The is a railway line in Japan operated by the

East Japan Railway Company The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and is the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are ...

(JR East). The line officially begins at

Nippori Station is a major railway interchange station in Arakawa, Tokyo, Japan. It is also adjacent to the Yanaka neighborhood of Taito district. Lines *East Japan Railway Company (JR East) ** Joban Line (Rapid) ** Keihin-Tohoku Line **Yamanote Line * Keise ...

Arakawa, Tokyo is a special ward located in Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. The ward takes its name from the river, the Arakawa, though the Arakawa River does not run through or touch the ward. Its neighbors are the wards of Adachi, Kita, Bunkyo, Taito and Sumi ...

before the line officially ends at

Iwanuma Station is a railway station in the city of Iwanuma, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). Lines Iwanuma Station is served by the Tōhoku Main Line, and is located 334.2 rail kilometers from the official starting ...

Iwanuma, Miyagi 270px, Iwanuma City Hall is a city located in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 43,946 in 18,062 households, and a population density of 730 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Iwanuma is at the co ...

. However, following the opening of the

Ueno–Tokyo Line The Ueno–Tokyo Line ( ja, 上野東京ライン, ), formerly known as the Tōhoku Through Line ( ja, 東北縦貫線, links=no, ) is a railway line in Tokyo, Japan, operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East), linking the Ueno Station ...

, Jōban Line train services originate at or ; likewise, Jōban Line trains continue past Iwanuma onto the

Tōhoku Main Line The Tōhoku Main Line ( ja, 東北本線, ) is a long railway line in Japan operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). The line starts from Tokyo Station in Chiyoda, Tokyo and passes through such cities as Saitama, Utsunomiya, Fuku ...

tracks to . The line approximately parallels the Pacific coasts of

Chiba Chiba may refer to: Places China * (), town in Jianli County, Jingzhou, Hubei Japan * Chiba (city), capital of Chiba Prefecture ** Chiba Station, a train station * Chiba Prefecture, a sub-national jurisdiction in the Greater Tokyo Area on ...

, Ibaraki, and

Fukushima Prefecture Fukushima Prefecture (; ja, 福島県, Fukushima-ken, ) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Fukushima Prefecture has a population of 1,810,286 () and has a geographic area of . Fukushima Prefecture borders Miya ...

s. The name "Jōban" is derived from the names of the former

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...

s of

Hitachi () is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate corporation headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is the parent company of the Hitachi Group (''Hitachi Gurūpu'') and had formed part of the Ni ...

( ja, 常陸, links=no), and Iwaki ( ja, 磐城, links=no), which are connected by the line to reach

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

. The section of the Jōban Line between and , which extends through the exclusion zone surrounding the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear meltdown, closed in the wake of the

2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami The occurred at 14:46 JST (05:46 UTC) on 11 March. The magnitude 9.0–9.1 (M) undersea megathrust earthquake had an epicenter in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region, and lasted approximately six minutes ...

and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. After some major repairs, the section reopened on 14 March 2020 after 9 years without service.

History

The Mito Railway opened the line in sections between 1889 and 1905. The dates of the individual section openings are given below. After the line was nationalised in 1906, a program of double-tracking commenced in 1910, with the section between Nippori and Yotsukura completed in 1925. The Hirono - Kido and Ono - Futaba sections were double-tracked in 1976. The first section electrified was Nippori - Matsudo (at 1,500 V DC) in 1936, and extended to Toride in 1949. The Toride - Kusano section was electrified at 20 kV AC between 1961 and 1963, and extended to Iwanuma in 1967. The

caused severe disruption to the line, with services to Iwaki ( from Nippori) re-established by 17 April, to Yotsukura (a further ) by 14 May, and to Hirono (another ) by 10 October 2011. Services on the Hirono - Tatsuta section returned on 1 June 2014. At the northern end, services on the isolated Haranomachi - Soma section were restored on 21 December 2011, with services from Iwanuma to Hamayoshida () restored on 16 March 2013. Services resumed on the Haranomachi - Odaka section on 12 July 2016 and the Hamayoshida - Soma section was rebuilt at a higher, tsunami-proof level, and reopened on 10 December 2016, re-establishing the connection to Sendai for stations north of Odaka. The line fully reopened on 14 March 2020.

Chronology

*16 January 1889: Mito Railway (Mito — Oyama) begins operation. *26 November 1890: Mito Railway Freight Line (Mito — Nakagawa) begins operation. *1 March 1892: Mito Railway becomes part of the Nippon Railway. *4 November 1895: Nippon Railway Tsuchiura Line (Tsuchiura — Tomobe) begins operation. *1 December 1895: Hatori Station opens. *25 December 1896: Tsuchiura Line (Tabata — Tsuchiura), Sumidagawa Line (Tabata — Sumidagawa) begin operation. *25 February 1897: Iwaki Line (Mito — Taira resent-day Iwaki begins operation. *17 May 1897: Tsuchiura Line Kameari Station opens. *29 August 1897: Iwaki Line (Taira — Kunohama) begins operation. *10 November 1897: Iwaki Line (Nakamura resent-day Sōma— Iwanuma) begins operation. *27 December 1897: Tsuchiura Line Kanamachi Station opens. *January 1898: Kitasenju — Sumidagawa connection opens. *1 April 1898: Ishigami Station opens. *3 April 1898: Iwaki Line (Haranomachi — Nakamura) begins operation. *11 May 1898: Iwaki Line (Odaka — Haranomachi) begins operation. *6 August 1898: Tsuchiura Line Mabashi Station opens. *23 August 1898: Iwaki Line (Kunohama — Odaka) begins operation, connecting Tabata and Iwanuma. Tsuchiura Line and Mito Line (Tomobe — Mito) and Iwaki Line are collectively renamed the Kaigan Line. *1 December 1898: Taka Station is renamed Iwaki-Ōta Station. *4 August 1900: Sanuki Station opens. *22 November 1904: Ōno Station opens. *1 April 1905: With the completion of the Mikawashima — Nippori connection, the present-day route is finished. Nippori and Mikawashima Stations open. Service from Ueno to Tabata and back is abolished. *1 November 1906: Nippon Railway is nationalized. *25 March 1909: Tatsuta Station opens. *12 October 1909: Kaigan Line split and renamed: Jōban Line (Nippori — Iwanuma) and Sumidagawa Line (Tabata — Sumidagawa). Jōban Line also handles freight services. *16 February 1910: Minami-Nakagō Station opens. *18 March 1910: Katsuta and Ogitsu Stations open. *1 May 1911: Kita-Kogane Station opens. *5 May 1911: Sumidagawa Line is merged into the Jōban Line. *1 June 1915: Yoshida Station is renamed Hamayoshida Station. *15 March 1921: Yonomori Station opens. *15 August 1922: Nittaki Station opens. *2 February 1925: Kōen-Shimo Station opens, but only operates during the ''

ume ''Prunus mume'' is an East Asian and Southeast Asian tree species classified in the ''Armeniaca'' section of the genus ''Prunus'' subgenus ''Prunus''. Its common names include Chinese plum, Japanese plum, and Japanese apricot. The flower, long ...

'' blossom-viewing season. *28 October 28, 1925: Nippori — Taira connection finished (joined with northern tracks in 1965). *11 December 1936: Nippori — Matsudo tracks are electrified. *1 October 1939: Shimomago Station is renamed Hitachi-Taga Station. *20 October 1939: Sukegawa Station is renamed Hitachi Station. *15 February 1944: Momouchi signal box is built between Namie and Odaka. *20 February 1944: Suetsugi signal box is built between Kunohama and Hirono. *1 June 1947: Suetsugi signal box becomes Suetsugi Station. *10 August 1948: Momouchi signal box becomes Momouchi Station. *10 May 1949: Shimoyama Station opens. *1 June 1949: Matsudo — Toride tracks are electrified. *6 July 1949: In what is known as the

Shimoyama incident The was the disappearance and death of Sadanori Shimoyama, the first president of Japanese National Railways, in Tokyo on 5 July 1949. Shimoyama disappeared on his way to work and his body was discovered on the Jōban Line in Adachi the next d ...

, JNR president at the time, Shimoyama Sadanori, is mysteriously found dead between Kita-Senju and Ayase Stations. *10 May 1950: Sekimoto Station is renamed Ōtsukō Station. *1 May 1952: Kita-Matsudo Station opens. *10 July 1952: Komagamine Station opens. *1 October 1953: Minami-Kashiwa Station opens. *20 December 1956: Tsuzura Station is renamed Uchigō Station. *1 April 1957: Ishigami Station is renamed Tōkai Station. *1 June 1958: Semi-express ''Tokiwa'' begins operation. *10 October 1958: The Limited express '' Hatsukari'' begins operation (Ueno — Aomori). It stops at Ueno, Mito, Taira, and Sendai Stations when it runs on the Jōban Line tracks. *1 October 1959: Nagatsuka Station is renamed Futaba Station. *1 October 1960: Kanayama signal box is built between Tatsuta and Tomioka. Ōkuma signal box is built between Watari and Iwanuma. *20 March 1961: Nakamura Station is renamed Sōma Station. *1 June 1961: Toride — Katsuta tracks are electrified. *3 May 1962: The Rail Crash occurs between Mikawashima and Minami-Senju when an Iwaki-bound passenger train crashes into the wreckage of a crash between an Ueno-bound passenger train and an Ueno-bound freight train. 160 people die and 296 are injured in the incident. *1 October 1962: Katsuta — Takahagi tracks are electrified. *1 May 1963: Takahagi — Taira tracks are electrified. *20 April 1963: Takahira signal box is built between Haranomachi and Kashima. *30 September 1963: Taira — Kusano tracks are electrified. *5 March 1966: ''Tokiwa'' semi-express becomes an express. *1 February 1967: Kōen-Shimo Station is renamed Kairakuen Station. *20 August 1967: With the electrification of the Kusano — Iwanuma tracks, the entire Jōban Line becomes electrified. *1 October 1968: '' Hatsukari'' express is rerouted to the

. *1 October 1969: Kairakuen Station becomes a temporary station. Seasonal ''Hitachi'' express begins operation. *10 April 1970: Freight line Kita-Kashiwa Station opens. *1 October 1970: ''

'' operates as a regular express. *20 April 1971: Construction of the Kita-Senju — Abiko Joban Local Line is finished and runs through service to the Eidan Subway Chiyoda Line (present-day

Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line The is a subway line owned and operated by Tokyo Metro in Tokyo, Japan. On average, the line carries 1,447,730 passengers daily (2017), the second highest of the Tokyo Metro network, behind the Tozai Line (1,642,378).203 series trains are introduced to run through service to the Chiyoda Line. *15 November 1982: Jōban Line Local Service extended from Abiko — Toride. *1 February 1984: Mito — Nakagawa freight line is closed. *14 March 1985: Bampaku-Chūō Station is temporarily opened (until September 16) for the Tsukuba Expo '85. The Uchigō-System-Ku is abolished. The ''Tokiwa'' express is discontinued. *1 April 1987: With the split of JNR, the Joban Line becomes part of

JR East The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and is the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are ...

. *2 August 1988: Ōkuma signal box becomes Ōkuma Station. *11 March 1989:

651 series The is an AC/ DC dual-voltage electric multiple unit (EMU) type operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) in Japan since March 1989. Trains originally operated as 7+4-car formations on '' Super Hitachi'' limited express services betwe ...

Super Hitachi is a limited express train service operated in Japan by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) on the Jōban Line between Shinagawa Station / Ueno Station in Tokyo and Sendai Station in Miyagi Prefecture. The '' Tokiwa'' service follows the same ...

'' limited-express EMUs enter service. *1 February 1993: Kanayama signal box is abolished. *10 February 1993: Takahira signal box is abolished. *3 December 1994: Taira Station is renamed Iwaki Station. *1 December 1995: E501 series begins service between Ueno and Tsuchiura. *1 October 1997: E653 series ''

Fresh Hitachi is a limited express train service operated in Japan by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) on the Jōban Line between Shinagawa Station / Ueno Station in Tokyo and Sendai Station in Miyagi Prefecture. The '' Tokiwa'' service follows the same ...

'' limited-express EMUs enter service. *14 March 1998: Hitachino-Ushiku Station opens where Bampaku-Chūō Station used to stand. *7 December 1998: 485 series ''Hitachi'' limited-express EMUs are retired. *3 March 2002: New

E231 series The is an electric multiple unit (EMU) train type used for commuter and outer-suburban services operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) in Japan since 2000. Design Trains were manufactured by Tokyu Car Corporation, Kawasaki Heavy In ...

EMUs introduced on commuter services. *13 March 2004: Kawajiri Station is renamed Jūō Station. Regular trains begin making stops at Mikawashima and Minami-Senju Stations throughout the day. *16 October 2004: Medium-distance trains are called rapid trains for the section between Ueno and Toride. *9 July 2005: New

E531 series The is an electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) in Japan. It was introduced by JR East on 9 July 2005 to replace the aging 403 and 415 series EMUs running on the Jōban Line from Ueno Station ...

dual-voltage EMUs enter service on line. Special Rapid Service begins between Ueno — Tsuchiura. Commuter Rapid service from Ueno ends. One Commuter Rapid service still runs from Mito to Ueno. *17 March 2006: All Commuter Rapid Service ends. *15 May 2006: Women-only cars introduced on Joban Local Line trains :10 – 9:30 AM measured by the time the trains pass through Ayase stationfrom Toride running through to Yoyogi-Uehara on the

Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line The is a subway line owned and operated by Tokyo Metro in Tokyo, Japan. On average, the line carries 1,447,730 passengers daily (2017), the second highest of the Tokyo Metro network, behind the Tozai Line (1,642,378).E531 series The is an electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) in Japan. It was introduced by JR East on 9 July 2005 to replace the aging 403 and 415 series EMUs running on the Jōban Line from Ueno Station ...

EMUs running between Ueno and Takahagi. No Green car supplement is required until the start of the new timetable on 2007-03-18. *21 February 2007:

E501 series The is an AC (20 kV 50 Hz single-phase)/ DC (1,500 V) dual-voltage electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated on local services by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) in Japan since December 1995. Design Built jointly by Kawasaki Heavy ...

EMUs removed from Ueno – Tsuchiura services. *18 March 2007: Full Green car service commences on

EMUs running between Ueno and Takahagi;

EMUs reassigned to

Mito Line The is a railway line connecting Oyama Station in Tochigi Prefecture and Tomobe Station in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. The line is long and is owned and operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). Joban Line E501 series and E531 ...

and Jōban services north of Tsuchiura become 10-car or 5-car formations only *15 March 2008: Suica use extended to stations between Hitachi and Takahagi *14 March 2009: Suica use extended to Takahagi – Iwaki and Haranomachi – Yamashita sections *9 September 2009:

E233 series The is a commuter and suburban electric multiple unit (EMU) train type developed by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) from the earlier E231 series and the E531 series design. The first train was introduced in December 2006 for use on the C ...

10-car EMUs introduced on Chiyoda Line through services *11 March 2011: During the

, a 4-car train on the line was picked up off the tracks by the tsunami surge and overturned at Shinchi and Tomioka stations. All passengers from the train were evacuated before the tsunami came ashore. Tomioka was affected by the

Fukushima nuclear disaster The was a nuclear accident in 2011 at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Ōkuma, Fukushima, Japan. The proximate cause of the disaster was the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, which occurred on the afternoon of 11 March 2011 and ...

and was prohibited entrance without legal permission. *8 January 2014:

Thales Thales of Miletus ( ; grc-gre, Θαλῆς; ) was a Greek mathematician, astronomer, statesman, and pre-Socratic philosopher from Miletus in Ionia, Asia Minor. He was one of the Seven Sages of Greece. Many, most notably Aristotle, regarded him ...

is selected to design Japan's first

communications-based train control Communications-based train control (CBTC) is a railway signaling system that uses telecommunications between the train and track equipment for traffic management and infrastructure control. CBTC allows a train's position to be known more accurat ...

system (CBTC) on the line. * May 2014: Test-running commenced on the section of the line between and stations closed since the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, with the intention of resuming passenger services on this section from 1 June. * 1 June 2014: Train operations resumed between Hirono and Tatsuta. * 12 July 2016: Train operations were resumed between Odaka and Haranomachi stations in Minami-Soma, Fukushima Prefecture. * 20 August 2016:

Station numbering Station numbering is a sign system which assigns station codes consisting of a few letters and numbers to train stations. It aims to facilitate navigation for foreign travelers not familiar with the local language by using globally understood ch ...

introduced with Rapid services being assigned station numbers between JJ01 (Tokyo) and JJ24 (Toride). Station numbers were also assigned to local services between Ayase (JL19) and Toride (JL32). * 10 December 10, 2016: The reconstructed section between Soma and Hamayoshida reopened. * 1 April 2017: Train services from Odaka south to Namie resumed. * 21 October 2017: Train services resumed north from Tatsuta to Tomioka. * 14 March 2020: The section between Tomioka and Namie reopens 9 years after the

reconstruction, bringing the full line back to service. * 13 March 2021 (planned): Automatic train operation will be activated on the Jōban Line (Local) between Ayase and Toride using the STO (Semi-Automatic) standard. * 12 March 2022: The number of direct trains on the Ueno Tokyo Line and Joban Line during the day increases to three per hour. During the daytime hours, the direct train operation between Shinagawa / Ueno and Mito is separated at Tsuchiura Station. Along with this, trains in the direction of Ueno and Mito at Tsuchiura Station will be connected at the same platform. * 16 March 2022: Due to the 2022 Fukushima earthquake, a part of the platform was damaged at Nittaki Station in Soma City, and a part of the bridge between Kashima and Haranomachi in Minamisoma City was several tens of centimeters from the base. Confirmed damage such as misalignment. Hirono-Iwanuma will be suspended from driving. * 18 March 2022: Yamashita-Resumed operation between Iwanuma. * 21 March 2022: Resumed operation between Hirono-Tomioka and Shinchi-Yamashita . * 22 March 2022: Resumed operation between Tomioka and Haranomachi. * 24 March 2022: Haranomachi-Resumed operation between Shinchi and resumed operation on all lines.

Former connecting lines

* Tsuchiura Station: The Tsukura Railway opened a line to Iwase on the

in 1918. Freight services ceased in 1981, and the line closed in 1987. * Tsuchiura Station: A line to Ami, electrified at 600 VDC, was operated by the Southern Electric Railway Co. between 1926/28 and 1938. * Mito Station: The Mito Seashore Electric Railway Co. opened a line eventually extending between Kamimito and Nakaminato-Cho, electrified at 600 VDC, between 1922 and 1930. It closed in sections between 1953 and 1966. At Onuki station ( from Mito) on this line the Kashima Light Railway Co. operated a gauge line between 1926 and 1930 to Hokota (see Ishioka station entry below). * Mito Station: The Mito Electric Railway Co. operated an line to Okunotani (not electrified, despite the company name) between 1929 and 1936. * Ishioka Station: The Kashima Sangu Railway opened a line to Hokota between 1924 and 1929. Freight services ceased in 2002 and the line closed in 2007. * Akatsuka Station: A line to Gozenyama was opened by the Ibaraki Railway Co. in 1926/27. In 1944/45 the first of the line to Minami Hakamatsuka was electrified. The line closed in sections between 1965 and 1971. * Tokai Station: The Ibaraki Prefectural Government operated a gauge line to Muramutsu between 1926 and 1933. * Omika Station: An line to Johoku Ota (now Hitachi-Ota on the Suigun Line) was opened by the Johoku Electric Railway in 1928/29. In 1944 the company merged with the Hitachi Electric Railway, and a line to Akukawa was opened in 1947. Both lines were electrified at 600 V DC from opening. CTC signalling was commissioned in 1969, and in 1971 the lines became the first electric railway in Japan converted to a one-person operation. Both lines closed in 2005. * Izumi Station: The Onahama Horse tram opened a gauge line to its namesake town in 1907, and extended the line a further to Ena in 1916. The Onahama - Ena section closed in 1936, the company renamed itself the Onahama Port Railway in 1939, and converted the line to gauge in 1941. The

Ena Railway The was a rural railway line in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, which closed on 30 March 1968. It operated between Onahama-Sakaechō and Ena in Iwaki, Fukushima. The railway was operated by the Fukushima Rinkai Railway Main Line, Onahama Rinkō Railwa ...

rebuilt the Onahama - Ena section as in 1953. In 1965 a typhoon caused the collapse of a retaining wall, and the Onahama - Ena section formally closed in 1967. The passenger service on the Izumi - Onahama section ceased in 1972, the line is now freight-only operated by the Fukushima Rinkai Railway. * Yumoto station: The gauge Iwaki Coalmine Railway operated to Onahama between 1905 and 1944. * Yumoto station: A line to Nagahashi was operated by the Iwaki City Council between 1914 and 1929. * Uchigo station: The Furukawa Co. built a gauge line to the Kita-Yoshima coal mine in 1905. In 1908 the line was rebuilt to gauge and shortened by . The mine and line closed in 1969. * Iwaki station: The Yoshima and Akai local railways connected here, details of these lines are not currently available.

Basic data

*Operators, distances: **

(JR East) (Services and tracks) ***Nippori – Haranomachi – Iwanuma: ***Mikawashima – Sumidagawa – Minami-Senju (Sumidagawa freight branch): ***Mikawashima – Tabata (Tabata freight branch): **

Japan Freight Railway Company , or , is one of the seven constituent companies of Japan Railways Group (JR Group). It provides transportation of cargo nationwide throughout Japan. Its headquarters are in Shibuya, Tokyo near Shinjuku Station. The Japan Railways Group was foun ...

(JR Freight) (Services) ***Mikawashima – Haranomachi – Iwanuma: ***Mikawashima – Sumidagawa – Minami-Senju (Sumidagawa freight branch): ***Mikawashima – Tabata (Tabata freight branch): *Double/quadruple tracking: **Quadruple: Ayase – Toride **Double: Nippori – Ayase, Toride – Yotsukura, Hirono – Kido, Ōno – Futaba *

Electrification Electrification is the process of powering by electricity and, in many contexts, the introduction of such power by changing over from an earlier power source. The broad meaning of the term, such as in the history of technology, economic histor ...

: **1,500 V DC: Nippori – Toride, Mikawashima – Sumidagawa – Minami-Senju, Mikawashima – Tabata **20 kV AC, 50 Hz: Fujishiro – Iwanuma. This section of the line, along with a nearby section of the

Tsukuba Express The , or TX, is a Japanese railway line operated by the third-sector company Metropolitan Intercity Railway Company, which links Akihabara Station in Chiyoda, Tokyo and Tsukuba Station in Tsukuba, Ibaraki. The route was inaugurated on 24 Aug ...

Ibaraki Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Ibaraki Prefecture has a population of 2,871,199 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Ibaraki Prefecture borders Fukushima Prefecture to the north, ...

(Moriya – Tsukuba), uses alternating current in order to minimize interference with the nearby Kakioka Magnetic Observatory in

Ishioka 260px, Ishioka City Hall is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 72,351 in 28,291 households and a population density of 336 persons per km². The percentage of the population aged over 65 was ...

. **The dead section is located between Toride and Fujishiro *

Railway signalling Railway signalling (), also called railroad signaling (), is a system used to control the movement of railway traffic. Trains move on fixed rails, making them uniquely susceptible to collision. This susceptibility is exacerbated by the enormou ...

: **

Automatic Train Control Automatic train control (ATC) is a general class of train protection systems for railways that involves a speed control mechanism in response to external inputs. For example, a system could effect an emergency brake application if the driver do ...

(ATC): Ayase – Toride ** Automatic Signaling Block for all other sections *operation control **

ATOS Atos is a European multinational information technology (IT) service and consulting company headquartered in Bezons, France and offices worldwide. It specialises in hi-tech transactional services, unified communications, cloud, big data and ...

: Ueno – Hatori, local train track Ayase – Toride ** CTC: All other sections

Services

The Jōban Line connects Tokyo and the

Tōhoku region The , Northeast region, or consists of the northeastern portion of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. This traditional region consists of six prefectures (''ken''): Akita, Aomori, Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi, and Yamagata. Tōhoku retains a ...

. After the opening of the

Tōhoku Shinkansen The is a Japanese high-speed Shinkansen rail line, connecting Tokyo with Aomori in Aomori Prefecture in a route length of , making it Japan's longest Shinkansen line. It runs through the more sparsely populated Tōhoku region of Japan's main ...

in 1982, the Jōban Line was split into two parts at Iwaki. South of Iwaki is mainly double track (Ayase - Toride is quad track), and north of Iwaki is predominantly single track. After the Fukushima disaster in 2011, the Jōban Line is further segmented in the Iwaki – Sendai section.

Shinagawa – Ueno – Iwaki

This entire section is served by a variety of services, which will be explained below by the sections where they operate in. Limited express trains operate across the entire section.

Shinagawa – Ueno – Toride

This section is mainly served by local, rapid, medium-distance train services serving the Greater Tokyo area. * Local (各駅停車): These local trains are commonly referred to as the Jōban Line (Local) 常磐線各駅停車. These local trains operate through services to the

Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line The is a subway line owned and operated by Tokyo Metro in Tokyo, Japan. On average, the line carries 1,447,730 passengers daily (2017), the second highest of the Tokyo Metro network, behind the Tozai Line (1,642,378).Odakyu Odawara Line , commonly known as Odakyū, is a major railway company based in Tokyo, Japan, best known for its ''Romancecar'' series of limited express trains from Tokyo to Odawara, Kanagawa, Odawara, Enoshima, Tama New Town, and Hakone, Kanagawa, Hakone. T ...

to/from . Trains usually originate/terminate at Abiko. At rush hours, trains originate/terminate at . Occasionally trains won't go too far, originating/terminating at or . * Rapid (快速): Rapid trains are commonly referred to as the Jōban Line (Rapid) 常磐線快速. These services run between the southern termini of or (via

) to the northern termini of Toride. Some trains go on to the Narita Line to via Abiko and are referred to as Jōban・Narita Line (常磐・成田線) trains. Rapid trains will skip some stations between and Abiko, that local services mentioned above would stop. ** Local (Medium distance) (普通) : The "local" here refers to medium distance trains that operate north beyond Toride and stop at all stations north of Toride. South of Toride, they operate as rapid services and are referred to as such. * Special rapid (特別快速) : Special Rapid trains operate between Shinagawa and , during non-rush hours at hourly intervals. These trains skip stations that even rapid trains would stop. This service is created to compete with the neighbouring railway line, the Tsukuba Express.

Shinagawa – Ueno – Mito – Katsuta

Trains that run beyond Toride are distinctly referred to as the Jōban Line (常磐線), without the term "Rapid". Trains that are called Jōban Line (Rapid) cannot go beyond Toride, as their rolling stock cannot be powered by alternating current, which is the type of electrification that the section uses. This section is mainly served by local trains. * Local (普通) : These trains stop at every station north of Toride. Hence the name "local". There are two types of local trains: **Medium distance : These medium distance trains, as mentioned above, operate from central Tokyo to the north of Toride and stop at all stations there. They terminate at various stations, namely Tsuchiura, and . *** Special rapid (特別快速) : Special Rapid trains stop at every station between Toride and Tsuchiura, so they're essentially the same as the medium distance trains, but become a different service once past south of Toride. ** Mito Line through service : These trains run through services to the

via

Tomobe Station is a passenger railway station located in the city of Kasama, Ibaraki, Kasama, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). The station is also a freight depot for the Japan Freight Railway Company (JR Freight ...

, operating from to .

Mito – Iwaki

This section is mainly served by local trains. * Local (普通) : These trains stop at every station, operating between Mito and Takahagi / Iwaki **Medium distance / through service: In the early morning and late-night, few medium distance trains and Mito Line through trains operate to as far as , which is located about mid-way in this section.

Iwaki – Sendai

Before the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster and the

, local trains and limited express trains used to run across the entire section. However, due to the damages caused after the disaster, the section between Tomioka to Harunomachi had to be closed down, and services were suspended. After certain sections of the line were reconstructed, regular services were gradually allowed to resume.

Iwaki – Tomioka

This section is served by local service trains. This section was closed due to damage caused by the

, but it has since reopened. (explained below).

Tomioka – Namie

This section, which extends through the exclusion zone surrounding the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear meltdown, was suspended after the 2011 disaster. This section re-opened on 14 March 2020. Before this date, services were provided by an interim bus service.

Namie – Sendai

This section is served by local service trains, which serves the Greater Sendai area. The section was once partially closed due to the 2011 disaster, but has since reopened in stages. The reconstructed segment between and was reopened on 10 December 2016, prior to which services were provided by an interim bus service. JR East is currently inspecting the segment between and Odaka in preparation for the surrounding areas being cleared for re-settlement.http://www.jreast.co.jp/pdf/damage03.pdf Train services between Namie and Odaka resumed on 1 April 2017. Train services between Tatsuta and resumed on 21 October 2017.

Station list

*The above is a diagram indicating Jōban Line service patterns within Greater Tokyo. *For more information on limited express services (i.e.''

'' and ''

Tokiwa Tokiwa, usually written , , or , may refer to: Places *Tokiwa, Fukushima, a town in the north of Japan's main island *Tokiwa, Aomori, a village in the far north of Japan's main island Colleges and universities *Tokiwa Junior College, Mito, Ibaraki ...

''), see their respective pages.

Shinagawa – Ueno – Mito – Iwaki

; Legend * Trains stop at stations marked "●" and pass those marked "｜" * Few trains stop at stations marked "△" * Note: Trains going beyond Tsuchiura and listed as ‘15 cars’ on timetables will be reduced to a max to 10 cars past Tsuchiura station due to shorter platform lengths

Iwaki – Iwanuma – Sendai

Legend *Trains stop at stations marked "●" and pass those marked "｜" *Few trains stop at stations marked "△" *Stations marked "◇" are located on

passing loop A passing loop (UK usage) or passing siding (North America) (also called a crossing loop, crossing place, refuge loop or, colloquially, a hole) is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at or near a station, where trains or ...

s and allow trains in opposite directions to pass each other

Rolling stock

Local / Rapid service stock

Shinagawa – Ueno – Iwaki

* Jōban Line (Local) **

stock ***

E233-2000 series The is a commuter and suburban electric multiple unit (EMU) train type developed by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) from the earlier E231 series and the E531 series design. The first train was introduced in December 2006 for use on the Ch� ...

(x19) 10-car EMUs **

Tokyo Metro The is a major rapid transit system in Tokyo, Japan, operated by the Tokyo Metro Co. With an average daily ridership of 6.84 million passengers, the Tokyo Metro is the larger of the two subway operators in the city; the other being the Toe ...

stock *** Tokyo Metro 16000 series (x37) 10-car EMUs **

Odakyu , commonly known as Odakyū, is a major railway company based in Tokyo, Japan, best known for its '' Romancecar'' series of limited express trains from Tokyo to Odawara, Enoshima, Tama New Town, and Hakone. The Odakyu Electric Railway Company ...

stock *** Odakyu 4000 series * Jōban Line (Rapid) ** E231-0 series 10+5-car EMUs *Jōban Line **

10 and 5 car EMUs (Operates only between Tsuchiura and Kusano) **

10 and 5-car EMUs (can run as 15 car configuration as far as Tsuchiura station)

Iwaki – Sendai

701 series 7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube. As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has greatly symbolic associations in religion, mythology, ...

* 719 series *

* E721 series

Limited express stock

E657 series The is an AC/DC dual-voltage electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) in Japan on limited express services between in Tokyo and on the Joban Line since March 2012. The trains replaced the 6 ...

10-car EMUs (''

'' services) (from 17 March 2012)

Past

* Kiha 58 DMUs (Tokiwa and Okukuji rapid services) (through services to Suigun Line) (until March 1985) *

80 series The was an electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by Japanese National Railways (JNR) from 1950 until 1983. A total of 652 vehicles were built. Variants * 80-0 series * 80-100/200 series: Trains introduced from 1956 with increased se ...

EMUs (''Hitachi'' services) (from October 1969 until October 1972) * 401 series EMUs (cream with blue stripe) (from June 1961 until 1987) * 485 series EMUs (''

'' services) (from October 1972 until December 1998) *

103 series 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...

10+5-car EMUs (emerald green livery) (from December 1967 until March 2006) * 103-1000 series 10-car EMUs (

Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line The is a subway line owned and operated by Tokyo Metro in Tokyo, Japan. On average, the line carries 1,447,730 passengers daily (2017), the second highest of the Tokyo Metro network, behind the Tozai Line (1,642,378).403 series/ 415 series 7+4+4-car EMUs (cream with blue stripe) (from 1965 until March 2007) * 207–900 series 10-car EMU (x1) (

7+4-car EMUs (x9) (''

'' services) (from March 1989 until March 2015) * E653 series 7+4-car EMUs (''

'' services) (from October 1997 until March 2013) * 209–1000 series 10-car EMUs (from 1999 until 13 October 2018) File:JNR-485-Hitachi.jpg, A 485 series EMU on a ''Hitachi'' service, August 1998 File:Narita 103 at Narita 20030117.JPG, A Joban Line 103 series EMU, January 2003 File:JNR-415.JPG, A Joban Line 415 series EMU, July 2006 File:JNR-207-EMU.jpg, The sole 207-900 series EMU, May 2006 File:JRE 203.JPG, A 203 series EMU, July 2009 File:JRE 415 1500.JPG, A 415-1500 series EMU in September 2007 File:651 super hitachi.jpg, A 651 series EMU on a ''Super Hitachi'' service, July 2008 File:Jreast 653.jpg, An E653 series EMU on a ''Fresh Hitachi'' service, April 2003 File:209-1000 set 81 Matsudo Depot 20111123.jpg, A Joban Line 209–1000 series EMU, November 2011

References

External links

Stations of the Jōban Line
(JR East) {{DEFAULTSORT:Joban Line Jōban Line Lines of East Japan Railway Company Railway lines in Tokyo Railway lines in Chiba Prefecture Rail transport in Ibaraki Prefecture Rail transport in Fukushima Prefecture Rail transport in Miyagi Prefecture 1067 mm gauge railways in Japan Railway lines opened in 1889 Articles containing video clips 1889 establishments in Japan

History

Chronology

Former connecting lines

Basic data

Services

Shinagawa – Ueno – Iwaki

Shinagawa – Ueno – Toride

Shinagawa – Ueno – Mito – Katsuta

Mito – Iwaki

Iwaki – Sendai

Iwaki – Tomioka

Tomioka – Namie

Namie – Sendai

Station list

Shinagawa – Ueno – Mito – Iwaki

Iwaki – Iwanuma – Sendai

Rolling stock

Local / Rapid service stock

Shinagawa – Ueno – Iwaki

Iwaki – Sendai

Limited express stock

Past

See also

References

External links