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The trains are incredibly punctual, to the point that if it's late, the railway company may give you a ''certificate'' to hand to your employer, in case [[BadBoss he refuses to believe]] that your train was really late. Although there's getting to be more and more automation, all trains still have a driver who's gone through a TrainingFromHell (which often includes knowing, to the decimal, the train's exact speed just from visual references -- ''i.e.'', ''without a speedometer'').
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The trains are incredibly punctual, to the point that if it's a train leaves a station only a few seconds behind schedule, it can wreak havoc on the timetable for the rest of the route. An unusual aspect of this is that if the train is late, the railway company may give you a ''certificate'' to hand to your employer, in case [[BadBoss he refuses to believe]] that your train was really late. Although there's getting to be more and more automation, all trains still have a driver who's gone through a TrainingFromHell (which often includes knowing, to the decimal, the train's exact speed just from visual references -- ''i.e.'', ''without a speedometer'').
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--> JR東日本をご利用くださいまして、ありがとうございます。この電車は、宇都宮線、普通、上野行きです。[[note]]"Thank you very much for using JR East. This is an Utsunomiya Line local train bound for Ueno."[[/note]]
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--> JR東日本をご利用くださいまして、ありがとうございます。この電車は、宇都宮線、普通、上野行きです。[[note]]"Thank JR東日本をご利用くださいまして、ありがとうございます。この電車は、宇都宮線、普通電車、上野行きです。[[note]]"Thank you very much for using JR East. This is an Utsunomiya Line local train bound for Ueno."[[/note]]
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Tokyo is a megacity of high-density urban centers and suburbs that were designed in a transit-centric fashion. This type of growth was by necessity--75% of Japan's land mass is mountainous and uninhabitable, leaving just under 100,000 sq. km. for 127 million people. By 1850, in the dying years of the Edo Shogunate, Edo City (the previous name of Tokyo) was the most densely populated urban area on Earth.
Here are some of the more notable overland heavy railway lines in the Tokyo area. Tokyo subways have [[UsefulNotes/TokyoSubways their own page.]]
!!The Big Four--JR trunk lines
* Tokaido Main Line
** The oldest and most important railway in Japan, built with British assistance and opened in 1872. The Tokaido Main Line connects Tokyo with Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe. It roughly parallels the old Tokaido road between Edo (Tokyo) and Kyoto; Tokaido (東海道) means "East Sea Route"--the "east sea" in this case being Sagami Bay, Suruga Bay and the Pacific Ocean, whose coasts the Tokaido road followed down to Nagoya.
** Interestingly, the Tokaido Main Line does not follow the old Tokaido road between Nagoya and Kyoto, instead diverting north and paralleling the southern shore of Lake Biwa.
** The line is jointly operated by three JR Group companies: JR East operates the segment between Tokyo and Atami, on the Izu Peninsula. JR Central operates the segment between Atami and Maibara, near the northeast shore of Lake Biwa. And JR West operates the last segment from Maibara to Kobe.
** Shinagawa (actually, it's located between Takanawa and Konan in Minato-ku, and not Shinagawa-ku--it's a long story) was one of the most important rest stops on the Tokaido, and has evolved into a major transportation, hotel, retail and business hub for Tokyo. A subway link connecting Shinagawa with Roppongi and Shibuya is in the works, but it won't be ready for the 2020 Olympics.
* Chuo Main Line
** The Chuo Main Line takes another route to Nagoya, this one being the Nakasendo, through the rugged, mountainous Japanese Alps of central Honshu. The eastern segment (operated by JR East) takes a more southerly pass through Yamanashi and Nagano Prefectures than the Nakasendo, which ran through Gunma Prefecture. However, the western segment (operated by JR Central--Shiojiri in Nagano Prefecture is the boundary between the two segments) through the Kiso Valley is more faithful to the Nakasendo route.
** There is no Shinkansen service on this route, owing to the mountainous terrain. Limited express services between Shinjuku and Matsumoto ("Azusa", "Super Azusa"), Shinjuku and Kofu ("Kaiji") and Nagano and Nagoya ("Shinano") are available. The Chuo Linear Shinkansen, the world's first maglev line, will open in 2027 between Tokyo and Nagoya, but will take a more southerly route to Kofu than the current Chuo Main Line.
** Local trains between Shiojiri and Nakatsugawa, the northern edge of the Nagoya urban area, run once every two hours.
* Sobu Main Line
** The Sobu Main Line gets its name from the old provinces it served: Shimosa/Kazusa (総), now part of Chiba Prefecture, and Musashi (武). It connects Tokyo with Choshi, the easternmost point of Japan on the Pacific coast. It serves famous Chiba towns like Sakura, Naruto and Asahi.
** Until the 1970s, the Sobu Main Line was a black sheep of Tokyo-area railways. Much of the line was still single-tracked and steam-powered, and there was no rapid service; the Keisei Main Line was the only rapid, electrified railway connecting Tokyo with Chiba Prefecture. Its westernmost terminus was Ryogoku, home of the famous sumo hall and Edo-Tokyo Museum. After the 1964 Olympics, the Five-Destination Operation (五方面作戦) finally led to electrification, double-tracking and rapid service to Tokyo Station, the last of which started in 1973.
* Tohoku Main Line
** The gateway to northern Japan, millions of poor farmers and workers rode the rails from the Tohoku region and Hokkaido along the Tohoku Main Line in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, arriving at Ueno Station in search of a better life in Tokyo.
** The Tohoku Main Line was originally a private railway, opened in 1883 between Ueno and Kumagaya along what is the Keihin-Tohoku Line today. This line was extended to Takasaki and Maebashi the next year, with the Kumagaya-Maebashi section laying the groundwork for today's Takasaki Line.
** The year after that, in 1885, a station at Omiya was opened, and a second branch line towards Utsunomiya was opened, with the ferry link across the Tone River replaced by a railway bridge in 1886. The Omiya-Utsunomiya branch corresponded to today's Utsunomiya Line and long-distance Tohoku Main Line.
** The line was gradually extended to Aomori by 1891, its northernmost point and the gateway to Hokkaido.
** After the Russo-Japanese War, the Meiji government nationalized key railway lines, including the Tohoku Main Line, in 1906. The Omiya-Takasaki portion of the Tohoku Main Line was renamed the Takasaki Line in 1909.
** In 1925, the Tohoku Main Line was extended south to the newly opened Tokyo Station at Marunouchi, east of the the Palace grounds. Although its official terminus was Tokyo Station, the Ueno-Tokyo portion of the Tohoku Main Line was mostly used for freight services.
** In 1929, a branch between Nippori and Akabane was opened, on the north side of the Tabata rail yards. A station was opened at Oku.
** The original Ueno-Omiya branch would eventually be through-routed with the Keihin Line (formerly known as the Tokaido Electric Line) to create the Keihin-Tohoku Line. Meanwhile, Tohoku Main Line services solely used the Nippori-Akabane branch via Oku.
** During Allied occupation, GHQ appropriated the Ueno-Tokyo portion to transport Allied troops up and down Japan. Services included the Allied Limited and Dixie Limited towards Kyushu, and Yankee Limited towards Hokkaido.
** After the Allies left Japan in 1952, the postwar Showa government continued to use the Ueno-Tokyo portion for passenger service.
** The new Keihin-Tohoku Line, which paralleled the Yamanote Line between Shinagawa and Tabata, was at-grade separated from the Yamanote Line in 1956.
** The Ueno-Tokyo portion was closed in 1973 to passenger service and 1983 to freight service, and later dismantled, to make way for the Tohoku Shinkansen's right of way. The new UsefulNotes/HighSpeedRail line reached Ueno on 14 March 1985, and Tokyo Station on 20 June 1991.
** Suburban services between Ueno and Kuroiso were renamed the "Utsunomiya Line" on 10 March 1990. The term "Tohoku Main Line" was reserved for long distance services to northern Japan, as well as commuter/medium-distance trains in the Kuroiso-Aomori corridor (Fukushima City, Sendai, etc.)
** The Tohoku Main Line was truncated from Aomori to Morioka when the Tohoku Shinkansen was extended to Shin-Aomori in 2002.
!!Urban/commuter JR East lines
* Yamanote Line (Tokyo~Ueno~Ikebukuro~Shinjuku~Shibuya~Shinagawa loop)
* Keihin-Tohoku Line (Omiya~Yokohama)
** Almost all trips continue south of Yokohama via the Negishi Line.
* Chuo Line (Rapid) (Tokyo~Takao)
* Sobu Line (Rapid) (Tokyo~Chiba)
** Through-routed with the Yokosuka Line.
* Chuo-Sobu Line (Mitaka~Chiba)
** Does not serve Tokyo Station, but routes via Ochanomizu, Akihabara, Asakusabashi, Ryogoku and Kinshicho.
* Joban Line (Rapid) (Ueno~Toride)
* Negishi Line (Yokohama~Ofuna)
* Saikyo Line (Osaki~Ikebukuro~Musashi-Urawa~Omiya)
** Parallels the Yamanote Line from Osaki to Ikebukuro via an unused freight line.
** Through routed from Osaki with the Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit Rinkai Line.
!!Outer-suburban JR East lines
* Tokaido Line (Tokyo~Atami)
** From 14 March 2015, most services on the Tokaido Line were through-routed onto the Utsunomiya and Takasaki Lines (see below)
* Utsunomiya Line (Ueno~Kuroiso)
* Takasaki Line (Ueno~Takasaki)
* Joban Line (medium distance) (for Tsuchiura, Mito and Iwaki)
* Yokosuka Line (Tokyo~Kurihama)
** Through-routed with the Sobu Line Rapid service.
* Ome Line (Tachikawa~Okutama)
** Some trips are through-routed at Tachikawa as Chuo Line Rapid services.
* Ueno-Tokyo Line
After the However, congestion on the Yamanote and Keihin-Tohoku Lines led to plans to restore the link. Construction of the 40 billion yen, 4-kilometer link began in May 2008, and the line opened on 14 March 2015.
** Services stop at Ueno, Tokyo, Shimbashi and Shinagawa.
** Trains on the Utsunomiya Line and Takasaki Line continue onto the Tokaido Line.
** Selected Rapid services on the Joban Line, and "Hitachi" and "Tokiwa" Limited Express services, continue to Shinagawa.
!!"Tokyo Mega Loop" JR East lines
* Nambu Line (Tachikawa~Kawasaki)
* Musashino Line (Fuchu-Hommachi~Nishi-Funabashi)
** Some trips are through-routed onto the Keiyo Line at Nishi-Funabashi.
** Some trips are extended to Tsurumi (Yokohama) via a 30-kilometer freight line called the "Musashino South Line".
* Keiyo Line (Nishi-Funabashi~Tokyo)
* Yokohama Line ("Hama-sen") (Hachioji~Higashi-Kanagawa)
** A handful of trips continue south to Yokohama and Ofuna via the Keihin-Tohoku Line and Negishi Line.
!!Private lines
* Keio Line (Shinjuku~Hachioji)
* Odakyu Odawara Line (Shinjuku~Odawara)
* Tokyu Toyoko Line (Shibuya~Yokohama)
* Tokyu Den-en-Toshi Line (Shibuya~Chuo-Rinkan)
* Seibu Ikebukuro Line (Ikebukuro~Hanno)
* Seibu Shinjuku Line (Shinjuku~Hon-Kawagoe)
* Tobu Tojo Line (Ikebukuro~Yorii)
** An important commuter line into Saitama Prefecture, connecting Ikebukuro with Itabashi-ku, Wako and Kawagoe.
* Keisei Main Line (Ueno~Narita)
** The main connection to Narita Airport.
* Keisei Narita Airport Line (Keisei-Takasago~Narita)
** Opened in 2010, this line uses abandoned right of ways from the scrapped Narita Shinkansen project from the 1970s.
** Trains can either continue onto the Keisei Main Line for Nippori and Ueno, or divert onto a branch line at Aoto for the Toei Asakusa Line, for onward service to Haneda Airport.
* Keikyu Main Line (Shinagawa~Uraga)
** At Keikyu-Kamata, the Keikyu Airport Line branches off to Haneda Airport.
** Most trips start at Sengakuji, which is directly connected to Shinagawa Station via the Toei Asakusa Line.
Here are some of the more notable overland heavy railway lines in the Tokyo area. Tokyo subways have [[UsefulNotes/TokyoSubways their own page.]]
!!The Big Four--JR trunk lines
* Tokaido Main Line
** The oldest and most important railway in Japan, built with British assistance and opened in 1872. The Tokaido Main Line connects Tokyo with Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe. It roughly parallels the old Tokaido road between Edo (Tokyo) and Kyoto; Tokaido (東海道) means "East Sea Route"--the "east sea" in this case being Sagami Bay, Suruga Bay and the Pacific Ocean, whose coasts the Tokaido road followed down to Nagoya.
** Interestingly, the Tokaido Main Line does not follow the old Tokaido road between Nagoya and Kyoto, instead diverting north and paralleling the southern shore of Lake Biwa.
** The line is jointly operated by three JR Group companies: JR East operates the segment between Tokyo and Atami, on the Izu Peninsula. JR Central operates the segment between Atami and Maibara, near the northeast shore of Lake Biwa. And JR West operates the last segment from Maibara to Kobe.
** Shinagawa (actually, it's located between Takanawa and Konan in Minato-ku, and not Shinagawa-ku--it's a long story) was one of the most important rest stops on the Tokaido, and has evolved into a major transportation, hotel, retail and business hub for Tokyo. A subway link connecting Shinagawa with Roppongi and Shibuya is in the works, but it won't be ready for the 2020 Olympics.
* Chuo Main Line
** The Chuo Main Line takes another route to Nagoya, this one being the Nakasendo, through the rugged, mountainous Japanese Alps of central Honshu. The eastern segment (operated by JR East) takes a more southerly pass through Yamanashi and Nagano Prefectures than the Nakasendo, which ran through Gunma Prefecture. However, the western segment (operated by JR Central--Shiojiri in Nagano Prefecture is the boundary between the two segments) through the Kiso Valley is more faithful to the Nakasendo route.
** There is no Shinkansen service on this route, owing to the mountainous terrain. Limited express services between Shinjuku and Matsumoto ("Azusa", "Super Azusa"), Shinjuku and Kofu ("Kaiji") and Nagano and Nagoya ("Shinano") are available. The Chuo Linear Shinkansen, the world's first maglev line, will open in 2027 between Tokyo and Nagoya, but will take a more southerly route to Kofu than the current Chuo Main Line.
** Local trains between Shiojiri and Nakatsugawa, the northern edge of the Nagoya urban area, run once every two hours.
* Sobu Main Line
** The Sobu Main Line gets its name from the old provinces it served: Shimosa/Kazusa (総), now part of Chiba Prefecture, and Musashi (武). It connects Tokyo with Choshi, the easternmost point of Japan on the Pacific coast. It serves famous Chiba towns like Sakura, Naruto and Asahi.
** Until the 1970s, the Sobu Main Line was a black sheep of Tokyo-area railways. Much of the line was still single-tracked and steam-powered, and there was no rapid service; the Keisei Main Line was the only rapid, electrified railway connecting Tokyo with Chiba Prefecture. Its westernmost terminus was Ryogoku, home of the famous sumo hall and Edo-Tokyo Museum. After the 1964 Olympics, the Five-Destination Operation (五方面作戦) finally led to electrification, double-tracking and rapid service to Tokyo Station, the last of which started in 1973.
* Tohoku Main Line
** The gateway to northern Japan, millions of poor farmers and workers rode the rails from the Tohoku region and Hokkaido along the Tohoku Main Line in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, arriving at Ueno Station in search of a better life in Tokyo.
** The Tohoku Main Line was originally a private railway, opened in 1883 between Ueno and Kumagaya along what is the Keihin-Tohoku Line today. This line was extended to Takasaki and Maebashi the next year, with the Kumagaya-Maebashi section laying the groundwork for today's Takasaki Line.
** The year after that, in 1885, a station at Omiya was opened, and a second branch line towards Utsunomiya was opened, with the ferry link across the Tone River replaced by a railway bridge in 1886. The Omiya-Utsunomiya branch corresponded to today's Utsunomiya Line and long-distance Tohoku Main Line.
** The line was gradually extended to Aomori by 1891, its northernmost point and the gateway to Hokkaido.
** After the Russo-Japanese War, the Meiji government nationalized key railway lines, including the Tohoku Main Line, in 1906. The Omiya-Takasaki portion of the Tohoku Main Line was renamed the Takasaki Line in 1909.
** In 1925, the Tohoku Main Line was extended south to the newly opened Tokyo Station at Marunouchi, east of the the Palace grounds. Although its official terminus was Tokyo Station, the Ueno-Tokyo portion of the Tohoku Main Line was mostly used for freight services.
** In 1929, a branch between Nippori and Akabane was opened, on the north side of the Tabata rail yards. A station was opened at Oku.
** The original Ueno-Omiya branch would eventually be through-routed with the Keihin Line (formerly known as the Tokaido Electric Line) to create the Keihin-Tohoku Line. Meanwhile, Tohoku Main Line services solely used the Nippori-Akabane branch via Oku.
** During Allied occupation, GHQ appropriated the Ueno-Tokyo portion to transport Allied troops up and down Japan. Services included the Allied Limited and Dixie Limited towards Kyushu, and Yankee Limited towards Hokkaido.
** After the Allies left Japan in 1952, the postwar Showa government continued to use the Ueno-Tokyo portion for passenger service.
** The new Keihin-Tohoku Line, which paralleled the Yamanote Line between Shinagawa and Tabata, was at-grade separated from the Yamanote Line in 1956.
** The Ueno-Tokyo portion was closed in 1973 to passenger service and 1983 to freight service, and later dismantled, to make way for the Tohoku Shinkansen's right of way. The new UsefulNotes/HighSpeedRail line reached Ueno on 14 March 1985, and Tokyo Station on 20 June 1991.
** Suburban services between Ueno and Kuroiso were renamed the "Utsunomiya Line" on 10 March 1990. The term "Tohoku Main Line" was reserved for long distance services to northern Japan, as well as commuter/medium-distance trains in the Kuroiso-Aomori corridor (Fukushima City, Sendai, etc.)
** The Tohoku Main Line was truncated from Aomori to Morioka when the Tohoku Shinkansen was extended to Shin-Aomori in 2002.
!!Urban/commuter JR East lines
* Yamanote Line (Tokyo~Ueno~Ikebukuro~Shinjuku~Shibuya~Shinagawa loop)
* Keihin-Tohoku Line (Omiya~Yokohama)
** Almost all trips continue south of Yokohama via the Negishi Line.
* Chuo Line (Rapid) (Tokyo~Takao)
* Sobu Line (Rapid) (Tokyo~Chiba)
** Through-routed with the Yokosuka Line.
* Chuo-Sobu Line (Mitaka~Chiba)
** Does not serve Tokyo Station, but routes via Ochanomizu, Akihabara, Asakusabashi, Ryogoku and Kinshicho.
* Joban Line (Rapid) (Ueno~Toride)
* Negishi Line (Yokohama~Ofuna)
* Saikyo Line (Osaki~Ikebukuro~Musashi-Urawa~Omiya)
** Parallels the Yamanote Line from Osaki to Ikebukuro via an unused freight line.
** Through routed from Osaki with the Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit Rinkai Line.
!!Outer-suburban JR East lines
* Tokaido Line (Tokyo~Atami)
** From 14 March 2015, most services on the Tokaido Line were through-routed onto the Utsunomiya and Takasaki Lines (see below)
* Utsunomiya Line (Ueno~Kuroiso)
* Takasaki Line (Ueno~Takasaki)
* Joban Line (medium distance) (for Tsuchiura, Mito and Iwaki)
* Yokosuka Line (Tokyo~Kurihama)
** Through-routed with the Sobu Line Rapid service.
* Ome Line (Tachikawa~Okutama)
** Some trips are through-routed at Tachikawa as Chuo Line Rapid services.
* Ueno-Tokyo Line
After the However, congestion on the Yamanote and Keihin-Tohoku Lines led to plans to restore the link. Construction of the 40 billion yen, 4-kilometer link began in May 2008, and the line opened on 14 March 2015.
** Services stop at Ueno, Tokyo, Shimbashi and Shinagawa.
** Trains on the Utsunomiya Line and Takasaki Line continue onto the Tokaido Line.
** Selected Rapid services on the Joban Line, and "Hitachi" and "Tokiwa" Limited Express services, continue to Shinagawa.
!!"Tokyo Mega Loop" JR East lines
* Nambu Line (Tachikawa~Kawasaki)
* Musashino Line (Fuchu-Hommachi~Nishi-Funabashi)
** Some trips are through-routed onto the Keiyo Line at Nishi-Funabashi.
** Some trips are extended to Tsurumi (Yokohama) via a 30-kilometer freight line called the "Musashino South Line".
* Keiyo Line (Nishi-Funabashi~Tokyo)
* Yokohama Line ("Hama-sen") (Hachioji~Higashi-Kanagawa)
** A handful of trips continue south to Yokohama and Ofuna via the Keihin-Tohoku Line and Negishi Line.
!!Private lines
* Keio Line (Shinjuku~Hachioji)
* Odakyu Odawara Line (Shinjuku~Odawara)
* Tokyu Toyoko Line (Shibuya~Yokohama)
* Tokyu Den-en-Toshi Line (Shibuya~Chuo-Rinkan)
* Seibu Ikebukuro Line (Ikebukuro~Hanno)
* Seibu Shinjuku Line (Shinjuku~Hon-Kawagoe)
* Tobu Tojo Line (Ikebukuro~Yorii)
** An important commuter line into Saitama Prefecture, connecting Ikebukuro with Itabashi-ku, Wako and Kawagoe.
* Keisei Main Line (Ueno~Narita)
** The main connection to Narita Airport.
* Keisei Narita Airport Line (Keisei-Takasago~Narita)
** Opened in 2010, this line uses abandoned right of ways from the scrapped Narita Shinkansen project from the 1970s.
** Trains can either continue onto the Keisei Main Line for Nippori and Ueno, or divert onto a branch line at Aoto for the Toei Asakusa Line, for onward service to Haneda Airport.
* Keikyu Main Line (Shinagawa~Uraga)
** At Keikyu-Kamata, the Keikyu Airport Line branches off to Haneda Airport.
** Most trips start at Sengakuji, which is directly connected to Shinagawa Station via the Toei Asakusa Line.
to:
Tokyo's train system is famous for being: ''(a)'' incredibly crowded, ''(b)'' incredibly efficient, and ''(c)'' incredibly complicated. Part of that complication stems from the fact that there's a whole swathe of private companies that all own their own railway systems. Even the UsefulNotes/TokyoSubways have two sets of lines owned by different companies (although they're part of the
'''Wait, how many companies?''' A lot. Japan denationalized its railway system in the 1980s (because they were losing money by building bullet trains in odd places). But even before then, there were a lot of
If you're in the very center of Tokyo, though, for the most
Here are some of
!!The Big Four--JR trunk lines
* Tokaido Main Line
**
'''The Yamanote Line?''' It's a JR line that works like a subway line[[note]] in fact, it's usually shown on subway maps, and the subway's PASMO card works on it as well, so even though it's not technically ''part'' of the subway, it may as well be.[[/note]], running in a 29-station loop around central Tokyo. It's elevated all the way around, meaning you can see it just walking down the street, and you can sit on a train and see all the big parts of Tokyo. It's also pretty distinctive with its lime-green signs, indicators, and trains, so you can spot a Yamanote Line train pretty easily.
And it stops at almost ''all'' the important
** Interestingly, the Tokaido Main Line does not follow the old Tokaido road between Nagoya and Kyoto, instead diverting north and paralleling the southern shore of Lake Biwa.
** The line is jointly operated by three JR Group companies: JR East operates the segment between
** Shinagawa (actually,
As such, it's
In fact, the line is an unofficial limiter for the other railway companies -- they'll only take you as far as the Yamanote Line, but they won't go inside it, instead stopping at one of the major termini. The main exception is the subways and the JR Chuo Line, which snakes its way right down the middle of the loop looking for all the world like a Yamanote Line train (but in yellow or orange rather than green). That is, until you factor in the through service.
'''Wait, "through service"?''' All right, this is part of what makes the Tokyo railway system so complicated:
The subways mostly operate only in the city center. But many of them,[[note]]Including the Rinkai Line, which isn't technically part of ''either'' subway system but is underground for its entire length -- until it wanders onto the JR Shonan-Shinjuku line. See how complicated it gets?[[/note]] once they reach the end of the line, will wander on to one of the commuter lines (JR or otherwise) and continue on those lines for a bit, providing direct service for the commuters. A few of these private railways ''only'' make sense when you think of them as extensions of a subway line. But these extra services are not
This can take subway trains ''really'' far out of town. It's entirely possible to accidentally fall asleep on a
'''Okay then. So how does it run?''' Remarkably well. But then, that's to be expected from the Japanese.
The subways started the trend of numbering all the stations -- each station has a letter-number indicator, the letter referring to the line and the number referring to the station's place in the sequence. Many of the private railways started doing this, too, but with two letters, the first one indicating which company, the second indicating the line, and the numbers indicating the sequence. This is how you get indicators like "JY-20" for Shibuya -- "J" is because it's a JR train, "Y" for the Yamanote line, and "20" for its sequence in the line, so you know it's after "JY-19" (for Harajuku, right under the Harajuku Shrine, another famous Tokyo tourist spot). It's very useful to have these if you can't read Japanese (except almost all the signs are written in English anyway, so it doesn't matter that much in the end).
The trains are incredibly punctual, to the point that if it's late, the railway company may give you a ''certificate'' to hand to your employer, in case [[BadBoss he refuses to believe]] that your train was really late. Although there's getting to be more and more automation, all trains still have a driver who's gone through a TrainingFromHell (which often includes knowing, to the decimal, the train's exact speed just from visual references -- ''i.e.'', ''without a speedometer'').
The people are also basically inoculated to the overcrowding, and in spite of the mass of people, they'll line up as best they can. Most of them kill time reading a newspaper (perhaps that's a reason why half of the top ten highest-circulating newspapers worldwide are Japanese). It helps that you can read them vertically.
'''But isn't it dangerous to be that crowded?''' Well, it's better than riding on top of the trains (the "Dhaka solution", as it were). But it does have its share of issues:
TheChikan is one of the more infamous characters of Tokyo's railway system -- basically, a guy who gropes women on a crowded train. Since you can't tell who it is in such a crowded train (and the Japanese don't like making a big deal about that sort of thing), they get away with it remarkably easily. The more sinister ones might take surreptitious pictures with their phones as well, including from underneath. It's gotten to the point where you can see rush-hour cars specially designated for women, just to keep them away from these guys.
Disruption on the system can be costly; if one thing breaks down, it can have a knock-on effect throughout the system. This might be one of the most
* Chuo Main Line
** The Chuo Main Line takes another route to Nagoya, this one being the Nakasendo, through the rugged, mountainous
'''But it's still the best way to get around?''' Oh, for sure -- do you want to risk getting stuck in ''traffic''? At least the trains are moving. In a city so crowded, it's not worth it to have a ton of cars on the road. And with the Olympics coming in 2020, the railways are working on even ''more'' ways to make things run smoother. The
** There is no Shinkansen service
** Local trains between Shiojiri and Nakatsugawa, the northern edge
* Sobu Main Line
** The Sobu Main Line gets its name from the old provinces it served: Shimosa/Kazusa (総), now part of Chiba Prefecture, and Musashi (武). It connects Tokyo with Choshi, the easternmost point of Japan on the Pacific coast. It serves famous Chiba towns like Sakura, Naruto and Asahi.
** Until the 1970s, the Sobu Main Line was a black sheep of Tokyo-area railways. Much of the line was still single-tracked and steam-powered, and there was no rapid service; the Keisei Main Line was the only rapid, electrified railway connecting Tokyo with Chiba Prefecture. Its westernmost terminus was Ryogoku, home of the famous sumo hall and Edo-Tokyo Museum. After the 1964 Olympics, the Five-Destination Operation (五方面作戦) finally led to electrification, double-tracking and rapid service to Tokyo Station, the last of which started in 1973.
* Tohoku Main Line
** The gateway to northern Japan, millions of poor farmers and workers rode the rails from the Tohoku region and Hokkaido along the Tohoku Main Line in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, arriving at Ueno Station in search of a better life in Tokyo.
** The Tohoku Main Line was originally a private railway, opened in 1883 between Ueno and Kumagaya along what is the Keihin-Tohoku Line today. This line was extended to Takasaki and Maebashi the next year, with the Kumagaya-Maebashi section laying the groundwork for today's Takasaki Line.
** The year after that, in 1885, a station at Omiya was opened, and a second branch line towards Utsunomiya was opened, with the ferry link across the Tone River replaced by a railway bridge in 1886. The Omiya-Utsunomiya branch corresponded to today's Utsunomiya Line and long-distance Tohoku Main Line.
** The line was gradually extended to Aomori by 1891, its northernmost point
** After
** In 1925, the Tohoku Main Line was extended south
** In 1929, a branch between Nippori and Akabane was opened, on the north
** The original Ueno-Omiya branch would eventually be through-routed with the Keihin Line (formerly known as the Tokaido Electric Line) to create the Keihin-Tohoku Line. Meanwhile, Tohoku Main Line services solely used the Nippori-Akabane branch via Oku.
** During Allied occupation, GHQ appropriated the Ueno-Tokyo portion to transport Allied troops up and down Japan. Services included the Allied Limited and Dixie Limited towards Kyushu, and Yankee Limited towards Hokkaido.
** After the Allies left Japan in 1952, the postwar Showa government continued to use the Ueno-Tokyo portion for passenger service.
** The new Keihin-Tohoku Line, which paralleled
** The Ueno-Tokyo portion was closed in 1973 to passenger service and 1983 to freight service, and later dismantled, to make way for the Tohoku Shinkansen's right of way. The new UsefulNotes/HighSpeedRail line reached Ueno on 14 March 1985, and Tokyo Station on 20 June 1991.
** Suburban services between Ueno and Kuroiso were renamed the "Utsunomiya Line" on 10 March 1990. The term "Tohoku Main Line" was reserved for long distance services to northern Japan, as well as commuter/medium-distance trains in the Kuroiso-Aomori corridor (Fukushima City, Sendai, etc.)
** The Tohoku Main Line was truncated from Aomori to Morioka when the Tohoku Shinkansen was extended to Shin-Aomori in 2002.
!!Urban/commuter JR East lines
* Yamanote Line (Tokyo~Ueno~Ikebukuro~Shinjuku~Shibuya~Shinagawa loop)
* Keihin-Tohoku Line (Omiya~Yokohama)
** Almost all trips continue south of Yokohama via the Negishi Line.
* Chuo Line (Rapid) (Tokyo~Takao)
* Sobu Line (Rapid) (Tokyo~Chiba)
** Through-routed with the Yokosuka Line.
* Chuo-Sobu Line (Mitaka~Chiba)
** Does not serve Tokyo Station, but routes via Ochanomizu, Akihabara, Asakusabashi, Ryogoku and Kinshicho.
* Joban Line (Rapid) (Ueno~Toride)
* Negishi Line (Yokohama~Ofuna)
* Saikyo Line (Osaki~Ikebukuro~Musashi-Urawa~Omiya)
** Parallels the Yamanote Line from Osaki to Ikebukuro via an unused freight line.
** Through routed from Osaki with the Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit Rinkai Line.
!!Outer-suburban JR East lines
* Tokaido Line (Tokyo~Atami)
** From 14 March 2015, most services on the Tokaido Line were through-routed onto the Utsunomiya and Takasaki Lines (see below)
* Utsunomiya Line (Ueno~Kuroiso)
* Takasaki Line (Ueno~Takasaki)
* Joban Line (medium distance) (for Tsuchiura, Mito and Iwaki)
* Yokosuka Line (Tokyo~Kurihama)
** Through-routed with the Sobu Line Rapid service.
* Ome Line (Tachikawa~Okutama)
** Some trips are through-routed at Tachikawa as Chuo Line Rapid services.
* Ueno-Tokyo Line
After the However, congestion on the Yamanote and Keihin-Tohoku Lines led to plans to restore the link. Construction of the 40 billion yen, 4-kilometer link began in May 2008, and the line opened on 14 March 2015.
** Services stop at Ueno, Tokyo, Shimbashi and Shinagawa.
** Trains on the Utsunomiya Line and Takasaki Line continue onto the Tokaido Line.
** Selected Rapid services on the Joban
!!"Tokyo Mega Loop" JR East lines
* Nambu Line (Tachikawa~Kawasaki)
* Musashino Line (Fuchu-Hommachi~Nishi-Funabashi)
** Some trips are through-routed onto the Keiyo Line at Nishi-Funabashi.
** Some trips are extended to Tsurumi (Yokohama) via
* Keiyo Line (Nishi-Funabashi~Tokyo)
* Yokohama Line ("Hama-sen") (Hachioji~Higashi-Kanagawa)
** A handful of trips continue south
!!Private lines
* Keio Line (Shinjuku~Hachioji)
* Odakyu Odawara Line (Shinjuku~Odawara)
* Tokyu Toyoko Line (Shibuya~Yokohama)
* Tokyu Den-en-Toshi Line (Shibuya~Chuo-Rinkan)
* Seibu Ikebukuro Line (Ikebukuro~Hanno)
* Seibu Shinjuku Line (Shinjuku~Hon-Kawagoe)
* Tobu Tojo Line (Ikebukuro~Yorii)
** An important commuter
* Keisei Main Line (Ueno~Narita)
** The main connection to Narita Airport.
* Keisei Narita Airport Line (Keisei-Takasago~Narita)
** Opened in 2010, this line uses abandoned right of ways from the scrapped Narita Shinkansen project from the 1970s.
** Trains can either continue onto the Keisei Main Line for Nippori and Ueno, or divert onto a branch line at Aoto for the Toei Asakusa Line, for onward service to Haneda Airport.
* Keikyu Main Line (Shinagawa~Uraga)
** At Keikyu-Kamata, the Keikyu Airport Line branches off to Haneda Airport.
** Most trips start at Sengakuji, which is directly connected to Shinagawa Station via the Toei Asakusa Line.
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English translation
Changed line(s) 1,2 (click to see context) from:
--> JR東日本をご利用くださいまして、ありがとうございます。この電車は、宇都宮線、普通、上野行きです。
to:
--> JR東日本をご利用くださいまして、ありがとうございます。この電車は、宇都宮線、普通、上野行きです。
JR東日本をご利用くださいまして、ありがとうございます。この電車は、宇都宮線、普通、上野行きです。[[note]]"Thank you very much for using JR East. This is an Utsunomiya Line local train bound for Ueno."[[/note]]
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Changed line(s) 34 (click to see context) from:
** The Ueno-Tokyo portion was closed in 1973 to passenger service and 1983 to freight service, and later dismantled, to make way for the Tohoku Shinkansen's right of way. The new HighSpeedRail line reached Ueno on 14 March 1985, and Tokyo Station on 20 June 1991.
to:
** The Ueno-Tokyo portion was closed in 1973 to passenger service and 1983 to freight service, and later dismantled, to make way for the Tohoku Shinkansen's right of way. The new HighSpeedRail UsefulNotes/HighSpeedRail line reached Ueno on 14 March 1985, and Tokyo Station on 20 June 1991.
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None
Changed line(s) 17 (click to see context) from:
** There is no Shinkansen service on this route, owing to the mountainous terrain. Limited express services between Shinjuku and Matsumoto ("Azusa", "Super Azusa"), Shinjuku and Kofu ("Kaiji") and Nagano and Nagoya ("Shinano") are available. The Chuo Linear Shinkansen, the world's first maglev high speed rail line, will open in 2027 between Tokyo and Nagoya, but will take a more southerly route to Kofu than the current Chuo Main Line.
to:
** There is no Shinkansen service on this route, owing to the mountainous terrain. Limited express services between Shinjuku and Matsumoto ("Azusa", "Super Azusa"), Shinjuku and Kofu ("Kaiji") and Nagano and Nagoya ("Shinano") are available. The Chuo Linear Shinkansen, the world's first maglev high speed rail line, will open in 2027 between Tokyo and Nagoya, but will take a more southerly route to Kofu than the current Chuo Main Line.
Changed line(s) 34 (click to see context) from:
** The Ueno-Tokyo portion was closed in 1973 to passenger service and 1983 to freight service, and later dismantled, to make way for the Tohoku Shinkansen's right of way. The new high speed rail line reached Ueno on 14 March 1985, and Tokyo Station on 20 June 1991.
to:
** The Ueno-Tokyo portion was closed in 1973 to passenger service and 1983 to freight service, and later dismantled, to make way for the Tohoku Shinkansen's right of way. The new high speed rail HighSpeedRail line reached Ueno on 14 March 1985, and Tokyo Station on 20 June 1991.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 5,6 (click to see context) from:
Here are some of the more notable overland heavy railway lines in the Tokyo area.
to:
Here are some of the more notable overland heavy railway lines in the Tokyo area.
area. Tokyo subways have [[UsefulNotes/TokyoSubways their own page.]]
!!The Big Four--JR trunk lines
* Tokaido Main Line
** The oldest and most important railway in Japan, built with British assistance and opened in 1872. The Tokaido Main Line connects Tokyo with Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe. It roughly parallels the old Tokaido road between Edo (Tokyo) and Kyoto; Tokaido (東海道) means "East Sea Route"--the "east sea" in this case being Sagami Bay, Suruga Bay and the Pacific Ocean, whose coasts the Tokaido road followed down to Nagoya.
** Interestingly, the Tokaido Main Line does not follow the old Tokaido road between Nagoya and Kyoto, instead diverting north and paralleling the southern shore of Lake Biwa.
** The line is jointly operated by three JR Group companies: JR East operates the segment between Tokyo and Atami, on the Izu Peninsula. JR Central operates the segment between Atami and Maibara, near the northeast shore of Lake Biwa. And JR West operates the last segment from Maibara to Kobe.
** Shinagawa (actually, it's located between Takanawa and Konan in Minato-ku, and not Shinagawa-ku--it's a long story) was one of the most important rest stops on the Tokaido, and has evolved into a major transportation, hotel, retail and business hub for Tokyo. A subway link connecting Shinagawa with Roppongi and Shibuya is in the works, but it won't be ready for the 2020 Olympics.
* Chuo Main Line
** The Chuo Main Line takes another route to Nagoya, this one being the Nakasendo, through the rugged, mountainous Japanese Alps of central Honshu. The eastern segment (operated by JR East) takes a more southerly pass through Yamanashi and Nagano Prefectures than the Nakasendo, which ran through Gunma Prefecture. However, the western segment (operated by JR Central--Shiojiri in Nagano Prefecture is the boundary between the two segments) through the Kiso Valley is more faithful to the Nakasendo route.
** There is no Shinkansen service on this route, owing to the mountainous terrain. Limited express services between Shinjuku and Matsumoto ("Azusa", "Super Azusa"), Shinjuku and Kofu ("Kaiji") and Nagano and Nagoya ("Shinano") are available. The Chuo Linear Shinkansen, the world's first maglev high speed rail line, will open in 2027 between Tokyo and Nagoya, but will take a more southerly route to Kofu than the current Chuo Main Line.
** Local trains between Shiojiri and Nakatsugawa, the northern edge of the Nagoya urban area, run once every two hours.
* Sobu Main Line
** The Sobu Main Line gets its name from the old provinces it served: Shimosa/Kazusa (総), now part of Chiba Prefecture, and Musashi (武). It connects Tokyo with Choshi, the easternmost point of Japan on the Pacific coast. It serves famous Chiba towns like Sakura, Naruto and Asahi.
** Until the 1970s, the Sobu Main Line was a black sheep of Tokyo-area railways. Much of the line was still single-tracked and steam-powered, and there was no rapid service; the Keisei Main Line was the only rapid, electrified railway connecting Tokyo with Chiba Prefecture. Its westernmost terminus was Ryogoku, home of the famous sumo hall and Edo-Tokyo Museum. After the 1964 Olympics, the Five-Destination Operation (五方面作戦) finally led to electrification, double-tracking and rapid service to Tokyo Station, the last of which started in 1973.
* Tohoku Main Line
** The gateway to northern Japan, millions of poor farmers and workers rode the rails from the Tohoku region and Hokkaido along the Tohoku Main Line in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, arriving at Ueno Station in search of a better life in Tokyo.
** The Tohoku Main Line was originally a private railway, opened in 1883 between Ueno and Kumagaya along what is the Keihin-Tohoku Line today. This line was extended to Takasaki and Maebashi the next year, with the Kumagaya-Maebashi section laying the groundwork for today's Takasaki Line.
** The year after that, in 1885, a station at Omiya was opened, and a second branch line towards Utsunomiya was opened, with the ferry link across the Tone River replaced by a railway bridge in 1886. The Omiya-Utsunomiya branch corresponded to today's Utsunomiya Line and long-distance Tohoku Main Line.
** The line was gradually extended to Aomori by 1891, its northernmost point and the gateway to Hokkaido.
** After the Russo-Japanese War, the Meiji government nationalized key railway lines, including the Tohoku Main Line, in 1906. The Omiya-Takasaki portion of the Tohoku Main Line was renamed the Takasaki Line in 1909.
** In 1925, the Tohoku Main Line was extended south to the newly opened Tokyo Station at Marunouchi, east of the the Palace grounds. Although its official terminus was Tokyo Station, the Ueno-Tokyo portion of the Tohoku Main Line was mostly used for freight services.
** In 1929, a branch between Nippori and Akabane was opened, on the north side of the Tabata rail yards. A station was opened at Oku.
** The original Ueno-Omiya branch would eventually be through-routed with the Keihin Line (formerly known as the Tokaido Electric Line) to create the Keihin-Tohoku Line. Meanwhile, Tohoku Main Line services solely used the Nippori-Akabane branch via Oku.
** During Allied occupation, GHQ appropriated the Ueno-Tokyo portion to transport Allied troops up and down Japan. Services included the Allied Limited and Dixie Limited towards Kyushu, and Yankee Limited towards Hokkaido.
** After the Allies left Japan in 1952, the postwar Showa government continued to use the Ueno-Tokyo portion for passenger service.
** The new Keihin-Tohoku Line, which paralleled the Yamanote Line between Shinagawa and Tabata, was at-grade separated from the Yamanote Line in 1956.
** The Ueno-Tokyo portion was closed in 1973 to passenger service and 1983 to freight service, and later dismantled, to make way for the Tohoku Shinkansen's right of way. The new high speed rail line reached Ueno on 14 March 1985, and Tokyo Station on 20 June 1991.
** Suburban services between Ueno and Kuroiso were renamed the "Utsunomiya Line" on 10 March 1990. The term "Tohoku Main Line" was reserved for long distance services to northern Japan, as well as commuter/medium-distance trains in the Kuroiso-Aomori corridor (Fukushima City, Sendai, etc.)
** The Tohoku Main Line was truncated from Aomori to Morioka when the Tohoku Shinkansen was extended to Shin-Aomori in 2002.
!!The Big Four--JR trunk lines
* Tokaido Main Line
** The oldest and most important railway in Japan, built with British assistance and opened in 1872. The Tokaido Main Line connects Tokyo with Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe. It roughly parallels the old Tokaido road between Edo (Tokyo) and Kyoto; Tokaido (東海道) means "East Sea Route"--the "east sea" in this case being Sagami Bay, Suruga Bay and the Pacific Ocean, whose coasts the Tokaido road followed down to Nagoya.
** Interestingly, the Tokaido Main Line does not follow the old Tokaido road between Nagoya and Kyoto, instead diverting north and paralleling the southern shore of Lake Biwa.
** The line is jointly operated by three JR Group companies: JR East operates the segment between Tokyo and Atami, on the Izu Peninsula. JR Central operates the segment between Atami and Maibara, near the northeast shore of Lake Biwa. And JR West operates the last segment from Maibara to Kobe.
** Shinagawa (actually, it's located between Takanawa and Konan in Minato-ku, and not Shinagawa-ku--it's a long story) was one of the most important rest stops on the Tokaido, and has evolved into a major transportation, hotel, retail and business hub for Tokyo. A subway link connecting Shinagawa with Roppongi and Shibuya is in the works, but it won't be ready for the 2020 Olympics.
* Chuo Main Line
** The Chuo Main Line takes another route to Nagoya, this one being the Nakasendo, through the rugged, mountainous Japanese Alps of central Honshu. The eastern segment (operated by JR East) takes a more southerly pass through Yamanashi and Nagano Prefectures than the Nakasendo, which ran through Gunma Prefecture. However, the western segment (operated by JR Central--Shiojiri in Nagano Prefecture is the boundary between the two segments) through the Kiso Valley is more faithful to the Nakasendo route.
** There is no Shinkansen service on this route, owing to the mountainous terrain. Limited express services between Shinjuku and Matsumoto ("Azusa", "Super Azusa"), Shinjuku and Kofu ("Kaiji") and Nagano and Nagoya ("Shinano") are available. The Chuo Linear Shinkansen, the world's first maglev high speed rail line, will open in 2027 between Tokyo and Nagoya, but will take a more southerly route to Kofu than the current Chuo Main Line.
** Local trains between Shiojiri and Nakatsugawa, the northern edge of the Nagoya urban area, run once every two hours.
* Sobu Main Line
** The Sobu Main Line gets its name from the old provinces it served: Shimosa/Kazusa (総), now part of Chiba Prefecture, and Musashi (武). It connects Tokyo with Choshi, the easternmost point of Japan on the Pacific coast. It serves famous Chiba towns like Sakura, Naruto and Asahi.
** Until the 1970s, the Sobu Main Line was a black sheep of Tokyo-area railways. Much of the line was still single-tracked and steam-powered, and there was no rapid service; the Keisei Main Line was the only rapid, electrified railway connecting Tokyo with Chiba Prefecture. Its westernmost terminus was Ryogoku, home of the famous sumo hall and Edo-Tokyo Museum. After the 1964 Olympics, the Five-Destination Operation (五方面作戦) finally led to electrification, double-tracking and rapid service to Tokyo Station, the last of which started in 1973.
* Tohoku Main Line
** The gateway to northern Japan, millions of poor farmers and workers rode the rails from the Tohoku region and Hokkaido along the Tohoku Main Line in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, arriving at Ueno Station in search of a better life in Tokyo.
** The Tohoku Main Line was originally a private railway, opened in 1883 between Ueno and Kumagaya along what is the Keihin-Tohoku Line today. This line was extended to Takasaki and Maebashi the next year, with the Kumagaya-Maebashi section laying the groundwork for today's Takasaki Line.
** The year after that, in 1885, a station at Omiya was opened, and a second branch line towards Utsunomiya was opened, with the ferry link across the Tone River replaced by a railway bridge in 1886. The Omiya-Utsunomiya branch corresponded to today's Utsunomiya Line and long-distance Tohoku Main Line.
** The line was gradually extended to Aomori by 1891, its northernmost point and the gateway to Hokkaido.
** After the Russo-Japanese War, the Meiji government nationalized key railway lines, including the Tohoku Main Line, in 1906. The Omiya-Takasaki portion of the Tohoku Main Line was renamed the Takasaki Line in 1909.
** In 1925, the Tohoku Main Line was extended south to the newly opened Tokyo Station at Marunouchi, east of the the Palace grounds. Although its official terminus was Tokyo Station, the Ueno-Tokyo portion of the Tohoku Main Line was mostly used for freight services.
** In 1929, a branch between Nippori and Akabane was opened, on the north side of the Tabata rail yards. A station was opened at Oku.
** The original Ueno-Omiya branch would eventually be through-routed with the Keihin Line (formerly known as the Tokaido Electric Line) to create the Keihin-Tohoku Line. Meanwhile, Tohoku Main Line services solely used the Nippori-Akabane branch via Oku.
** During Allied occupation, GHQ appropriated the Ueno-Tokyo portion to transport Allied troops up and down Japan. Services included the Allied Limited and Dixie Limited towards Kyushu, and Yankee Limited towards Hokkaido.
** After the Allies left Japan in 1952, the postwar Showa government continued to use the Ueno-Tokyo portion for passenger service.
** The new Keihin-Tohoku Line, which paralleled the Yamanote Line between Shinagawa and Tabata, was at-grade separated from the Yamanote Line in 1956.
** The Ueno-Tokyo portion was closed in 1973 to passenger service and 1983 to freight service, and later dismantled, to make way for the Tohoku Shinkansen's right of way. The new high speed rail line reached Ueno on 14 March 1985, and Tokyo Station on 20 June 1991.
** Suburban services between Ueno and Kuroiso were renamed the "Utsunomiya Line" on 10 March 1990. The term "Tohoku Main Line" was reserved for long distance services to northern Japan, as well as commuter/medium-distance trains in the Kuroiso-Aomori corridor (Fukushima City, Sendai, etc.)
** The Tohoku Main Line was truncated from Aomori to Morioka when the Tohoku Shinkansen was extended to Shin-Aomori in 2002.
Changed line(s) 35 (click to see context) from:
** The mainline connection between Ueno and Tokyo was dismantled in 1973 to make way for the Tohoku Shinkansen's right of way. However, congestion on the Yamanote and Keihin-Tohoku Lines led to plans to restore the link. Construction of the 40 billion yen, 4-kilometer link began in May 2008, and the line opened on 14 March 2015.
to:
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Changed line(s) 34 (click to see context) from:
to:
* Ueno-Tokyo Line
** The mainline connection between Ueno and Tokyo was dismantled in 1973 to make way for the Tohoku Shinkansen's right of way. However, congestion on the Yamanote and Keihin-Tohoku Lines led to plans to restore the link. Construction of the 40 billion yen, 4-kilometer link began in May 2008, and the line opened on 14 March 2015.
** Services stop at Ueno, Tokyo, Shimbashi and Shinagawa.
** Trains on the Utsunomiya Line and Takasaki Line continue onto the Tokaido Line.
** Selected Rapid services on the Joban Line, and "Hitachi" and "Tokiwa" Limited Express services, continue to Shinagawa.
** The mainline connection between Ueno and Tokyo was dismantled in 1973 to make way for the Tohoku Shinkansen's right of way. However, congestion on the Yamanote and Keihin-Tohoku Lines led to plans to restore the link. Construction of the 40 billion yen, 4-kilometer link began in May 2008, and the line opened on 14 March 2015.
** Services stop at Ueno, Tokyo, Shimbashi and Shinagawa.
** Trains on the Utsunomiya Line and Takasaki Line continue onto the Tokaido Line.
** Selected Rapid services on the Joban Line, and "Hitachi" and "Tokiwa" Limited Express services, continue to Shinagawa.
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Added DiffLines:
--> JR東日本をご利用くださいまして、ありがとうございます。この電車は、宇都宮線、普通、上野行きです。
Tokyo is a megacity of high-density urban centers and suburbs that were designed in a transit-centric fashion. This type of growth was by necessity--75% of Japan's land mass is mountainous and uninhabitable, leaving just under 100,000 sq. km. for 127 million people. By 1850, in the dying years of the Edo Shogunate, Edo City (the previous name of Tokyo) was the most densely populated urban area on Earth.
Here are some of the more notable overland heavy railway lines in the Tokyo area.
!!Urban/commuter JR East lines
* Yamanote Line (Tokyo~Ueno~Ikebukuro~Shinjuku~Shibuya~Shinagawa loop)
* Keihin-Tohoku Line (Omiya~Yokohama)
** Almost all trips continue south of Yokohama via the Negishi Line.
* Chuo Line (Rapid) (Tokyo~Takao)
* Sobu Line (Rapid) (Tokyo~Chiba)
** Through-routed with the Yokosuka Line.
* Chuo-Sobu Line (Mitaka~Chiba)
** Does not serve Tokyo Station, but routes via Ochanomizu, Akihabara, Asakusabashi, Ryogoku and Kinshicho.
* Joban Line (Rapid) (Ueno~Toride)
* Negishi Line (Yokohama~Ofuna)
* Saikyo Line (Osaki~Ikebukuro~Musashi-Urawa~Omiya)
** Parallels the Yamanote Line from Osaki to Ikebukuro via an unused freight line.
** Through routed from Osaki with the Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit Rinkai Line.
!!Outer-suburban JR East lines
* Tokaido Line (Tokyo~Atami)
** From 14 March 2015, most services on the Tokaido Line were through-routed onto the Utsunomiya and Takasaki Lines (see below)
* Utsunomiya Line (Ueno~Kuroiso)
* Takasaki Line (Ueno~Takasaki)
* Joban Line (medium distance) (for Tsuchiura, Mito and Iwaki)
* Yokosuka Line (Tokyo~Kurihama)
** Through-routed with the Sobu Line Rapid service.
* Ome Line (Tachikawa~Okutama)
** Some trips are through-routed at Tachikawa as Chuo Line Rapid services.
!!"Tokyo Mega Loop" JR East lines
* Nambu Line (Tachikawa~Kawasaki)
* Musashino Line (Fuchu-Hommachi~Nishi-Funabashi)
** Some trips are through-routed onto the Keiyo Line at Nishi-Funabashi.
** Some trips are extended to Tsurumi (Yokohama) via a 30-kilometer freight line called the "Musashino South Line".
* Keiyo Line (Nishi-Funabashi~Tokyo)
* Yokohama Line ("Hama-sen") (Hachioji~Higashi-Kanagawa)
**A handful of trips continue south to Yokohama and Ofuna via the Keihin-Tohoku Line and Negishi Line.
!!Private lines
* Keio Line (Shinjuku~Hachioji)
* Odakyu Odawara Line (Shinjuku~Odawara)
* Tokyu Toyoko Line (Shibuya~Yokohama)
* Tokyu Den-en-Toshi Line (Shibuya~Chuo-Rinkan)
* Seibu Ikebukuro Line (Ikebukuro~Hanno)
* Seibu Shinjuku Line (Shinjuku~Hon-Kawagoe)
* Tobu Tojo Line (Ikebukuro~Yorii)
** An important commuter line into Saitama Prefecture, connecting Ikebukuro with Itabashi-ku, Wako and Kawagoe.
* Keisei Main Line (Ueno~Narita)
** The main connection to Narita Airport.
* Keisei Narita Airport Line (Keisei-Takasago~Narita)
** Opened in 2010, this line uses abandoned right of ways from the scrapped Narita Shinkansen project from the 1970s.
** Trains can either continue onto the Keisei Main Line for Nippori and Ueno, or divert onto a branch line at Aoto for the Toei Asakusa Line, for onward service to Haneda Airport.
* Keikyu Main Line (Shinagawa~Uraga)
** At Keikyu-Kamata, the Keikyu Airport Line branches off to Haneda Airport.
** Most trips start at Sengakuji, which is directly connected to Shinagawa Station via the Toei Asakusa Line.
Tokyo is a megacity of high-density urban centers and suburbs that were designed in a transit-centric fashion. This type of growth was by necessity--75% of Japan's land mass is mountainous and uninhabitable, leaving just under 100,000 sq. km. for 127 million people. By 1850, in the dying years of the Edo Shogunate, Edo City (the previous name of Tokyo) was the most densely populated urban area on Earth.
Here are some of the more notable overland heavy railway lines in the Tokyo area.
!!Urban/commuter JR East lines
* Yamanote Line (Tokyo~Ueno~Ikebukuro~Shinjuku~Shibuya~Shinagawa loop)
* Keihin-Tohoku Line (Omiya~Yokohama)
** Almost all trips continue south of Yokohama via the Negishi Line.
* Chuo Line (Rapid) (Tokyo~Takao)
* Sobu Line (Rapid) (Tokyo~Chiba)
** Through-routed with the Yokosuka Line.
* Chuo-Sobu Line (Mitaka~Chiba)
** Does not serve Tokyo Station, but routes via Ochanomizu, Akihabara, Asakusabashi, Ryogoku and Kinshicho.
* Joban Line (Rapid) (Ueno~Toride)
* Negishi Line (Yokohama~Ofuna)
* Saikyo Line (Osaki~Ikebukuro~Musashi-Urawa~Omiya)
** Parallels the Yamanote Line from Osaki to Ikebukuro via an unused freight line.
** Through routed from Osaki with the Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit Rinkai Line.
!!Outer-suburban JR East lines
* Tokaido Line (Tokyo~Atami)
** From 14 March 2015, most services on the Tokaido Line were through-routed onto the Utsunomiya and Takasaki Lines (see below)
* Utsunomiya Line (Ueno~Kuroiso)
* Takasaki Line (Ueno~Takasaki)
* Joban Line (medium distance) (for Tsuchiura, Mito and Iwaki)
* Yokosuka Line (Tokyo~Kurihama)
** Through-routed with the Sobu Line Rapid service.
* Ome Line (Tachikawa~Okutama)
** Some trips are through-routed at Tachikawa as Chuo Line Rapid services.
!!"Tokyo Mega Loop" JR East lines
* Nambu Line (Tachikawa~Kawasaki)
* Musashino Line (Fuchu-Hommachi~Nishi-Funabashi)
** Some trips are through-routed onto the Keiyo Line at Nishi-Funabashi.
** Some trips are extended to Tsurumi (Yokohama) via a 30-kilometer freight line called the "Musashino South Line".
* Keiyo Line (Nishi-Funabashi~Tokyo)
* Yokohama Line ("Hama-sen") (Hachioji~Higashi-Kanagawa)
**A handful of trips continue south to Yokohama and Ofuna via the Keihin-Tohoku Line and Negishi Line.
!!Private lines
* Keio Line (Shinjuku~Hachioji)
* Odakyu Odawara Line (Shinjuku~Odawara)
* Tokyu Toyoko Line (Shibuya~Yokohama)
* Tokyu Den-en-Toshi Line (Shibuya~Chuo-Rinkan)
* Seibu Ikebukuro Line (Ikebukuro~Hanno)
* Seibu Shinjuku Line (Shinjuku~Hon-Kawagoe)
* Tobu Tojo Line (Ikebukuro~Yorii)
** An important commuter line into Saitama Prefecture, connecting Ikebukuro with Itabashi-ku, Wako and Kawagoe.
* Keisei Main Line (Ueno~Narita)
** The main connection to Narita Airport.
* Keisei Narita Airport Line (Keisei-Takasago~Narita)
** Opened in 2010, this line uses abandoned right of ways from the scrapped Narita Shinkansen project from the 1970s.
** Trains can either continue onto the Keisei Main Line for Nippori and Ueno, or divert onto a branch line at Aoto for the Toei Asakusa Line, for onward service to Haneda Airport.
* Keikyu Main Line (Shinagawa~Uraga)
** At Keikyu-Kamata, the Keikyu Airport Line branches off to Haneda Airport.
** Most trips start at Sengakuji, which is directly connected to Shinagawa Station via the Toei Asakusa Line.
