Chūō-Sōbu Line
JB
An E231-500 series EMU on the Chuo-Sobu Line in August 2022
Overview
Native name中央・総武緩行線
StatusOperational
Owner JR East
LocaleTokyo, Chiba Prefecture
Termini
Stations39
Service
TypeCommuter rail
Depot(s)Mitaka
Rolling stockE231-0 series, E231-500 series, E231-800 series
Daily ridership2,359,390 (2015)[1]
History
Opened1932
Technical
Line length60.2 km (37.4 mi)
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification1,500 V DC overhead catenary
Route map

The Chūō-Sōbu Line (Japanese: 中央・総武緩行線, Hepburn: Chūō-Sōbu-kankō-sen) is a railway line that runs through Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Part of the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) network, the line operates on separate tracks along the right-of-way of the Chūō Main Line (Chūō Line (Rapid)) and Sōbu Main Line (Sōbu Line (Rapid)), providing service between Mitaka Station in the cities of Mitaka and Musashino and Chiba Station in Chiba.

The term Kankō (緩行, lit. "slow run") distinguishes local trains on the Chūō-Sōbu line from rapid service trains running on the Chūō Main Line between Mitaka and Ochanomizu and on the Sōbu Main Line between Kinshichō and Chiba.

Service patterns

Chūō-Sōbu Line

  • Regularly, trains terminate at Chiba or Tsudanuma at the east side, and terminate at Nakano or Mitaka at the west side
  • All trains stop at every station.

Tōzai Line through service

All through service trains enter the Tōzai Line at either Nakano, or Nishi-Funabashi. These trains operate within the following routes:

  • Mitaka – Nakano – (Tōzai Line) – Nishi-Funabashi – Tsudanuma (weekday mornings/evenings only)
  • Nakano – (Tōzai Line) – Nishi-Funabashi – Tsudanuma (weekday mornings/evenings only)
  • Mitaka – Nakano – (Tōzai Line) – Nishi-Funabashi
  • Mitaka – Nakano – (Tōzai Line) – Nishi-Funabashi – (Tōyō Rapid Railway Line) – Tōyō-Katsutadai

Limited express

Certain limited express and seasonal trains run through, or stop at stations on this line. For information on the Shinjuku Wakashio and the Shinjuku Sazanami that make stops on the Chūō-Sōbu Line at Akihabara, see their respective articles.

Former Early morning / Late night

At around 9 -10pm, a few westbound trains headed beyond Mitaka onto the Chūō Line (Rapid), with some terminating at Musashi-Koganei, and the others at Tachikawa. The other trains during the hour operated regularly.

At around 4 - 6am and 11pm - 1am, Chūō-Sōbu Line services were divided at Ochanomizu Station, into two sections.

  • At the western section (Mitaka – Ochanomizu), Chūō Line (Rapid) trains ran through the Chūō-Sōbu Line tracks between Nakano and Ochanomizu, with services serving between Tokyo and as far as Takao, or even Ōme, which stops at all stations.
  • At the eastern section (Ochanomizu – Chiba), local trains operated and terminated at the two ends of the section.

This service pattern last operated on 13 March 2020. To prepare for the eventual installation of platform doors on Chūō-Sōbu Line platforms and the future addition of Green Cars on the Rapid line, Chūō Line Rapid service trains no longer regularly operate on the Chūō-Sōbu Line tracks.[2]

Station list

Legend
  • ●: All trains stop
  • ■: Some trains pass
  • ▲: All trains pass on weekends and holidays
  • ｜: All trains pass
Official

Line name

 Station
No.		 Station Japanese Distance (km) Local Rapid Transfers Location
Between
stations		 Total Chūō-Sōbu

Line

 Tozai Line

through

 Chūō Line Sōbu Line
Sōbu Main Line JB39 Chiba 千葉 - From
Chiba
0.0		 From
Tokyo
39.2		 ● ↑
To Tokyo		 ●
Chūō-ku, Chiba Chiba
JB38 Nishi-Chiba 西千葉 1.4 1.4 37.8 ● ｜  
JB37 Inage 稲毛 1.9 3.3 35.9 ● ■   Inage-ku, Chiba
JB36 Shin-Kemigawa 新検見川 2.7 6.0 33.2 ● ｜   Hanamigawa-ku, Chiba
JB35 Makuhari 幕張 1.6 7.6 31.6 ● ｜ KS Keisei Chiba Line (Keisei Makuhari: KS53)
JB34 Makuharihongō 幕張本郷 2.0 9.6 29.6 ● ｜ KS Keisei Chiba Line (Keisei Makuharihongō: KS52)
JB33 Tsudanuma 津田沼 2.9 12.5 26.7 ● ● ■ SL Shin-Keisei Line (Shin-Tsudanuma: SL23) Narashino
JB32 Higashi-Funabashi 東船橋 1.7 14.2 25.0 ● ● ｜   Funabashi
JB31 Funabashi 船橋 1.8 16.0 23.2 ● ● ●
JB30 Nishi-Funabashi 西船橋 2.6 18.6 20.6 ● ● ｜
JB29 Shimōsa-Nakayama 下総中山 1.6 20.2 19.0 ● Through to

T Tokyo Metro

Tozai Line

 ｜  
JB28 Moto-Yawata 本八幡 1.6 21.8 17.4 ● ｜ S Toei Shinjuku Line (S-21) Ichikawa
JB27 Ichikawa 市川 2.0 23.8 15.4 ● ■
JB26 Koiwa 小岩 2.6 26.4 12.8 ● ｜   Edogawa Tokyo
JB25 Shin-Koiwa 新小岩 2.8 29.2 10.0 ● ■   Katsushika
JB24 Hirai 平井 1.8 31.0 8.2 ● ｜   Edogawa
JB23 Kameido 亀戸 1.9 32.9 6.3 ● ｜ TS Tōbu Kameido Line (TS44) Kōtō
JB22 Kinshichō 錦糸町 1.5 34.4 4.8 ● ●
Sumida
Sōbu Main Line Branch From
Kinshichō
0.0
JB21 Ryōgoku 両国 1.5 35.9 1.5 ● To Tokyo and

JO Yokosuka Line
↓

 E Toei Ōedo Line (E-12)
JB20 Asakusabashi 浅草橋 0.8 36.7 2.3 ● A Toei Asakusa Line (A-16) Taitō
AKBJB19
 Akihabara 秋葉原 1.1 37.8 3.4 ●
Chiyoda
JB18 Ochanomizu 御茶ノ水 0.9 38.7 4.3 ● ●
Chūō Main Line From
Tokyo
2.6
JB17 Suidōbashi 水道橋 0.8 39.5 3.4 ● ｜ I Toei Mita Line (I-11)
JB16 Iidabashi 飯田橋 1.1 40.6 4.5 ● ｜
JB15 Ichigaya 市ケ谷 1.3 41.9 5.8 ● ｜
  • Y Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line (Y-14)
  • N Tokyo Metro Namboku Line (N-09)
  • S Toei Shinjuku Line (S-04)
JB14 Yotsuya 四ツ谷 0.8 42.7 6.6 ● ●
Shinjuku
JB13 Shinanomachi 信濃町 1.3 44.0 7.9 ● ｜  
JB12 Sendagaya 千駄ケ谷 0.7 44.7 8.6 ● ｜ E Toei Ōedo Line (Kokuritsu-kyogijo: E-25) Shibuya
JB11 Yoyogi 代々木 1.0 45.7 9.6 ● ｜
Yamanote Line
SJKJB10
 Shinjuku 新宿 0.7 46.4 10.3 ● ●
Shinjuku
Chūō Main Line
JB09 Ōkubo 大久保 1.4 47.8 11.7 ● ｜  
JB08 Higashi-Nakano 東中野 1.1 48.9 12.8 ● ｜ E Toei Ōedo Line (E-31) Nakano
JB07 Nakano 中野 1.9 50.8 14.7 ● ● ■ T Tokyo Metro Tozai Line (T-01)
(some trains through to Mitaka)
JB06 Kōenji 高円寺 1.4 52.2 16.1 ● ● ▲   Suginami
JB05 Asagaya 阿佐ケ谷 1.2 53.4 17.3 ● ● ▲  
JB04 Ogikubo 荻窪 1.4 54.8 18.7 ● ● ■ M Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line (M-01)
JB03 Nishi-Ogikubo 西荻窪 1.9 56.7 20.6 ● ● ▲  
JB02 Kichijōji 吉祥寺 1.9 58.6 22.5 ● ● ■ Keiō Inokashira Line (IN17) Musashino
JB01 Mitaka 三鷹 1.6 60.2 24.1 ● ● ■ JC Chūō Line (JC12) Mitaka

Rolling stock

Chūō-Sōbu Line

Trains used on the line are based at Mitaka Depot.

Tozai Line - Toyo Rapid Line through service

Trains run between Mitaka and Tsudanuma (Chūō-Sōbu Line) or Toyo-Katsutadai (Toyo Rapid Line), all via the Tokyo Metro Tozai Line between Nakano and Nishi-Funabashi.

  • E231-800 series 10-car EMUs (light blue and blue stripe) (Does not run on the Toyo Rapid Line)

Former rolling stock

Chūō-Sōbu Line

Tozai Line - Toyo Rapid Line through service

  • 301 series 10-car EMUs (light blue stripe) (on Tozai Line inter-running services from 1966 until 2003)

Chūō Line (Early morning / Late night)

Timeline

101 series
103 series
201 series
205 series
209-500 series
209-950 / E231-900 series
E231-0 series
E231-500 series
301 series
103-1000, 103-1200 series
E231-800 series
TRTA/Tokyo Metro 5000 series
TRTA 8000 series
TRTA/Tokyo Metro 05 series
Tokyo Metro 07 series
Tokyo Metro 15000 series
│
1965
│
1970
│
1975
│
1980
│
1985
│
1990
│
1995
│
2000
│
2005
│
2010
│
2015
│
2020
Rolling stock transitions since 1965

History

Women-only cars, designed to prevent gropers, were introduced on this line during morning peak periods starting on 20 November 2006.

On 20 August 2016, station numbering was introduced to the Chuo-Sobu line with stations being assigned station numbers between JB01 and JB39.[6][7] Numbers increase towards in the eastbound direction towards Chiba.

References

  1. ↑ "平成27年 大都市交通センサス 首都圏報告書" (PDF). P.92. 国土交通省.
  2. ↑ "2020年3月ダイヤ改正について (Schedule changes for March 2020)" (PDF). 13 December 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 JR首都圏通勤電車図鑑. Japan Railfan Magazine. Vol. 48, no. 570. Koyusha Co., Ltd. October 2008. p. 27.
  4. ↑ 中央総武緩行線でE231系500番台が営業運転を開始 [E231-500 series enters revenue service on Chuo-Sobu Line]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 2 December 2014. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
  5. ↑ 特集 209系 第２章へ [209 series - The second chapter]. Japan Railfan Magazine. Vol. 49, no. 576. Koyusha Co., Ltd. April 2009. pp. 9–47.
  6. ↑ "⾸都圏エリアへ 「駅ナンバリング」を導⼊します" [Introduce “station numbering” to the Tokyo metropolitan area] (PDF). jreast.co.jp (in Japanese). 6 April 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  7. ↑ Kusamachi, Yoshikazu (7 April 2016). "JA・JK・JT・AKB…JR東日本、首都圏で駅ナンバリングなど導入へ" [JA, JK, JT, AKB … JR East to introduce station numbering in the Tokyo metropolitan area]. Response Automotive Media (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 6 August 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
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