Tōhoku Jūkan Line
Encyclopedia
The , also known as Tōhoku Through Line, is a construction project of East Japan Railway Company
(JR East) to build a railway linking Ueno Station
and Tokyo Station
in order to extend the services of the Utsunomiya Line
, the Takasaki Line
, and the Jōban Line
to Tokyo Station. The project began on 30 May 2008. JR East aims to begin operations in fiscal 2014, and the project is expected to cost about JPY40 billion.
Direct travel is expected to ease congestion on the Yamanote Line
and Keihin-Tōhoku Line
, and reduce the travel time from Ōmiya
to Tokyo by about 11 minutes.
to make room for the Tōhoku Shinkansen
extension to Tokyo. The gap will be reconnected by a new 1.3 km top deck on the existing Shinkansen viaduct near Kanda Station with ramps at either end up from the existing formations. Provision was made during construction of the Shinkansen link for eventual restoration of through traffic on the Tōhoku lines.
In conjunction with the Tōhoku Jūkan Line project, JR East is building train turnback facilities at Shinagawa Station
on the Tōkaidō Line, allowing through trains from Ueno to terminate there and return north.
, Jōban Line
, and Takasaki Line
will run non-stop between Ueno and Tokyo Station and continue on the Tōkaidō Line towards Yokohama Station
.
against construction on 1 August 2007.
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) to build a railway linking Ueno Station
Ueno Station
is a major railway station inTokyo's Taitō ward. It is the station used to reach the Ueno district and Ueno Park -- which contains Tokyo National Museum, The National Museum of Western Art, Ueno Zoo, Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music and other famous cultural facilities...
and Tokyo Station
Tokyo Station
is a train station located in the Marunouchi business district of Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan, near the Imperial Palace grounds and the Ginza commercial district....
in order to extend the services of the Utsunomiya Line
Utsunomiya Line
The is the name given to a 159.9 kilometre section of the Tōhoku Main Line between Ueno Station in Tokyo and Kuroiso Station in Nasushiobara, Tochigi, Japan...
, the Takasaki Line
Takasaki Line
The is a Japanese railway line which runs between Ōmiya Station in Saitama, Saitama Prefecture and Takasaki Station in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture. It is owned and operated by the East Japan Railway Company ....
, and the Jōban Line
Joban Line
The is a railway line in Japan operated by East Japan Railway Company . It begins at Nippori Station in Taitō, Tokyo and follows the Pacific coasts of Chiba, Ibaraki, and Fukushima Prefectures before the line officially ends at Iwanuma Station in Iwanuma, Miyagi...
to Tokyo Station. The project began on 30 May 2008. JR East aims to begin operations in fiscal 2014, and the project is expected to cost about JPY40 billion.
Direct travel is expected to ease congestion on the 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...
and Keihin-Tōhoku Line
Keihin-Tohoku Line
The , is a railway line in Japan which connects the cities of Saitama, Kawaguchi, Tokyo, Kawasaki, and Yokohama. It is part of the East Japan Railway Company network. The line's name is derived from the characters for , and the...
, and reduce the travel time from Ōmiya
Omiya Station (Saitama)
is a railway station in Ōmiya-ku, Saitama, Japan. It is a major interchange station for the East Japan Railway Company .-JR East:* Tōhoku Shinkansen* Akita Shinkansen* Yamagata Shinkansen* Jōetsu Shinkansen* Nagano Shinkansen...
to Tokyo by about 11 minutes.
Proposed route
Beginning from Ueno Station, the project involves re-laying about 2.5 km of existing tracks that formerly linked the two stations until separated near Kanda StationKanda Station
is a railway station in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. East Japan Railway Company and Tokyo Metro operate individual portions of the station.-Lines:* JR East** Keihin-Tōhoku Line** Yamanote Line** Chūō Line * Tokyo Metro** Tokyo Metro Ginza Line...
to make room for the Tōhoku Shinkansen
Tohoku Shinkansen
The is a Japanese high-speed Shinkansen rail line, connecting Tokyo with Aomori in Aomori Prefecture for a total length of 674 km, Japan's longest Shinkansen line. It runs through the more sparsely populated Tōhoku region of Japan's main island Honshu. It has two spur lines, Yamagata...
extension to Tokyo. The gap will be reconnected by a new 1.3 km top deck on the existing Shinkansen viaduct near Kanda Station with ramps at either end up from the existing formations. Provision was made during construction of the Shinkansen link for eventual restoration of through traffic on the Tōhoku lines.
In conjunction with the Tōhoku Jūkan Line project, JR East is building train turnback facilities at Shinagawa Station
Shinagawa Station
is the first major station south ofTokyo Station and is a major interchange for trains operated by JR East, JR Central, and Keikyu. The Tōkaidō Shinkansen and other trains to the Miura Peninsula, Izu Peninsula and the Tōkai region pass through here...
on the Tōkaidō Line, allowing through trains from Ueno to terminate there and return north.
Proposed services
Trains from the Utsunomiya LineUtsunomiya Line
The is the name given to a 159.9 kilometre section of the Tōhoku Main Line between Ueno Station in Tokyo and Kuroiso Station in Nasushiobara, Tochigi, Japan...
, Jōban Line
Joban Line
The is a railway line in Japan operated by East Japan Railway Company . It begins at Nippori Station in Taitō, Tokyo and follows the Pacific coasts of Chiba, Ibaraki, and Fukushima Prefectures before the line officially ends at Iwanuma Station in Iwanuma, Miyagi...
, and Takasaki Line
Takasaki Line
The is a Japanese railway line which runs between Ōmiya Station in Saitama, Saitama Prefecture and Takasaki Station in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture. It is owned and operated by the East Japan Railway Company ....
will run non-stop between Ueno and Tokyo Station and continue on the Tōkaidō Line towards Yokohama Station
Yokohama Station
is a main interchange station located in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Japan. It is the busiest station in Kanagawa Prefecture and the 5th busiest in Japan as of 2004, serving 2.05 million passengers daily.-Lines:Yokohama Station is served by the following lines:...
.
Support and opposition
The project has received widespread support from various local governments. Opponents cited light blockage and earthquake risk, and applied to a Tokyo court for an injunctionCourt order
A court order is an official proclamation by a judge that defines the legal relationships between the parties to a hearing, a trial, an appeal or other court proceedings. Such ruling requires or authorizes the carrying out of certain steps by one or more parties to a case...
against construction on 1 August 2007.