poor manufacturing quality led to several boiler explosion accidents.

As the main transport artery of postwar Japan, 1945–1964

In the immediate aftermath of the war, almost all surviving express train carriages were requisitioned by the Allied Occupation Forces. Services such as the Allied Limited, Dixie Limited, and the BCOF Train operated on the Tōkaidō Line. Express trains for Japanese nationals resumed in April 1947, with sleeper services following in July 1948.
In 1949, the Limited Express Heiwa, a successor to the pre-war Tsubame service, and the sleeper express Ginga both began operating between Tokyo and Osaka. In January 1950, Heiwa was renamed Tsubame. Makeshift D52 freight locomotives were converted into C62 express locomotives, the largest and fastest steam engines in Japan's rail history, to haul these services. One of the C62s, C62 17, holds the narrow-gauge steam world speed record, which was achieved on the Tokaido line near Nagoya on 15 December 1954, and is preserved at the SCMaglev and Railway Park.
On 19 November 1956, the line was fully electrified. The Tokyo–Osaka express trains, Tsubame and Hato, began to be hauled by JNR EF58 locomotives for the entire length of the route, reducing travel time from 8 hours to 7 hours and 30 minutes. With no concerns about smoke polluting the carriages, these trains were painted light green and nicknamed Aodaishō.
On 1 October 1958, the Kodama, the first limited express service operated by EMUs rather than locomotive-hauled carriages, commenced. This service further reduced travel time to 6 hours and 50 minutes. The Series 151 EMUs marked a significant milestone in railway technology, as EMUs were previously considered unsuitable for high-speed and long-distance services due to issues like noise, vibration, and cost. Since then, all non-sleeper express rolling stock, including the Shinkansen, has been designed as EMUs. On the same day, the Asakaze sleeper express entered service with the newly built Series 20 carriages. These carriages were fully air-conditioned and nicknamed the 'hotel on the rail'. Because these sleeper carriages and their successors were painted blue, sleeper trains in Japan came to be known as Blue Trains.

After the opening of the Tōkaidō Shinkansen, 1964–1987

The capacity constraints on the Tokaido Main Line had been clear prior to World War II, and work started on a new standard gauge "bullet train" line in 1959. Intercity passenger traffic between Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka largely transferred to the Tōkaidō Shinkansen after it was completed in 1964. Since then, the Tokaido Main Line has been used as a commuter and freight line, serving a very small number of long-distance passenger trains.

Privatisation, 1987–present

Following the Hanshin earthquake on 17 January 1995, the line was shut down between Takatsuki and Kobe, with certain segments remaining impassable until 1 April of that year.
On 20 August 2016, station numbering was introduced, with stations between Tokyo and Ōfuna assigned station numbers of JT01 to JT07. Numbers increase towards in the southbound direction towards Ōfuna. Station numbers would be assigned to stations beyond Ōfuna as far as Atami in 2018.
On the evening of 5 August 2023, a JR East Tokaido Line service struck a utility pole near and lost power, resulting in a suspension of service. Four people, including the driver, sustained minor injuries. Service was restored on the morning of 6 August 2023.

Basic data

  • Total distance:
  • *East Japan Railway Company
  • **Tokyo - Atami:
  • **Shinagawa - Shin-Kawasaki - Tsurumi:
  • **Hamamatsuchō - Tokyo Freight Terminal - Kawasaki Freight Terminal - Hama-Kawasaki:
  • **Tsurumi - Hatchō-Nawate:
  • **Tsurumi - Higashi-Takashima - Sakuragichō:
  • **Tsurumi - Yokohama-Hazawa - Higashi-Totsuka:
  • *Central Japan Railway Company
  • **Atami - Maibara:
  • **Ōgaki - Mino-Akasaka:
  • **Ōgaki - - Sekigahara:
  • *West Japan Railway Company
  • **Maibara - Kōbe:
  • **Kyōto Freight Terminal - Tambaguchi:
  • **Suita - - Amagasaki:
  • **Suita - Umeda - Fukushima:
  • *Japan Freight Railway Company
  • **Sannō Signal - Nagoya-Minato:
  • **Suita Signal - Osaka Freight Terminal:
  • *Japan Freight Railway Company
  • **Shinagawa - Atami:
  • **Shinagawa - Shin-Tsurumi Signal:
  • **Tokyo Freight Terminal - Hama-Kawasaki:
  • **Tsurumi - Yokohama-Hazawa - Higashi-Totsuka:
  • **Tsurumi - Hatchō-Nawate:
  • **Tsurumi - Shinkō - Sakuragichō:
  • **Atami - Maibara:
  • **Minami-Arao Signal - Sekigahara:
  • **Minami-Arao Signal - Mino-Akasaka:
  • **Maibara - Kōbe:
  • **Kyōto Freight Terminal - Tambaguchi:
  • **Suita - Umeda - Fukushima:
  • Gauge: Narrow gauge railway
  • Stations:
  • * Passenger: 166
  • ** JR East: 34
  • ** JR Central: 82
  • ** JR West: 50
  • * Freight only: 14
  • Tracks:
  • * Four or more
  • ** Tokyo - Odawara:
  • ** Nagoya - Inazawa:
  • ** Kusatsu - Kōbe:
  • * Two
  • ** Odawara - Nagoya
  • ** Inazawa - Kusatsu
  • ** Shinagawa - Shin-Kawasaki - Tsurumi
  • ** Hamamatsuchō - Tokyo Freight Terminal - Kawasaki Freight Terminal - Hama-Kawasaki
  • ** Tsurumi - Hatchō-Nawate
  • ** Tsurumi - Higashi-Takashima
  • ** Tsurumi - Yokohama-Hazawa - Higashi-Totsuka
  • ** Suita - Umeda
  • ** Suita - - Amagasaki
  • * Single-track: All other sections
  • Electrification: 1,500 V DC
  • Railway signalling: Automatic Train Control
  • Maximum speed:
  • *Tokyo - Ōfuna, Odawara - Toyohashi:
  • *Ōfuna - Odawara, Toyohashi - Maibara:
  • *Minami-Arao Signal - Tarui - Sekigahara, Minami-Arao Signal - Mino-Akasaka:
  • *Maibara - Kōbe:

Station list

JR East

The section between Tokyo and Atami is operated by East Japan Railway Company and it is located in the Greater Tokyo Area. It has local services and a rapid service called Rapid Acty. It runs on dedicated tracks parallel to the Yamanote Line between Tokyo and Shinagawa, the Keihin–Tōhoku Line between Tokyo and Yokohama, and the Yokosuka Line between Yokohama and Ōfuna. Some Shōnan–Shinjuku Line trains share the segment south of Yokohama to Ōfuna and Odawara. Until 12 March 2021, there were also commuter rapid and Shōnan Liner services.
The Ueno–Tokyo Line, a JR East project, extended the services of the Utsunomiya Line, the Takasaki Line, and the Joban Line to Tokyo Station, allowing for through services to and from the Tōkaidō Line from March 2015.
Almost all trains along this section of the line have bi-level "Green Cars" with forward-facing seats, with each set of trains having 2 of them. Green Cars can be used after paying an additional fee.
A new station between Ōfuna and Fujisawa is being planned to serve passengers near the former JR Freight Shōnan Freight Terminal. Construction is expected to start in early 2022. The new station is expected to open for service in 2032.
Legend:
  • ● : All trains stop
  • ｜ : All trains pass
  • ▲ : Shōnan–Shinjuku Line trains use Yokosuka Line platforms
  • Some trains run through services beyond Atami, as far as Numazu.
  • With the Ueno–Tokyo Line, Utsunomiya Line Rapid Rabbit and Takasaki Line Rapid Urban services now run along the Tokaido Line, and stop at all stations on this line. As such, the two services are classified as 'Local' service trains within the Tokaido Line.
  • Tokaido Line Rapid Acty services operate only evening services from Tokyo to Odawara. Rapid Acty services will be discontinued effective the timetable revision on 18 March 2023 after 34 years of operation.
  • Shōnan Limited Express services are special, all-reserved commuter express trains with comfortable seating. They operate from Odawara to Tokyo on weekday mornings, with a few services terminating in Shinagawa. Return services run from Tokyo to Odawara on weekday evenings. Like commuter rapid trains, Shōnan Liner services normally make no stops between Shinagawa and Fujisawa. Between Fujisawa and Odawara, varying stops are made. In addition to the standard fare, a reserved seat fee of ¥500 is required to use the Shōnan Liner.
  • Keihin-Tōhoku Line stations between Tokyo and Yokohama officially are a part of the Tōkaidō Main Line. These stations are:,,,,,,,,, and.
  • Yokosuka Line stations between Tokyo and Ōfuna officially are a part of the Tōkaidō Main Line. These stations are:,,,, and. The route of the Yokosuka Line between Shinagawa and Tsurumi is separate from the main line and is referred to as the Hinkaku Line, on which Nishi-Ōi, Musashi-Kosugi, and Shin-Kawasaki stations are located.
  • The Shōnan–Shinjuku Line operates through services to the Tōkaidō Main Line. Trains operate from the Takasaki Line to and enter the Yokosuka Line at to then switches tracks to the Tōkaidō Main Line towards, and vice versa. Rapid Service stop at all stations on the Tōkaidō Main Line, while Special Rapid Service operate the same pattern as a Rapid Acty Service.

JR Central

The point between JR East and JR Central operation is divided at Atami Station. The section of the line between Atami and Maibara is operated by JR Central, and covers the Tōkai region: Shizuoka Prefecture, Aichi Prefecture, and Gifu Prefecture. Some services from Odawara on the JR East section continues to travel on this section until Numazu Station.

Nagoya Block Main Line

Maibara is shared by JR Central and JR West; JR West manages the station
Before March 2016, JR West operated trains from Maibara as far as Ogaki on JR Central territory. From 25 March 2016, all JR West departures were changed to JR Central trains to Maibara station.

Branch lines

Both the Mino-Akasaka and Tarui branch lines separate from the Main Line at, located 3.1 km west of Ōgaki Station.
Mino-Akasaka Branch Line
All trains on the Mino-Akasaka Branch Line operate as a shuttle service between and. Services operate approximately every 45 minutes during morning and evening peak hours, but there are large gaps between services of 2-3 hours during the day. Running time is 7 minutes.
Tarui Branch Line
Between Ōgaki and Sekigahara, there is a 25 per mil grade. In 1944, a single track bypass was built to avoid this steep slope of the main line. The old section, informally referred to as the "Shin-Tarui Line", remains largely unused, and was closed in 1986. Today, the only rail vehicles that travel on this section of track are freight trains and westbound express trains.

JR West

The western part of the Tōkaidō Main Line from Maibara to Kōbe is operated by JR West and forms the main trunk of the company's Urban Network in the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area. Although the line is divided into three segments, known as the Biwako Line, JR Kyoto Line, and JR Kobe Line, they are part of a single contiguous network, with many services traversing multiple sections. The Biwako Line includes a segment of the Hokuriku Main Line. Some services on the Kosei, JR Takarazuka and Gakkentoshi lines run through onto the Tōkaidō Main Line.

Biwako Line

The section between Maibara and Kyoto is known as the Biwako Line.
  • ●: Trains stop.
  • ○: Limited stop, early morning and late night only
  • |: Trains pass.
  • Local : JR Kyoto Line local trains
  • Local : Operate as Rapid service trains west of Takatsuki

JR Kyoto Line

The section between Kyoto and Osaka is known as the JR Kyoto Line. Trains from the Biwako and Kosei lines travel through onto the JR Kyoto Line and continue west towards the JR Kobe Line at Osaka.
Legend:
  • ● : All trains stop
  • | : All trains pass
  • ▲ : Trains only after morning rush stop
Local trains stop at all stations. Rapid trains in the morning skip some stops between Kyoto and Takatsuki.

JR Kobe Line

The westernmost section between Osaka and Kōbe is part of the JR Kobe Line, which continues west to on the San'yō Main Line. Although Kōbe is the official terminus of the Tōkaidō Main Line, most trains continue to Nishi-Akashi, Himeji and beyond.
●: Trains stop at all times

｜: Trains pass at all times

Former connecting lines

Kanagawa Prefecture

  • Ninomiya Station: The Shonan Horse-drawn Tramway opened a line to Hatano in 1906 to haul tobacco. Steam locomotion was introduced in 1913. Passenger services ceased in 1933, and the line closed in 1935.
  • Odawara Station: The Japan Tobacco and Salt Public Corporation operated an approximately 1 km line to its factory, electrified at 1,500 V DC, between 1950 and 1984. The line was also serviced by the adjoining Odakyu Odawara Line from its Ashigara station.

Shizuoka Prefecture

  • Atami Station: In 1895, a gauge handcar line opened to Yoshihama, and was extended to Odawara the following year. In 1907, the line was converted to gauge and steam locomotives were introduced. The line closed in 1923 as a result of the Great Kanto earthquake.
  • Numazu Station: The Sunzu Electric Railway opened a line to Mishima-Tamachi on the Izuhakone Railway Sunzu Line in 1906. In 1915, the line was truncated 1 km to connect at Mishima-Hirokoji, and the line was electrified at 600 V DC in 1919. The line closed in 1961 following the destruction of the Kisegawa bridge during a flood.
  • Yoshiwara Station: The Fuji Horse Tramway opened a gauge line to Ōmiya in 1890. The Fuji Minobu Railway purchased the tramway in 1912, converted it to a gauge steam railway the following year and gradually extended it. In 1924, the company built a new alignment which connected to Fuji station on the Tokaido main line, at which time the original section from Omiya to Yoshiwara closed.
  • Shimizu Station: Shimizukō Line from 1916 to 1984.
  • Shizuoka Station:
  • * The Abe Railway opened a gauge line from Inomiya to Ushizuma in 1914 to haul timber. Plans to extend the line to Shizuoka did not eventuate and the line closed in 1934.
  • *The Shizuoka Electric Railway opened a line to Anzai, connecting to its Shimizu Line, electrified at 600 V DC, between 1922 and 1926. The line closed in 1962.
  • Yaizu Station: A handcar line operated to Fujieda between 1891 and 1900.
  • Fujieda Station: The Tōsō Railway opened a gauge line to Ote in 1913, and by 1926 had extended the line progressively in both directions for a length of from Jitogata to Suruga-Okabe, although in 1936 the section from Suruga-Okabe to Ote was closed. In 1943, the company merged with the Shizuoka Railway, and in 1948, a line between Mitsumata and Jitogata opened, linking the two sections. This section of the combined line closed between 1964 and 1970.
  • Shimada Station: The Fuji Prefectural Government opened a gauge handcar line in 1898 to haul timber. In 1944, following the destruction of the nearby Tokaido Line bridge over the Oigawa, it was proposed to use the alignment of this line as a replacement, including a wooden bridge over the river. The bridge was about 25% completed when the end of the war resulted in the termination of the proposal. A diesel locomotive was introduced in 1955 to haul construction material for the construction of the adjacent national highway, and the line closed in 1959.
  • Kikukawa Station: The Joto horse-drawn tramway opened a gauge line to Ikeshinden in 1899. In 1923, the line was converted to gauge, and a single-cylinder diesel locomotive introduced. The line closed in 1935.
  • Fukuroi Station:
  • *The Akiba horse-drawn tramway opened a gauge line to Enshumori-Cho in 1902. In 1926, the company renamed itself the Shizuoka Electric Railway, converted the line to gauge and electrified it at 600 V DC. The line closed in 1962.
  • *The Shizuoka Railway opened a gauge line to Yokosuka in 1914, extending it to Mitsumata in 1927. The company merged with the Fuji-sho Railway in 1943, and in 1948, a line between Mitsumata and Jitogata opened, linking the two sections. This section of the combined line closed between 1964 and 1967.
  • Hamamatsu Station: The Dainippon Railway opened a, gauge line to Kuniyoshi in 1909. In 1919, the line was acquired by the Enshu Railway Line, which closed the first of the line in 1925, so the new connecting station became Enshu-Magome. The line closed in 1937 while the section to Enshu-Magome would close in 1985.

Aichi Prefecture

  • Okazaki Station:
  • * The Nishio Railway opened a gauge line to Nishio in 1911, and extended it to Kira-Yoshida on the Meitetsu Gamagōri Line between 1915 and 1916. In 1926, the company merged with the Aichi Electric Railway, which between 1928 and 1929 converted the line to gauge, electrified it at 600 V DC, and connected it to the line from Shin-Anjō on the Meitetsu Nagoya Main Line at Nishioguchi. The line to Nishio closed in 1962.
  • *A tram line connected to the Meitetsu Koromo line at Okazaki-Ida Station, which between 1929 and 1962 connected to the Meitetsu Mikawa Line at Uwagoromo, the tramway also closing in 1962.
  • Owari-Ichinomiya Station: The Meitetsu line to Okoshi, electrified at 600 V DC, opened in 1924. When the voltage on the Meitetsu main line was increased to 1,500 V DC in 1952, services were suspended on this line. The substitute bus service proved so popular the line was closed rather than upgraded.

Gifu Prefecture

  • Ogaki Station: The Seino Railway opened a line from Mino-Akasaka to Ichihashi in 1928, and operated a passenger service from 1930 to 1945.
  • Arao Station : A freight-only line to the Mino Okubo limestone quarry operated between 1928 and 1990.

Hyōgo Prefecture

  • Nishinomiya Station: A freight-only line was opened in 1944 to connect to Mukogawa Station on the Hanshin Main Line. As the former was gauge, and the latter gauge, some tracks at Mukogawa were dual gauge. Service on the line ceased in 1958, but it was not formally closed until 1970.
  • Rokkomichi Station: A line to Kobe Port opened in 1907, electrified at 1,500 V DC. Passenger services ceased in 1974, and the line closed in 2003.

Limited express services

In addition to standard local, rapid, and special rapid service trains, the Tōkaidō Main Line also hosts a number of limited express services.

Daytime trains

Overnight trains

Overnight trains on the Tōkaidō Line go from Tokyo to western Honshū and Shikoku.

Discontinued trains

  • Overnight limited express Sakura, Tokyo - )
  • Overnight limited express Izumo, discontinued March 2006
  • Limited express Wide View Tōkai, discontinued March 2007
  • Overnight express Ginga, discontinued March 2008
  • Overnight limited express Fuji, discontinued March 2009
  • Overnight limited express Hayabusa, discontinued March 2009
  • Overnight limited express Sunrise Yume, discontinued March 2009
  • Moonlight Nagara '', discontinued March 2020
  • Super View Odoriko, Resort Odoriko, Fleur Odoriko'', discontinued March 2020

Rolling stock for local and rapid services

JR East

JR Central

JR West

Former rolling stock