The is a railway line of the East Japan Railway Company

East Japan Railway Company

is the largest passenger railway company in the world and one of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo....

 (JR East) in Tokyo

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

, Japan. It connects Ikebukuro Station

Ikebukuro Station

is a railway station located in the Ikebukuro district of Toshima, Tokyo, Japan. With 2.71 million passengers on an average daily in 2007, it is the second-busiest train station in the world , and the busiest station in the Tobu, Seibu and Tokyo Metro networks. It primarily serves commuters from...

 in Toshima Ward

Toshima, Tokyo (ward)

is one of the 23 Special wards of Tokyo, Japan. Toshima is one of the eight central wards of the Tokyo Metropolitan area, including Chiyoda, Minato, Shibuya, Chuo, Shinjuku, Taito, and Bunkyo surrounding the Imperial Palace...

 and Akabane Station

Akabane Station

is a JR East railway station located in Kita, Tokyo, Japan.-Lines:* Tōhoku Main Line* Takasaki Line* Keihin-Tōhoku Line* Shōnan-Shinjuku Line* Saikyō Line-Adjacent stations:-External links:*...

 in Kita Ward

Kita, Tokyo

is one of the special wards of Tokyo, Japan. In English, it calls itself the City of Kita .As of 2008, the ward has an estimated population of 332,140 and a population density of 16,140 persons per km². The total area is 20.59 km².-Geography:...

. Signs in the stations refer to the line as the Saikyō Line

Saikyo Line

The is a railway line between Ōsaki Station in Shinagawa, Tokyo, and Ōmiya Station in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. It is a part of the East Japan Railway Company network...

 but the official name of this portion of the line is Akabane Line.

Stations

• All Saikyō Line trains, including rapid and commuter rapid services, stop at all four stations on the Akabane Line.

Station	Japanese	Distance (km)	Location
	池袋	0.0	Toshima, Tokyo Toshima, Tokyo (ward) is one of the 23 Special wards of Tokyo, Japan. Toshima is one of the eight central wards of the Tokyo Metropolitan area, including Chiyoda, Minato, Shibuya, Chuo, Shinjuku, Taito, and Bunkyo surrounding the Imperial Palace...
	板橋	1.8	Itabashi, Tokyo Itabashi, Tokyo is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. In English, it calls itself Itabashi City. Itabashi has sister-city relations with Burlington, Ontario in Canada; Shijingshan District in Beijing, People's Republic of China; and Bologna in Italy....
	十条	3.5	Kita, Tokyo Kita, Tokyo is one of the special wards of Tokyo, Japan. In English, it calls itself the City of Kita .As of 2008, the ward has an estimated population of 332,140 and a population density of 16,140 persons per km². The total area is 20.59 km².-Geography:...
	赤羽	5.5

Present

The line uses 205 series

205 series

The is a commuter electric multiple unit train type introduced in 1985 by Japanese National Railways , and currently operated by East Japan Railway Company and West Japan Railway Company .- Lines on which 205 series trains operate :...

 and TWR 70-000 series

TWR 70-000 series

The is an EMU which operates on the Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit. The train was built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries and first began revenue service in 1996. Its design is based on the 209 series...

 10-car electric multiple units.

Past

• 72 series 8-car EMUs (1953–1967)
• 101 series
  101 series
  The is a commuter EMU introduced in 1958 by Japanese National Railways , and formerly operated by East Japan Railway Company and West Japan Railway Company . The last remaining trains were withdrawn in November 2003.-History:...
  
   8-car EMUs (1967–1978)
• 103 series
  103 series
  The is a commuter electric multiple unit type introduced in 1964 by Japanese National Railways , and currently operated by West Japan Railway Company and Kyushu Railway Company . They were also operated by East Japan Railway Company and Central Japan Railway Company .-Prototype:Built in 1963...
  
   8/10-car EMUs (1978–1985)

History

The line opened on 1 March 1885 as a segment of the Nippon Railway Shinagawa Line. That company was nationalized

Railway Nationalization Act

The brought many of Japan's private railway lines under national control. The Diet of Japan promulgated the Act on March 31, 1906. The Act was repealed by Article 110 of the Japan National Railway Reform Act of 1988, which formed the modern Japan Railways Group....

 in 1906. Electric service began in 1909. The line used the name Akabane Line from 1972 to 1985, giving up the status as a branch of Yamanote Line

Yamanote Line

The is commuter rail loop line in Tokyo, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company . It is one of Tokyo's busiest and most important lines, connecting most of Tokyo's major stations and urban centres, including the Yūrakuchō/Ginza area, Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Ikebukuro, with all but two of its...

. Freight service ended in 1999.

From 30 September 1985, the Akabane Line was absorbed into the new Saikyō Line (between Shinjuku and Ōmiya) together with the newly-built section of the Tōhoku Main Line (between Akabane and Ōmiya). The Akabane Line name disappeared from daily use from this time.