The Tōkaidō Main Line (Japanese: 東海道本線, Hepburn: Tōkaidō-honsen) is a major Japanese railway line of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) network, connecting Tokyo and Kōbe stations. It is 589.5 km (366.3 mi) long, not counting its many freight feeder lines around the major cities. The high-speed Tōkaidō Shinkansen largely parallels the line.

Quick Facts Overview, Other name(s) ...

Tōkaidō Main Line
JT
Trains on the Tokaido Line. Clockwise from top left: JR East E233-3000 series JR Central 313-5000 series JR West 225-100 series JR Freight Class EF210
Overview
Other name(s)	Biwako Line (JR West:Maibara - Kyoto) JR Kyoto Line (JR West:Kyoto - Osaka) JR Kobe Line (JR-West:Osaka - Kobe)
Native name	東海道本線
Locale	Kantō, Tōkai, Kansai regions
Termini	Tokyo Kōbe
Stations	166 (passenger only)
Service
Type	Heavy rail
Operator(s)	JR East JR Central JR West JR Freight
History
Opened	October 14, 1872; 151 years ago (1872-10-14)
Technical
Track length	589.5 km (366.3 mi)
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	1,500 V DC overhead catenary
Operating speed	130 km/h (81 mph)

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The term "Tōkaidō Main Line" is largely a holdover from pre-Shinkansen days; now various portions of the line have different names which are officially used by JR East, JR Central, and JR West. Today, the only daily passenger train that travels the entire length of the line is the combined overnight-train Sunrise Izumo - Sunrise Seto. During the day longer intercity trips using the line require several transfers along the way.

The Tokaido Main Line is owned and operated by three JR companies:

• East Japan Railway Company (JR East) (Tokyo - Atami) Tōkaidō Line
• Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) (Atami - Maibara) Tōkaidō Line
• West Japan Railway Company (JR West) (Maibara - Kōbe) Biwako Line, JR Kyoto Line, JR Kobe Line

• Total distance: 713.6 km (443.4 mi) (including branch lines; Tokyo – Kōbe is 589.5 km (366.3 mi))
  • East Japan Railway Company (JR East) (Services and tracks)
    • Tokyo – Atami: 104.6 km (65.0 mi)
    • Shinagawa – Shin-Kawasaki – Tsurumi: 17.8 km (11.1 mi)
    • Hamamatsuchō – Tokyo Freight Terminal – Kawasaki Freight Terminal – Hama-Kawasaki: 20.6 km (12.8 mi) (Tōkaidō Freight Line)
    • Tsurumi – Hatchō-Nawate: 2.3 km (1.4 mi) (Tōkaidō Freight Line)
    • Tsurumi – Higashi-Takashima – Sakuragichō: 8.5 km (5.3 mi) (Takashima Line)
    • Tsurumi – Yokohama-Hazawa – Higashi-Totsuka: 16.0 km (9.9 mi) (Tōkaidō Freight Line)
  • Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) (Services and tracks)
    • Atami – Maibara: 341.3 km (212.1 mi) (3.3 km (2.1 mi) between Kanayama – Nagoya overlaps with Chuo Main Line)
    • Ōgaki – Mino-Akasaka: 5.0 km (3.1 mi) (Mino-Akasaka branch line)
    • Ōgaki – (Shin-Tarui) – Sekigahara: 13.8 km (8.6 mi) (Shin-Tarui Line)
  • West Japan Railway Company (JR West) (Services and tracks)
    • Maibara – Kōbe: 143.6 km (89.2 mi)
    • Kyōto Freight Terminal – Tambaguchi: 3.3 km (2.1 mi) (not in use by passenger trains)
    • Suita – (Miyahara Rail Yard) – Amagasaki: 10.7 km (6.6 mi) (Hoppō Freight Line)
    • Suita – Umeda – Fukushima: 8.5 km (5.3 mi) (Umeda Freight Line, used by Haruka and Kuroshio limited expresses)
  • Japan Freight Railway Company (JR Freight) (Tracks and services)
    • Sannō Signal – Nagoya-Minato: 6.2 km (3.9 mi) (Nagoya-Minato Line)
    • Suita Signal – Osaka Freight Terminal: 8.7 km (5.4 mi) (Osaka Terminal Line)
  • Japan Freight Railway Company (JR Freight) (Services only)
    • Shinagawa – Atami: 97.8 km (60.8 mi)
    • Shinagawa – Shin-Tsurumi Signal: 13.9 km (8.6 mi)
    • Tokyo Freight Terminal – Hama-Kawasaki: 12.9 km (8.0 mi)
    • Tsurumi – Yokohama-Hazawa – Higashi-Totsuka: 16.0 km (9.9 mi)
    • Tsurumi – Hatchō-Nawate: 2.3 km (1.4 mi)
    • Tsurumi – Shinkō – Sakuragichō: 11.2 km (7.0 mi)
    • Atami – Maibara: 341.3 km (212.1 mi)
    • Minami-Arao Signal – Sekigahara: 10.7 km (6.6 mi)
    • Minami-Arao Signal – Mino-Akasaka: 1.9 km (1.2 mi)
    • Maibara – Kōbe: 139.0 km (86.4 mi) (via Hoppō Freight Line)
    • Kyōto Freight Terminal – Tambaguchi: 3.3 km (2.1 mi)
    • Suita – Umeda – Fukushima: 8.5 km (5.3 mi)
• Gauge: 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) Narrow gauge railway
• Stations:
  • Passenger: 166 (does not include Shinagawa – Shin-Kawasaki – Tsurumi section or branches other than Mino-Akasaka branch line)
    • JR East: 34
    • JR Central: 82
    • JR West: 50
  • Freight only: 14
• Tracks:
  • Four or more
    • Tokyo – Odawara: 83.9 km (52.1 mi)
    • Nagoya – Inazawa: 11.1 km (6.9 mi)
    • Kusatsu – Kōbe: 98.1 km (61.0 mi)
  • Two
    • Odawara – Nagoya
    • Inazawa – Kusatsu
    • Shinagawa – Shin-Kawasaki – Tsurumi
    • Hamamatsuchō – Tokyo Freight Terminal – Kawasaki Freight Terminal – Hama-Kawasaki
    • Tsurumi – Hatchō-Nawate
    • Tsurumi – Higashi-Takashima
    • Tsurumi – Yokohama-Hazawa – Higashi-Totsuka
    • Suita – Umeda
    • Suita – (Miyahara Rail Yard) – Amagasaki
  • Single-track: All other sections
• Electrification: 1,500 V DC (except for Sannō Signal – Nagoya-Minato)
• Railway signalling: Automatic Train Control
• Maximum speed:
  • Tokyo – Ōfuna, Odawara – Toyohashi: 110 km/h (68 mph)
  • Ōfuna – Odawara, Toyohashi – Maibara: 120 km/h (75 mph)
  • Minami-Arao Signal – Tarui – Sekigahara, Minami-Arao Signal – Mino-Akasaka: 85 km/h (53 mph)
  • Maibara – Kōbe: 130 km/h (81 mph) (Special Rapid Shin-Kaisoku only, local trains max at 120 km/h or 75 mph)

In addition to standard local, rapid, and special rapid service trains, the Tōkaidō Main Line also hosts a number of limited express services.

This section needs additional citations for verification. (January 2015)

The Tōkaidō route takes its name from the ancient road connecting the Kansai region (Kyoto, Osaka) with the Kantō region (Tokyo, then Edo) through the Tōkai region (including Nagoya). Literally, it was the Tōkai road, or Road through Tōkai. The Tōkaidō Line does not follow the old road exactly, since the latter diverges at Nagoya toward the Mie Prefecture coastline; to follow it by train, the Kansai Main Line and Kusatsu Line would have to be followed from Nagoya to Kusatsu. The largest population centers in Japan are along this route - Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe. These centers have grown to occupy an ever more dominant role in the country's government, financial, manufacturing and cultural life.^[7]

Historically, one of the first priorities of Japanese railway planners was to build a line from Tokyo to the Kansai region, either following the Tokaido route or the northern Nakasendō route. This decision remained unresolved as regional needs were addressed. The first railway in Japan was the line from Shimbashi to Sakuragicho in Yokohama, which opened in 1872; another segment of today's Tokaido Main Line, between Kyoto and Kobe, opened in 1877.

In 1883, the government decided to use the Nakasendo route, and construction of several segments commenced (including the modern-day Takasaki Line). Railways were opened between Ogaki and Nagahama (1884) and between Nagoya and Kisogawa (1886) in line with the Nakasendo plan. However, by 1886, it was clear that the Tokaido route would be more practical, and so the Nakasendo plan was abandoned.

The lines between Kisogawa and Ogaki, Yokohama and Kozu, and Hamamatsu and Obu were completed in 1887, and the first line from Tokyo to Kobe was completed in 1889, when Kozu and Hamamatsu were connected through the present-day Gotemba Line corridor, and the final segments were completed between Kasumigahara and Otsu. At the time, there was one Tokyo-Kobe train in each direction per day, taking over 20 hours each way.

The "Tokaido Line" name was formally adopted in 1895. In October 1895, following the Sino-Japanese War, through service to the Sanyo Railway (now Sanyo Main Line) began. Express service between Tokyo and Kobe began in 1896, sleeper service in 1900, and dining car service in 1901.

In 1906, all privately run main lines were nationalized under the newly created Japanese Government Railways, which, at the time had a network of just over 7,000 km (4,300 mi). Automatic couplers were introduced on all freight wagons in 1926. In 1930, the first Tsubame ("swallow") express was introduced, reducing the Tokyo - Kobe travel-time to nine hours - a significant reduction from the twenty hours required in 1889 and fifteen in 1903.^[7]

Infrastructure improvements included the completion of double track on this route in 1913, and the opening of the 7.8 km (4.8 mi) long Tanna Tunnel, which shortened the route by omitting a detour round the mountains between Atami and Numazu. This was the last major change to the alignment of the route.

By the early 1950s the Tōkaidō Line had become the main transportation artery of Japan. Although it was only 3% of the railway system by length, it carried 24% of JNR's passenger traffic and 23% of its freight, and the rate of growth was higher than any other line in the country. By 1956 electrification was completed along the Tokyo-Osaka section and with the introduction of new Kodama trains, travel time was reduced to six and a half hours. The line became so popular that tickets regularly sold out within ten minutes of being put on sale, one month in advance of the travel date.^[7]

The capacity constraints on the Tokaido Main Line had been clear prior to World War II, and work started on a new 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge "bullet train" line in 1940. Intercity passenger traffic between Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka largely transferred to the Tōkaidō Shinkansen after it was completed in 1964. Since then, the Tokaido Main Line has been used as a commuter and freight line, serving a very small number of long-distance passenger trains (mainly overnight and sleeper services).

Following the Hanshin earthquake on 17 January 1995, the line was shut down between Takatsuki and Kobe, with certain segments remaining impassable until 1 April of that year.

On 20 August 2016, station numbering was introduced with stations between Tokyo and Osaki being assigned station numbers between JT01 and JT07.^[8][9] Numbers increase towards in the southbound direction towards Osaki. Station numbers would be assigned to stations beyond Osaki as far as Atami in 2018.

On the evening of 5 August 2023, a JR East Tokaido Line service struck a utility pole near Ofuna and lost power, resulting in a suspension of JR East Tokaido Line service.^[10] Four people, including the driver, sustained minor injuries. Service was restored on the morning of 6 August 2023.