Hachikō Line

The Hachikō Line (八高線, Hachikō-sen) 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.

Hachikō Line
A KiHa 100 series near Takezawa Station, February 2017
Overview
Native name	八高線
Status	In operation
Owner	JR East
Locale	Tokyo Metropolis, Saitama Prefecture, Gunma Prefecture
Termini	Hachiōji Kuragano
Stations	23
Service
Type	Heavy rail
Operator(s)	JR East
Rolling stock	209-3100 series EMU, 209-3500 series EMU, E231-3000 series EMU, E233 series EMU, KiHa 110 series DMU
History
Opened	1931
Technical
Line length	92.0 km (57.2 mi)
Number of tracks	Single-track (Hachiōji - Kita-Fujioka) Double-track shared with Takasaki Line (Kita-Fujioka - Kuragano)
Character	Urban in some areas and rural in others
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	1,500 V DC overhead catenary (Hachiōji - Komagawa)
Operating speed	85 km/h (53 mph) (Hachiōji - Kita-Fujioka) 100 km/h (62 mph) (Kita-Fujioka - Kuragano)
Route map

Services

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. A few trains leave the Hachikō Line at Haijima Station, entering the Ōme Line and terminating at Tokyo 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

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

Station	Japanese	Distance (km)		Transfers	Track	Location
		Between stations	Total
Hachiōji	八王子	-	0.0	JC Chūō Line (Rapid) JH Yokohama Line Keiō Line (Keiō-Hachiōji)	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	JC Ōme Line (some through trains from this line go as far as Komagawa) JC Itsukaichi Line Seibu Haijima Line	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 (some trains through to Kawagoe)	|	Hidaka
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		o
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, Saitama
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 Ueno)	∥	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

• 209-3100 series 4-car EMUs x 2 (Kawagoe Line/Hachiko Line services since 17 April 2005)[1]
• 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)
• E233 series EMUs (Chuo Line (Rapid) through services between Komagawa and Haijima, since 17 March 2007)[2]
• KiHa 110 series DMUs (formed as 1- to 3-car trains for services north of Komagawa) (since 18 March 1993)[2]

From 2017, former E231-0 series ten-car sets based at Mitaka Depot for use on Chuo-Sobu 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.[3] The first set entered revenue service on the line on 19 February 2018.[4]

From 2018, former 209-500 series ten-car sets based at Mitaka Depot for use on Chuo-Sobu 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.[5]

• 
  209-3100 series
• 
  E231-3000 series
• 
  E233 series
• 
  KiHa 110 series

Rolling stock previously used

• KiHa 35 DMUs (until 15 March 1996)[2]
• 103-3000 series EMUs (from March 1985 until October 2005)[1]
• 103-3500 series EMU (from March 1996 until March 2005)[1]
• 201 series EMUs (Chuo Line (Rapid) through services between Komagawa and Haijima, until March 2008)
• 205-3000 series 4-car EMUs (Kawagoe Line/Hachiko Line services since 11 November 2003 until July 2018)[2]
• 209-3000 series 4-car EMUs x 4 (Kawagoe Line/Hachiko Line services from 16 March 1996 until February 2019)

• 
  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 103-3500 series EMU in June 2004
• 
  A Chuo Line 201 series on a Hachiko Line through service in August 2003
• 
  205-3000 series
• 
  209-3000 series

History

The first section of the line, named the Hachiko North Line (八高北線), opened from Kuragano to Kodama on 1 July 1931, followed by the section from Hachioji to Higashi-Hanno, named the Hachiko South Line (八高南線), on 10 December 1931.[2] 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.[2] 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.[2]

All passenger operations were switch from steam haulage to electric trains from 20 November 1958.[2]

CTC signalling was commissioned over the entire line from 27 February 1985.[2] 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.[2]

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.[2][6]

Former connecting lines

• 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.[7]

Accidents

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

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

References

1. 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. Japan: Tetsudō Journal. 39 (465): 106. July 2005.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.