Keiyo Line
Encyclopedia
The is a railway line connecting Tokyo
and Chiba
, Japan
, running mainly along the edge of Tokyo Bay
. It is operated by the East Japan Railway Company
(JR East).
It provides the main rail access to the Tokyo Disney Resort
and the Makuhari Messe
exhibition center. The terminus at Tōkyō 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, and . It is occasionally confused with the Keiō Line, a different railway line in western Tokyo.
. Passenger service began in 1986 between Nishi-Funabashi and Chiba-Minato, and was extended eastward to Soga and westward to Shin-Kiba in 1988.
The final segment of the Keiyō Line between Tōkyō and Shin-Kiba opened in 1990. 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
.
Planners originally envisioned the Keiyō 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 Tōkaidō 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 Keiyō Line, it is only used by passenger trains in charter service, usually carrying groups to the Tokyo Disney Resort
.
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
and Chiba
Chiba, Chiba
is the capital city of Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is located approximately 40 km east of the center of Tokyo on Tokyo Bay. Chiba City became a government designated city in 1992. Its population as of 2008 is approximately 960,000....
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, running mainly along the edge of Tokyo Bay
Tokyo Bay
is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...
. It is operated by the East Japan Railway Company
East Japan Railway Company
is the largest passenger railway company in the world and one of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo....
(JR East).
It provides the main rail access to the Tokyo Disney Resort
Tokyo Disney Resort
is a theme park and vacation resort located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, just east of Tokyo. It is owned and operated by the Oriental Land Company with a license from The Walt Disney Company. The resort opened on April 15, 1983, as a single theme park , but developed into a resort with two theme...
and the Makuhari Messe
Makuhari Messe
is a Japanese convention center outside Tokyo, located in the Mihama-ku ward of Chiba city, in the northwest corner of Chiba prefecture. Designed by Fumihiko Maki, it is easily accessible by Tokyo's commuter rail system. Makuhari is the name of the area, and Messe is a German word meaning "trade...
exhibition center. The terminus at Tōkyō Station
Tokyo Station
is a train station located in the Marunouchi business district of Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan, near the Imperial Palace grounds and the Ginza commercial district....
is located underground, some distance to the south of the main station complex approximately halfway to Yūrakuchō Station
Yurakucho Station
is a train station located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan.- History :The elevated JR station opened on June 25, 1910. The metro station opened on October 30, 1974.-Lines:Yūrakuchō is served by the following lines:*Tokyo Metro**Yūrakuchō Line...
. 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, and . It is occasionally confused with the Keiō Line, a different railway line in western Tokyo.
History
The Keiyō Line was initially planned as a freight-only line. Its first segment opened in 1975 as a link between the Chiba Freight Terminal Station (now the Mihama New Port Resort between Inage-Kaigan and Chiba-Minato Stations) and the JFE Steel factory near Soga StationSoga Station
is a train station located in Chūō-ku, Chiba and operated by the East Japan Railway Company and the Keiyō Rinkai Railway Company. It is the northern terminal station for the Uchibō Line and is 3.8 kilometers from the northern terminus of the Sotobō Line at Chiba Station...
. Passenger service began in 1986 between Nishi-Funabashi and Chiba-Minato, and was extended eastward to Soga and westward to Shin-Kiba in 1988.
The final segment of the Keiyō Line between Tōkyō and Shin-Kiba opened in 1990. The platforms at Tokyo Station were originally built to accommodate the Narita Shinkansen
Narita Shinkansen
The was a planned high-speed Shinkansen line proposed to connect Narita International Airport with Tokyo Station. The project was abandoned, although parts of the planned route are used by the Keisei Narita Airport Line ....
, a planned (but never built) high-speed rail line between central Tokyo and Narita International Airport
Narita International Airport
is an international airport serving the Greater Tokyo Area of Japan. It is located east of Tokyo Station and east-southeast of Narita Station in the city of Narita, and the adjacent town of Shibayama....
.
Planners originally envisioned the Keiyō Line interfacing with the Rinkai Line
Rinkai Line
The is a railway line located in Tokyo, Japan. It is the only line operated by the third-sector company Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit. It connects central Tokyo to the artificial islands of Aomi and Odaiba...
at Shin-Kiba, thus providing a through rail connection between Chiba and the Tokyo Freight Terminal in eastern Shinagawa
Shinagawa, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. In English, it is called Shinagawa City. The ward is home to nine embassies.As of 2008, the ward has an estimated population of 344,461 and a density of 15,740 persons per km². The total area is 22.72 km²....
, and also completing the outer loop for freight trains around Tokyo formed by the Musashino Line
Musashino Line
The is a railway line operated by the East Japan Railway Company . It links Tsurumi Station in Yokohama with Nishi-Funabashi Station in Chiba Prefecture, forming a 100.6 km unclosed loop around central Tokyo...
. This original plan would also allow through service with the Tōkaidō Main Line
Tokaido Main Line
The is the busiest trunk line of the Japan Railways Group , connecting Tōkyō and Kōbe stations. It is long, not counting its many freight feeder lines around the major cities...
, allowing freight trains from central and western Japan to reach Chiba and points east.
However, in the 1990s, as the artificial island of Odaiba
Odaiba
is a large artificial island in Tokyo Bay, Japan, across the Rainbow Bridge from central Tokyo. It was initially built for defensive purposes in the 1850s, dramatically expanded during the late 20th century as a seaport district, and has developed since the 1990s as a major commercial, residential...
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 Keiyō Line, it is only used by passenger trains in charter service, usually carrying groups to the Tokyo Disney Resort
Tokyo Disney Resort
is a theme park and vacation resort located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, just east of Tokyo. It is owned and operated by the Oriental Land Company with a license from The Walt Disney Company. The resort opened on April 15, 1983, as a single theme park , but developed into a resort with two theme...
.
Services
- Keiyō Line local trains stop at all stations between Tōkyō and Soga except Nishi-Funabashi.
- Keiyō Line rapid service trains stop at Tōkyō, Hatchōbori, Shin-Kiba, Maihama, Shin-Urayasu, Minami-Funabashi, Kaihin-Makuhari and all stops to Soga.
- Musashino Line local trains stop at Nishi-Funabashi, Minami-Funabashi, Shin-Narashino, and Kaihin-Makuhari.
- Musashino Line rapid service trains stop at all stations between Tōkyō and Nishi-Funabashi before continuing to the Musashino Line. trains stop at Tōkyō, Hatchōbori, Shin-Kiba, and Soga.
Station list
- All trains (except limited express services) stop at stations marked "●" and pass those marked "｜". Trains do not travel past those stations marked "∥".
- Musashino Line through services stop at stations marked "◆" on weekends and at stations marked "◆" and "○" during all-night services on New Year's EveNew Year's EveNew Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
. - For the WakashioWakashioThe is a limited express train service in Japan operated by East Japan Railway Company . It runs from to and in Chiba Prefecture.-Station stops:Wakashio services stop at the following stations...
and SazanamiSazanamiThe is a limited express train service in Japan operated by East Japan Railway Company . It runs between and via the Keiyō Line and Uchibō Line.Seasonal Shinjuku Sazanami services operate at certain weekends between Shinjuku and Tateyama....
limited express services, please see their respective articles.
| Station | Japanese | Distance (km) | Keiyō Line |
Musashino Line (thru) |
Transfers | Location | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Between Stations |
Total | Local | Rapid | Comm. Rapid |
Local | Rapid | |||||
| 東京 | - | 0.0 | ● | ● | ● | Musashino local trains enter the Musashino Line in lieu of this segment. | ● | Tōhoku Shinkansen Tohoku Shinkansen The is a Japanese high-speed Shinkansen rail line, connecting Tokyo with Aomori in Aomori Prefecture for a total length of 674 km, Japan's longest Shinkansen line. It runs through the more sparsely populated Tōhoku region of Japan's main island Honshu. It has two spur lines, Yamagata... , Jōetsu Shinkansen Joetsu Shinkansen The is a high-speed railway line connecting Tokyo and Niigata, Japan, via the Tōhoku Shinkansen, operated by the East Japan Railway Company .-History:The program was initiated in 1971 by Niigata-born prime minister Tanaka Kakuei... , Nagano Shinkansen Nagano Shinkansen The is a Shinkansen high-speed rail line operated by East Japan Railway Company between Takasaki and Nagano in Japan. It opened on 1 October 1997, connecting Tokyo and Nagano in time for the 1998 Winter Olympics held in Nagano... , Yamanote Line Yamanote Line The is commuter rail loop line in Tokyo, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company . It is one of Tokyo's busiest and most important lines, connecting most of Tokyo's major stations and urban centres, including the Yūrakuchō/Ginza area, Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Ikebukuro, with all but two of its... , Chūō Line Chuo Line Chūō Line can refer to several train lines in Japan:*Chūō Main Line between Tokyo and Nagoya**Chūō Line , rapid service on the Chūō Main Line in Tokyo**Chūō-Sōbu Line, local service on the Chūō Main Line in Tokyo*Chūō Line , a subway in Osaka... , Tōkaidō Line Tokaido Main Line The is the busiest trunk line of the Japan Railways Group , connecting Tōkyō and Kōbe stations. It is long, not counting its many freight feeder lines around the major cities... , Sōbu Line (Rapid) Sobu Line (Rapid) The is a railway service on the Sōbu Main Line in Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It connects in Chūō, Tokyo and in Chūō-ku, Chiba via the cities of Ichikawa, Funabashi, and Narashino... , Yokosuka Line Yokosuka Line The is a railway line in Japan operated by the East Japan Railway Company .The Yokosuka Line connects in Chūō, Tokyo and in Yokosuka, Kanagawa... , Keihin-Tōhoku Line Keihin-Tohoku Line The , is a railway line in Japan which connects the cities of Saitama, Kawaguchi, Tokyo, Kawasaki, and Yokohama. It is part of the East Japan Railway Company network. The line's name is derived from the characters for , and the... Tōkaidō Shinkansen Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line (M-17) |
Chiyoda Chiyoda, Tokyo is one of the 23 special wards in central Tokyo, Japan. In English, it is called Chiyoda ward. As of October 2007, the ward has an estimated population of 45,543 and a population density of 3,912 people per km², making it by far the least populated of the special wards... |
Tokyo Tokyo , ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family... |
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| 八丁堀 | 1.2 | 1.2 | ● | ● | ● | ● | Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line The is a metro line owned and operated by Tokyo Metro located in Tokyo, Japan. The line was named after the district of Hibiya, under which it passes.-Overview:The Hibiya Line runs between in Meguro and in Adachi... (H-11) |
Chūō Chuo, Tokyo is one of the 23 special wards that form the heart of Tokyo, Japan. The ward refers to itself as Chūō City in English.Its Japanese name literally means "Central Ward," and it is historically the main commercial center of Tokyo, although Shinjuku has risen to challenge it since the end of World War II... |
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| 越中島 | 1.6 | 2.8 | ● | ｜ | ｜ | ○ | Kōtō Koto, Tokyo is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 2008, the ward has an estimated population of 442,271 and a population density of 11,070 persons per km². The total area is 39.48 km². The ward refers to itself as Kōtō City in English.... |
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| 潮見 | 2.6 | 5.4 | ● | ｜ | ｜ | ○ | |||||
| 新木場 | 2.0 | 7.4 | ● | ● | ● | ● | Rinkai Line Rinkai Line The is a railway line located in Tokyo, Japan. It is the only line operated by the third-sector company Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit. It connects central Tokyo to the artificial islands of Aomi and Odaiba... Tokyo Metro Yūrakuchō Line Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line The is a subway line owned and operated by Tokyo Metro. The line connects Wakōshi Station in Wakō, Saitama and Shin-Kiba Station in Kōtō, Tokyo. On maps, diagrams and signboards, the line is shown using the color "gold" , and its stations are given numbers using the letter Y.The proper name as... (Y-24) |
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| 葛西臨海公園 | 3.2 | 10.6 | ● | ｜ | ｜ | ◆ | Edogawa Edogawa, Tokyo is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. It takes its name from the river that runs from north to south along the eastern edge of the ward. In English, it uses the name Edogawa City.... |
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| 舞浜 | 2.1 | 12.7 | ● | ● | ｜ | ● | Maihama Resort Line: Disney Resort Line Disney Resort Line The , officially called , is an automated monorail that links Maihama Station and Tokyo Disney Resort. The system is operated by , the subsidiary of Oriental Land Co., Ltd. that operates the resort.... |
Urayasu Urayasu, Chiba is a city located in the far western corner of northern Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of February 2011, the city had an estimated population of 164,822 and a population density of 9530 persons per km²... |
Chiba Chiba Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture... |
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| 新浦安 | 3.4 | 16.1 | ● | ● | ｜ | ● | |||||
| 市川塩浜 | 2.1 | 18.2 | ● | ｜ | ｜ | ● | Ichikawa Ichikawa, Chiba is a city located in northwest Chiba, Japan, approximately 20 kilometers from the center of Tokyo. The city was founded on November 3, 1934. As of January 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 474,586 and a density of 8,259.42 persons per km². The total area is 57.46 km²... |
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| 西船橋 | 5.9 | 24.1 | ∥ Keiyō trains between Tokyo and Soga do not pass through Nishi-Funabashi. |
∥ | ∥ | ● | ● | Musashino Line Musashino Line The is a railway line operated by the East Japan Railway Company . It links Tsurumi Station in Yokohama with Nishi-Funabashi Station in Chiba Prefecture, forming a 100.6 km unclosed loop around central Tokyo... (through service), Sōbu Line Chuo-Sobu Line The is a railway line located in Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Part of the East Japan Railway Company network, it runs on separate tracks along the right-of-way of the Chūō Main Line and Sōbu Main Line , providing service between Mitaka Station in the cities of Mitaka and Musashino and... Tokyo Metro Tōzai Line Tokyo Metro Tozai Line The is a rapid transit line owned and operated by Tokyo Metro located in Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Its name literally means East-West Line. The line runs between Nakano Station in Nakano, Tokyo and Nishi-Funabashi Station in Funabashi, Chiba... (T-23) Tōyō Rapid Railway Line Toyo Rapid Railway Line The is a commuter rail line owned by Tōyō Rapid Railway Co., Ltd., that runs between Nishi-Funabashi Station in Funabashi City, Chiba and Tōyō-Katsutadai Station in Yachiyo City, Chiba. The name means 東京 and 千葉 .... Keisei Main Line |
Funabashi Funabashi, Chiba is a city located in northwestern Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of February 2011, the city had an estimated population of 609,157 and a population density of 7110 persons per km². The total area was 85.64 km². It is the 7th most populous city in Greater Tokyo.... |
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| 二俣新町 | 4.4 | 22.6 | ● | ｜ | ｜ | ∥ Musashino rapid trains do not pass through Futamata-Shinmachi. |
Musashino rapid trains enter the Musashino Line in lieu of this segment. | Distance is from Ichikawa-Shiohama | Ichikawa | ||
| 南船橋 | 3.4 | 26.0 | ● | ● | ｜ | ● | Distance between Nishi-Funabashi and Minami-Funabashi is 5.4 km | Funabashi | |||
| 新習志野 | 2.3 | 28.3 | ● | ｜ | ｜ | ● | Narashino Narashino, Chiba is a city located in northern Chiba, Japan. As of February 2011, the city had an estimated population of 164,809 and a population density of 7850 persons per km². The total area was 20.99 km².-Geography:... |
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| 海浜幕張 | 3.4 | 31.7 | ● | ● | ｜ | ● | Mihama-ku, Chiba Mihama-ku, Chiba is one of the six wards of the city of Chiba in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of 2011, the ward had an estimated population of 150,382 and a population density of 7,110 persons per km². The total area was 21.16 km².-Geography:... |
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| 検見川浜 | 2.0 | 33.7 | ● | ● | ｜ | ||||||
| 稲毛海岸 | 1.6 | 35.3 | ● | ● | ｜ | ||||||
| 千葉みなと | 3.7 | 39.0 | ● | ● | ｜ | Chiba Urban Monorail: Line 1 | Chūō-ku, Chiba Chuo-ku, Chiba is one of the six wards of the city of Chiba in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, and is the seat of the city government, and the location of the prefectural government offices for Chiba Prefecture. It is also the commercial center of Chiba. As of 2011, the ward had an estimated population of 199,650 and a... |
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| 蘇我 | 4.0 | 43.0 | ● | ● | ● | Uchibō Line, Sotobō Line (some through services to each)Some local and Keiyō rapid, and all Commuter Rapid trains, run through to the Uchibō Line (mainly to or ) or the Sotobō Line (mainly , , and via the Tōgane Line to ). | |||||
Rolling stock
All Keiyō Line rolling stock is based at the Keiyō Rolling Stock Center near Shin-Narashino StationShin-Narashino Station
is a train station in Narashino, Chiba Prefecture, Japan.- Adjacent stations :...
Rolling stock currently used
- 205 series205 seriesThe is a commuter electric multiple unit train type introduced in 1985 by Japanese National Railways , and currently operated by East Japan Railway Company and West Japan Railway Company .- Lines on which 205 series trains operate :...
10-car EMUs (magenta stripe) (from March 1990) - 209-500 series209 seriesThe is a commuter electric multiple unit type operated by East Japan Railway Company in the Tokyo area of Japan since 1993.The series was introduced in 1993 to replace the aging 103 series stock on the Keihin-Tōhoku and Negishi lines...
10-car EMUs (magenta stripe) (from October 2008) - E331 seriesE331 seriesThe is an electric multiple unit train used for commuter services operated by East Japan Railway Company . Only one trainset has been built, and it differs significantly from other JR commuter EMUs in having articulated cars with shared bogies and using direct-drive motors.-Formation:The lone set...
14-car EMU (x1) (magenta stripe) (from March 2007) - E233 seriesE233 seriesThe is a commuter and suburban electric multiple unit type developed by East Japan Railway Company from the earlier E231 series and the E531 series design...
10-car EMUs (magenta stripe) (from summer 2010)
Rolling stock used in the past
- 103 series103 seriesThe is a commuter electric multiple unit type introduced in 1964 by Japanese National Railways , and currently operated by West Japan Railway Company and Kyushu Railway Company . They were also operated by East Japan Railway Company and Central Japan Railway Company .-Prototype:Built in 1963...
4/6/10-car EMUs (sky blue livery) (from 1986 until November 2005) - 165 series165 seriesThe was an express electric multiple unit train type introduced in 1963 by Japanese National Railways .-History:In the early 1960s, the Chūō Main Line and Shinetsu Line were electrified, requiring new EMUs for express services...
3-car EMU (x1) "Shuttle Maihama" (from 1990 until 1995) - 201 series201 seriesThe is a commuter electric multiple unit train type introduced in 1979 by Japanese National Railways , and currently operated by West Japan Railway Company , and formerly also operated by East Japan Railway Company ....
10-car EMUs (sky blue livery) (from August 2000 until 20 June 2011)
External links
- Stations of the Keiyō Line (JR East)