The Narita Line (Japanese: 成田線, romanized: Narita-sen) is the name for a combination of three railway lines located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East).

Quick Facts Overview, Native name ...

Narita Line
An E231 series EMU on the Narita Line service in May 2021
Overview
Native name	成田線
Owner	JR East
Locale	Chiba Prefecture
Stations	16 (Main Line) 3 (Airport Branch) 10 (Abiko Branch)
Service
Type	Heavy rail
History
Opened	19 January 1897
Technical
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	1,500 V DC (overhead catenary)
Route map

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The main line connects Sakura Station and Matsugishi Station (as an alternate route to the Sōbu Main Line), and is sometimes referred to as the Samatsu Line (Japanese: 佐松線, romanized: Samatsu-sen). A branch line from Abiko Station to Narita Station is often called the Abiko Line (Japanese: 我孫子線, romanized: Abiko-sen), and a second branch, known as the Airport Line (Japanese: 空港線, romanized: Kūkō-sen) connects Narita to Narita Airport Terminal 1 Station. The first two lines are owned and operated by JR East; the Airport Line is owned by a separate company, Narita Airport Rapid Railway, which allows JR East and Keisei Railway to use the line for passenger services.

Local service

• E131 series EMUs (since 13 March 2021, on Kashima Line through services)
• 209-2000/2100 series EMUs

Abiko Branch Line, Jōban Line through service

• E231 series EMUs

Sōbu Line (Rapid) through service

• E217 series EMUs
• E235-1000 series EMUs

Narita Express

• E259 series EMUs

• A 209-2100 series EMU in March 2021
• An E231 series EMU in May 2021
• An E217 series EMU in March 2021
• An E235-1000 series EMU in June 2022
• An E257-500 series EMU in November 2006
• An E259 series EMU in May 2021

The Sakura - Narita - Namegawa section of the line was opened on 19 January 1897, by Sobu Railway, extended to Sawara the following year. The Narita to Abiko branch opened in 1901. The company was nationalised in 1920, and the Sawara to Matsugishi section opened between 1931 and 1933.^{[citation needed]}

The Sakura to Narita section was electrified (at 1,500 V DC overhead) in 1968.^{[citation needed]} The Abiko branch was electrified from 1 October 1973.^[2] The Narita to Matsugishi section was electrified in 1974, and freight services ceased between 1984 and 1986.^{[citation needed]}

The Sakura to Narita section was double-tracked in 1986, and the Airport branch opened in 1991 as an electrified, CTC-signalled line.^{[citation needed]}

In the early hours of 10 March 2011, a day before 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami occurred, a freight train carrying ethylene oxide derailed and overturned on the Narita Line near Namegawa Station.^[3]