The is a limited express train service in Japan operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It runs from to and on the

Bōsō Peninsula The is a peninsula that encompasses the entirety of Chiba Prefecture on Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It is part of the Greater Tokyo Area. It forms the eastern edge of Tokyo Bay, separating it from the Pacific Ocean. The peninsula covers ...

Chiba Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Chiba Prefecture has a population of 6,278,060 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Chiba Prefecture borders Ibaraki Prefecture to the north, Saitama Prefecture to the ...

Station stops

''Wakashio'' services operate over the

Keiyo Line :''Keiyo may also refer to Keiyo, a district in Kenya, ''Keiyo Line'' a railway line in Japan or Elgeyo escarpment'' The Elgeyo (also known as Keiyo) are an ethnic group who are part of the larger Kalenjin ethnic group of Nilotic origin. They ...

and Sotobo Line, stopping at the following stations. Some services terminate at Kazusa-Ichinomiya, and some services operate as "Local" all-stations services between Katsuura and Awa-Kamogawa. From March 2018, all trains pass through Ubara and Awa-Amatsu stations.Information about schedule change in March 2017
EAST JAPAN RAILWAY COMPANY Chiba branch、2017-12-15 - ※ - - ※ - - - - - - - ※ - -
※:Some trains pass through these stations. ''Shinjuku Wakashio'' services, operating mainly at weekends only, stop at the following stations between Shinjuku and Soga. - - - - - - ...

Rolling stock

* 255 series 9-car EMUs (since 2 July 1993) *

E257-500 series The is a DC electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated in Japan for limited express services by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and built jointly by Hitachi, Kinki Sharyo, and Tokyu Car Corporation. Variants * E257-0 series: '' ...

5/10-car EMUs (since 16 October 2004) ''Wakashio'' services are operated using Makuhari-based 9-car 255 series

EMU The emu () (''Dromaius novaehollandiae'') is the second-tallest living bird after its ratite relative the ostrich. It is endemic to Australia where it is the largest native bird and the only extant member of the genus '' Dromaius''. The emu ...

and 5- or 10-car

EMU formations. The E257-500 series formations have no Green (first class) cars.

Past

* 183 series 9-car EMUs (15 July 1972 – October 2004) File:183 Wakashio 20020503.jpg, A 183 series EMU in May 2002

Formations

Trains are formed as shown below, with car 1 at the Tokyo end.千葉を走る列車＞わかしお：EAST JAPAN RAILWAY COMPANY Chiba branch (Japanese)
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9-car 255 series

5-car E257 series

Car 1 is non-reserved on some services.

5+5-car E257 series

Cars 4,5,6,7 and 8 are non-reserved on some services.

Past formations

Trains were originally formed of 9-car 183 series EMUs with formed as shown below, including one Green car, as shown below.

9-car 183 series

* All cars except the Green car were non-reserved for ''Ohayo Wakashio'' and ''Hometown Wakashio'' services.

History

The ''Wakashio'' service commenced on 15 July 1972, using 183 series EMUs. Evening ''Hometown Wakashio'' services for commuters were introduced from 16 March 1991, operating from Tokyo to Kazusa-Ichinomiya. New 255 series EMUs were introduced from 2 July 1993, initially branded as ''View Wakashio''. Morning ''Oyaho Wakashio'' services for commuters were introduced from 3 December 1994, operating from Kazusa-Ichinomiya to Tokyo. New E257-500 series EMUs were introduced from 16 October 2004, displacing the remaining 183 series trainsets. From the start of the revised timetable on 10 December 2005, ''Wakashio'' services were made entirely no-smoking. The opening of the

Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line The , also known as the Trans-Tokyo Bay Expressway, is an expressway that is mainly made up of a bridge–tunnel combination across Tokyo Bay in Japan. It connects the city of Kawasaki in Kanagawa Prefecture with the city of Kisarazu in Chiba ...

road across the Tokyo Bay in 1997 saw increased competition from long-distance bus services offering cheaper fares, resulting in decreasing ridership figures on the ''Wakashio'' services. From the start of the 15 March 2014 timetable revision, the number of services was reduced from 15 to 13 return workings daily.

References

External links

JR East 255 series Shiosai/Wakashio/Sazanami

{{JR East trains Named passenger trains of Japan East Japan Railway Company Railway services introduced in 1972