Hachikō Line

Hachikō Line
A KiHa 110 series near Takezawa Station, February 2017
Overview
Native name八高線
StatusIn operation
Owner JR East
LocaleTokyo Metropolis, Saitama Prefecture, Gunma Prefecture
Termini
Stations23
Service
TypeHeavy rail
Operator(s)JR East
Rolling stock209-3500 series EMU, E231-3000 series EMU, KiHa 110 series DMU
History
Opened1931
Technical
Line length92.0 km (57.2 mi)
Number of tracksSingle-track (Hachiōji – Kita-Fujioka) Double-track shared with Takasaki Line (Kita-Fujioka – Kuragano)
CharacterUrban in some areas and rural in others
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification1,500 V DC overhead catenary (Hachiōji – Komagawa)
None (Komagawa – Kuragano)
Operating speed85 km/h (53 mph) (Hachiōji – Kita-Fujioka)
100 km/h (62 mph) (Kita-Fujioka – Kuragano)
Route map

The Hachikō Line is a 92.0 km (57.2 mi) regional railway line owned and operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It is located within Tokyo, Saitama, and Gunma Prefectures in Japan. It connects Hachiōji Station in Hachiōji, Tokyo with Kuragano Station in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture.

Services

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Komagawa Station in Hidaka, Saitama is the boundary point between two distinct sections. The southern section from Hachiōji to Komagawa is electrified at 1,500 V DC. Some trains terminate at Komagawa, while others continue over the Kawagoe Line to Kawagoe Station.

The non-electrified northern section connects Komagawa with Kuragano. All trains continue on the Takasaki Line to Takasaki, where transfer to the Jōetsu Shinkansen is available. There are no through services connecting the southern and northern halves of the line.

The Hachikō Line takes the first kanji of its name from the first character of Hachiōji (八王子) and the second kanji from the first character of Takasaki (高崎).

Stations

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  • All trains stop at every station.
  • Stations marked "o" or "^" allow passing; stations marked"|" do not. Stations marked "∥" are double-tracked.

Hachiōji - Komagawa

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Station Japanese Distance (km) Transfers  Track Location
Between
stations 		Total
Hachiōji 八王子 - 0.0
o Hachiōji Tokyo
Kita-Hachiōji 北八王子 3.1 3.1   o
Komiya 小宮 2.0 5.1   o
Haijima 拝島 4.8 9.9
o Akishima
Higashi-Fussa 東福生 2.8 12.7   o Fussa
Hakonegasaki 箱根ヶ崎 3.0 15.7   o Mizuho, Nishitama District
Kaneko 金子 4.8 20.5   o Iruma Saitama
Higashi-Hannō 東飯能 5.1 25.6 Seibu Ikebukuro Line o Hannō
Komagawa 高麗川 5.5 31.1 ■ Kawagoe Line (through to Kawagoe)
■ Hachikō Line (for Takasaki) 		o Hidaka

Komagawa - Takasaki

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Station Japanese Distance (km) Transfers  Track Location
Between
stations 		Total
Komagawa 高麗川 5.5 31.1 ■ Kawagoe Line
■ Hachikō Line (for Hachiōji) 		o Hidaka Saitama
Moro 毛呂 5.8 36.9   o Moroyama, Iruma District
Ogose 越生 2.7 39.6 Tobu Ogose Line | Ogose, Iruma District
Myōkaku 明覚 5.2 44.8   o Tokigawa, Hiki District
Ogawamachi 小川町 8.0 52.8 Tobu Tojo Line o Ogawa, Hiki District
Takezawa 竹沢 3.5 56.3   |
Orihara 折原 4.0 60.3   | Yorii, Ōsato District
Yorii 寄居 3.6 63.9 Tobu Tojo Line
■ Chichibu Main Line 		o
Yōdo 用土 4.5 68.4   |
Matsuhisa 松久 2.7 71.1   | Misato, Kodama District
Kodama 児玉 4.8 75.9   o Honjō
Tanshō 丹荘 4.1 80.0   o Kamikawa, Kodama District
Gunma-Fujioka 群馬藤岡 4.7 84.7   o Fujioka Gunma
Kita-Fujioka 北藤岡 3.7 88.4   ^
Kuragano 倉賀野 3.6 92.0 ■ Takasaki Line (for Tokyo) ∥ Takasaki
Through to Takasaki on the Takasaki Line
Takasaki 高崎 4.4 96.4 Joetsu Shinkansen
Hokuriku Shinkansen
■ Shinetsu Main Line
■ Joetsu Line
■ Ryōmō Line
■ Agatsuma Line
■ Jōshin Dentetsu Jōshin Line 		∥ Takasaki Gunma

Rolling stock

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  • 209-3500 series 4-car EMUs x 5 (Kawagoe Line/Hachiko Line services since 7 May 2018)
  • E231-3000 series 4-car EMUs x 6 (Kawagoe Line/Hachiko Line services since 19 February 2018)
  • KiHa 110 series DMUs (formed as 1- to 3-car trains for services north of Komagawa) (since 18 March 1993)[1]

From 2017, former E231-0 series ten-car sets based at Mitaka Depot for use on Chūō–Sōbu Line services were reformed and converted to become four-car E231-3000 series sets based at Kawagoe for use on Kawagoe Line and Hachiko Line services.[2] The first set entered revenue service on the line on 19 February 2018.[3]

From 2018, former 209-500 series ten-car sets based at Mitaka Depot for use on Chūō–Sōbu Line services were reformed and converted to become four-car 209-3500 series sets based at Kawagoe for use on Kawagoe Line and Hachiko Line services.[4]

Rolling stock previously used

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  • Hachiko Line KiHa 35 DMUs passing at Yorii Station in August 1992
    Hachiko Line KiHa 35 DMUs passing at Yorii Station in August 1992
  • A Hachiko Line 103-3000 series EMU in June 2004
    A Hachiko Line 103-3000 series EMU in June 2004
  • A Hachiko Line 103-3500 series EMU in June 2004
    A Hachiko Line 103-3500 series EMU in June 2004
  • A Chūō Line 201 series on a Hachiko Line through service in August 2003
    A Chūō Line 201 series on a Hachiko Line through service in August 2003
  • 205-3000 series
    205-3000 series
  • 209-3000 series
    209-3000 series
  • 209-3100 series
    209-3100 series
  • E233-0 series
    E233-0 series

History

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The first section of the line, named the Hachikō North Line (Japanese: 八高北線, Hepburn: Hachikō-kita-sen), opened from Kuragano to Kodama on 1 July 1931, followed by the section from Hachioji to Higashi-Hanno, named the Hachikō South Line (Japanese: 八高南線, Hepburn: Hachikō-minami-sen), on 10 December 1931.[1] The Hachiko North Line was extended southward from Kodama to Yorii on 25 January 1933, and the Hachiko South Line was extended northward from Higashi-Hanno to Ogose on 15 April 1933.[1] The Hachiko South Line was further extended northward from Ogose to Ogawamachi on 24 March 1934, and the last section between Ogawamachi and Yorii opened on 6 October 1934, connecting the north and south sections, and completing the entire line, which became known simply as the Hachiko Line.[1]

All passenger operations were switch from steam haulage to electric trains from 20 November 1958.[1]

CTC signalling was commissioned over the entire line from 27 February 1985.[1] On 1 April 1987, with the privatization and splitting of Japanese National Railways (JNR), the Hachiko Line was transferred to the ownership of JR East.[1]

From 16 March 1996, the Hachioji to Komagawa section was electrified at 1,500 V DC, and services on the non-electrified section north of Komagawa to and from Takasaki were operated separately as one-man driver only operation services using KiHa 110 series DMUs,[1][7] and the southern section began through service operations to the Kawagoe Line to Kawagoe Station. Also from the same date until 11 March 2022, some morning rush hour services left the Hachikō Line at Haijima Station and travel to Tokyo via the Ōme Line and Chūō Line; the reverse happened during the evening rush.

Starting 12 March 2022, the southern section from Hachiōji to Komagawa (and through services to the Kawagoe Line) began one-man driver only operation services using the existing 209-3500 and E231-3000 series EMUs.

Former connecting lines

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  • Komagawa station – A freight-only line serving the Nippon Cement works in Hidaka operated from 1963 until 1984, which also connected to Nishi-Oya on the Tobu Ogose Line.[8]

Accidents

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In 1945, a head-on collision at the Tamagawa bridge resulted in 105 fatalities.[citation needed]

The Hachiko Line derailment in 1947 is Japan's worst rail accident since World War II in terms of fatalities.

References

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hachikō Line.
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 埼玉のローカル線のんびり旅 [Saitama Rural Railway Line Leisurely Trips] (in Japanese). Japan: Mikishobou. 31 July 2013. p. 59. ISBN 978-4-906799-26-8.
  2. ^ E231系3000番台4両が配給輸送される [E231-3000 series 4-car set transferred]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 29 November 2017. Archived from the original on 29 November 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  3. ^ 八高線用の209系3500番台が試運転 [Hachiko Line 209-3500 series undergoes test-running]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 21 February 2018. Archived from the original on 21 February 2018. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  4. ^ 八高線用の209系3500番台が配給輸送される [Hachiko Line 209-3500 series transferred]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 19 January 2018. Archived from the original on 20 January 2018. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  5. ^ a b c 川越線に209系3100代を投入 103系を置換え [209-3100 series introduced on Kawagoe Line – Replacing 103 series]. Railway Journal. 39 (465). Japan: Tetsudō Journal: 106. July 2005.
  6. ^ Shibata, Togo (11 February 2022). "八高線も走った元りんかい線の電車 209系3100番台の生い立ちと70-000形の歴史を振り返る" [Looking back on the history of the 209-3100 series and Rinkai Line 70-000 series]. Traffic News (in Japanese). Japan: Mediavague Co., Ltd. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  7. ^ JR気動車客車編成表 '04年版 [JR DMU & Coaching Stock Formations – 2004]. Japan: JRR. 1 July 2004. p. 197. ISBN 4-88283-125-2.
  8. ^ Kawashima, Ryozo (February 2011). 日本の鉄道 中部ライン 全線・全駅・全配線 第１１巻 埼玉南部・東京多摩北部 [Railways of Japan – Chubu Line – Lines/Stations/Track plans – Vol 11 Southern Saitama and Northern Tama Tokyo]. Japan: Kodansha. p. 68. ISBN 978-4-06-270071-9.
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