Keiyō Line

Not to be confused with the Keiō Line.
Keiyō Line

A Keiyō Line E233-5000 series EMU, July 2010
Overview
Native name 京葉線
Type Commuter rail
Status Operational
Locale Tokyo, Chiba Prefecture
Termini Tokyo
Soga
Stations 18
Operation
Opened 1975
Owner JR East
Character Underground, at-grade, elevated
Depot(s) Narashino
Rolling stock E233-5000 series, 209-500 series
Technical
Line length 43 km (27 mi)
Track gauge 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification 1,500 V DC overhead catenary
Operating speed 100 km/h (60 mph)
Route map

The Keiyō Line (京葉線 Keiyō-sen) is a railway line connecting Tokyo and Chiba in Japan, paralleling the edge of Tokyo Bay. It is operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). The line forms part of what JR East refers to as the "Tokyo Mega Loop" (東京メガループ) around Tokyo, consisting of the Keiyo Line, Musashino Line, Nambu Line, and Yokohama Line.[1] It provides the main rail access to the Tokyo Disney Resort and the Makuhari Messe exhibition center. The terminus at Tokyo Station is located underground, some distance to the south of the main station complex approximately halfway to Yūrakuchō Station. This means transfer between other lines at Tokyo Station can take between 15 and 20 minutes. The name "Keiyō" is derived from the second characters of the names of the locations linked by the line, Tokyo (東京) and Chiba (千葉). It should not be confused with the Keiō Line, a privately operated commuter line in western Tokyo.

Services

Map of the Keiyō Line and surrounding JR lines

Station list

No. Station Japanese Distance (km) Keiyō
Line
Musashino
Line (thru)
Transfers Location
Between
stations
Total Local Keiyō
Rapid
Comm.
Rapid
Local Local
JE-01 Tokyo 東京 - 0.0   Tohoku Shinkansen, Joetsu Shinkansen, Hokuriku Shinkansen, Yamanote Line, Chūō Line, Tōkaidō Main Line, Sōbu Line (Rapid), Yokosuka Line, Keihin-Tōhoku Line
Tokaido Shinkansen
Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line (M-17)
Chiyoda Tokyo
JE-02 Hatchōbori 八丁堀 1.2 1.2 Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line (H-11) Chūō
JE-03 Etchūjima 越中島 1.6 2.8   Kōtō
JE-04 Shiomi 潮見 2.6 5.4  
JE-05 Shin-Kiba 新木場 2.0 7.4 Rinkai Line
Tokyo Metro Yūrakuchō Line (Y-24)
JE-06 Kasairinkaikōen 葛西臨海公園 3.2 10.6   Edogawa
JE-07 Maihama 舞浜 2.1 12.7 Disney Resort Line (Resort Gateway) Urayasu Chiba
JE-08 Shin-Urayasu 新浦安 3.4 16.1  
JE-09 Ichikawashiohama 市川塩浜 2.1 18.2   Ichikawa
JM10 Nishi-Funabashi 西船橋 5.9 24.1
[* 1]
Musashino Line (through service), Chūō-Sōbu Line
Tokyo Metro Tōzai Line (T-23)
Tōyō Rapid Railway Line
Funabashi
JE-10 Futamatashimmachi 二俣新町 4.4 22.6
[* 2]
Distance is from Ichikawa-Shiohama Ichikawa
JE-11 Minami-Funabashi 南船橋 3.4 26.0 Distance between Nishi-Funabashi and Minami-Funabashi is 5.4 km Funabashi
JE-12 Shin-Narashino 新習志野 2.3 28.3   Narashino
JE-13 Kaihimmakuhari 海浜幕張 3.4 31.7   Mihama-ku, Chiba
JE-14 Kemigawahama 検見川浜 2.0 33.7  
JE-15 Inagekaigan 稲毛海岸 1.6 35.3  
JE-16 Chibaminato 千葉みなと 3.7 39.0 Chiba Urban Monorail: Line 1 Chūō-ku, Chiba
- Soga 蘇我 4.0 43.0 Uchibō Line, Sotobō Line (some through services to each)[* 3]
  1. Keiyō trains between Tokyo and Soga do not pass through Nishi-Funabashi.
  2. Musashino Line trains do not pass through Futamatashimmachi.
  3. Some local and Keiyō rapid, and all Commuter Rapid trains, run through to the Uchibō Line (mainly to Kimitsu or Kazusa-Minato) or the Sotobō Line (mainly Kazusa-Ichinomiya, Katsuura, and via the Tōgane Line to Narutō).

Rolling stock

All Keiyo Line rolling stock is based at the Keiyo Rolling Stock Center near Shin-Narashino Station

Rolling stock used in the past

History

The Keiyo Line was initially planned as a freight-only line. Its first section opened on 10 May 1975 as a 6.5 km link between the Chiba Freight Terminal (now the Mihama New Port Resort between Inagekaigan and Chibaminato Stations) and the freight yard next to Soga Station.[6] Passenger service began on 3 March 1986 between Minami-Funabashi and Chibaminato, and was extended eastward to Soga and westward to Shin-Kiba on 1 December 1988.[6]

The final section of the Keiyo Line between Tokyo and Shin-Kiba opened on 10 March 1990.[6] The platforms at Tokyo Station were originally built to accommodate the Narita Shinkansen, a planned (but never built) high-speed rail line between central Tokyo and Narita International Airport.[7]

Planners originally envisioned the Keiyo Line interfacing with the Rinkai Line at Shin-Kiba, thus providing a through rail connection between Chiba and the Tokyo Freight Terminal in eastern Shinagawa, and also completing the outer loop for freight trains around Tokyo formed by the Musashino Line. This original plan would also allow through service with the Tokaido Main Line, allowing freight trains from central and western Japan to reach Chiba and points east.

However, in the 1990s, as the artificial island of Odaiba began developing as a commercial and tourist area in the middle of the Rinkai Line route, the Rinkai Line was re-purposed for use as a passenger line. While there is a through connection between the Rinkai Line and the Keiyo Line, it is only used by passenger trains in charter service, usually carrying groups to the Tokyo Disney Resort.

Timeline

References

  1. Saka, Masayuki (August 2014). 東京メガループ 車両・路線の沿革と現況 [Tokyo Megaloop: History and current situation of trains and line]. Tetsudō Daiya Jōhō Magazine (in Japanese). Vol. 43 no. 364. Japan: Kōtsū Shimbun. pp. 28–39.
  2. JR電車編成表 2013夏 [JR EMU Formations - Summer 2013]. Japan: JRR. May 2013. p. 47. ISBN 978-4-330-37313-3.
  3. "E233系5000番代 営業運転開始 (E233-5000 series enters revenue service)". Hobidas (in Japanese). Neko Publishing. 1 July 2010. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
  4. 京葉線の201系が定期運用を終える [Keiyō Line 201 series withdrawn from regular service]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 21 June 2011. Retrieved 21 June 2011.
  5. "E331系AK1編成長野へ配給" [E331 series set AK1 moved to Nagano]. RM News (in Japanese). Japan: Neko Publishing Co., Ltd. 27 March 2014. Archived from the original on 27 March 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 Ishino, Tetsu, ed. (1998). 停車場変遷大辞典 国鉄・JR編 [Station Transition Directory - JNR/JR]. I. Japan: JTB. p. 211. ISBN 4-533-02980-9.
  7. "東京駅の京葉線、なぜ遠い?近道は有楽町 成田新幹線構想を再利用" [Why is Keiyo Line so far away at Tokyo Station?]. Nikkei Shimbun. 4 February 2014. Retrieved 4 February 2014. (registration required)
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Kubo, Satoshi (August 2015). 東京駅開業100周年-5 京葉線ターミナル [Tokyo Station 100th Anniversary (5) Keiyo Line Terminal]. Japan Railfan Magazine (in Japanese). Vol. 55 no. 652. Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. p. 105.
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