The Tōkaidō Main Line () is one of the most important railway corridors in Japan, connecting the major cities of
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
and
Kobe
Kobe ( ; , ), officially , is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. With a population of around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's List of Japanese cities by population, seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Port of Toky ...
via
Shizuoka,
Nagoya
is the largest city in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is the list of cities in Japan, fourth-most populous city in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020, and the principal city of the Chūkyō metropolitan area, which is the List of ...
,
Kyoto
Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...
and
Osaka
is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...
. The line, with termini at
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
and
Kobe
Kobe ( ; , ), officially , is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. With a population of around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's List of Japanese cities by population, seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Port of Toky ...
stations, is long, not counting its many freight feeder lines around the major cities. The high-speed
Tōkaidō Shinkansen
The is a Japanese high-speed rail line that is part of the nationwide Shinkansen network. Along with the San'yō Shinkansen, it forms a continuous high-speed railway through the Taiheiyō Belt, also known as the Tokaido corridor. Opening in 19 ...
largely parallels the line.
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
Sunrise Izumo/
Sunrise Seto service which runs overnight. 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
Japan Railways Group
The Japan Railways Group, commonly known as the or simply JR, is a network of railway companies in Japan formed after the Corporate spin-off, division and privatization of the government-owned Japanese National Railways (JNR) on April 1, 1987. ...
(JR Group) companies:
*
East Japan Railway Company
The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and 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 in ...
(JR East) ( - ) -
Tōkaidō Line
*
Central Japan Railway Company
is the main railway company operating in the Chūbu (Nagoya) region of central Japan. It is officially abbreviated in English as JR Central and occasionally as JR Tokai (). The term ''Tōkai'' refers to the southern portion of Central Japan, ...
(JR Central) ( - ) -
Tōkaidō Line
*
West Japan Railway Company (JR West) ( - ) -
Biwako Line,
JR Kyoto Line,
JR Kobe Line
History
Completion and early days, 1872–1913

The Tōkaidō route takes its name from the
ancient road connecting the
Kansai region
The or the lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo and Shiga, often also Mie, sometimes Fukui, Tokushima and Tottori. The metropol ...
(Kyoto, Osaka) with the
Kantō region
The is a geography, geographical region of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. In a common definition, the region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures of Japan, prefectures: Chiba Prefecture, Chiba, Gunma Prefe ...
(Tokyo, then Edo) through the
Tōkai region
The is a subregion of the Chūbu region and Kansai region in Japan that runs along the Pacific Ocean. The name comes from the Tōkaidō, one of the Edo Five Routes. Because Tōkai is a sub-region and is not officially classified, there is ...
(including Nagoya). Its name meant "Tōkai road", or the road running through Tōkai. The Tōkaidō Line does not follow the old road exactly, since the latter diverges at Nagoya toward the
Mie Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Mie Prefecture has a population of 1,781,948 () and has a geographic area of . Mie Prefecture is bordered by Gifu Prefecture to the north, Shiga Prefecture an ...
coastline; to follow it by train, the
Kansai Main Line
The is a railway line in Japan, which connects Nagoya Station with JR Namba Station in Osaka. It is jointly run by the Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) and West Japan Railway Company (JR West), with the boundary between both compan ...
and
Kusatsu Line would have to be followed from
Nagoya
is the largest city in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is the list of cities in Japan, fourth-most populous city in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020, and the principal city of the Chūkyō metropolitan area, which is the List of ...
to
Kusatsu. Japan's largest population centers are all along this route: Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe. Since construction of the line, these centers have since grown to occupy an ever more dominant role in the country's government, financial, manufacturing, and cultural life.
Historically, one of the first priorities of Japanese railway planners was to build a line from Tokyo to the
Kansai region
The or the lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo and Shiga, often also Mie, sometimes Fukui, Tokushima and Tottori. The metropol ...
, either following the Tokaido route or the northern
Nakasendō
The , also called the ,Richard Lane, ''Images from the Floating World'' (1978) Chartwell, Secaucus ; pg. 285 was one of the centrally administered Edo Five Routes, five routes of the Edo period, and one of the two that connected the ''de facto'' ...
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 Nakasendō 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
is the List of cities in Japan, second-largest city in Japan by population as well as by area, and the country's most populous Municipalities of Japan, municipality. It is the capital and most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a popu ...
and
Kozu, and
Hamamatsu
is a Cities of Japan, city located in western Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. In September 2023, the city had an estimated population of 780,128 in 340,591 households, making it the prefecture's largest city, with a population density of over the t ...
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. 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
A through service is a concept of passenger transport that involves a vehicle travelling between lines, networks or operators on a regularly specified schedule, on which the passenger can remain on board without alighting. It may be in either of th ...
to the Sanyo Railway (now the
San'yō 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
The Japanese Government Railways (JGR) was the national rail transport, railway system directly operated by the until 1949. It was a predecessor of Japanese National Railways and the later Japan Railways Group.
Name
The English name "Japanese ...
, which at the time had a network of just over of track.
Capacity expansion and route changes, 1914–1945

On 20 December 1914,
Tokyo Station
Tōkyō Station (, ) is a major railway station in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The original station is located in Chiyoda's Marunouchi business district near the Tokyo Imperial Palace, Imperial Palace grounds. The newer Eastern extension is not far ...
opened and succeeded Shinbashi Station as the Tokyo-side terminus of the line. On the same day, an electrified commuter line was inaugurated along the section between Tokyo Station and today’s
Yokohama Station, which is now part of the
Keihin–Tōhoku Line.
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.
By the start of the
Taishō era
The was a period in the history of Japan dating from 30 July 1912 to 25 December 1926, coinciding with the reign of Emperor Taishō. The new emperor was a sickly man, which prompted the shift in political power from the old oligarchic group ...
, route changes on several stretches of the line were deemed necessary to accommodate growing demand. The route bypassing Osakayama (between
Ōtsu
270px, Ōtsu City Hall
is the capital city of Shiga Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 343,991 in 153,458 households and a population density of 740 persons per km2. The total area of the city is .
History
Ōtsu is ...
and
Kyoto
Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...
Stations), in use since 1878, was closed when the current, less steep route with two long tunnels was completed on 25 September 1919. The mountainous Gotemba stretch required an even larger-scale route change, culminating in the completion of the
Tanna Tunnel in 1934 after 15 years of construction. The new route through the tunnel is 11.2 kilometres long, compared to the old Gotemba route, which took a 60.2-kilometre detour around the Tanna Basin. With the opening of the tunnel, the section between Tokyo and Numazu was fully electrified, as steam locomotives were unable to operate through the long tunnel safely.

Electrification also progressed on the other end of the line around the same time, in 1934. Commuter rapid services between Kyoto and Kobe, using
52 Series streamliner EMUs, began in 1937. However, further electrification of the line was overshadowed by the Second World War and did not resume until after the war. For security reasons, the army preferred to keep the middle portion of the line unelectrified, as unelectrified tracks were much easier to repair in the event of an enemy attack.
During the war, the line's focus shifted towards freight services. Express services were significantly reduced, and sleepers and restaurant cars were withdrawn from service in 1944.
JNR Class D52 locomotives were introduced for wartime freight transport, but their poor manufacturing quality led to several boiler explosion accidents.
As the main transport artery of postwar Japan, 1945–1964
In the immediate aftermath of the war, almost all surviving express train carriages were requisitioned by the
Allied Occupation Forces. Services such as the ''Allied Limited'' (Tokyo–Moji), ''Dixie Limited'' (Tokyo–Hakata), and the ''
BCOF Train'' (Tokyo–Kure) operated on the Tōkaidō Line. Express trains for Japanese nationals resumed in April 1947, with sleeper services following in July 1948.
In 1949, the Limited Express ''Heiwa'', a successor to the pre-war ''
Tsubame'' service, and the sleeper express ''
Ginga'' both began operating between Tokyo and Osaka. In January 1950, ''Heiwa'' was renamed ''Tsubame''. Makeshift
D52 freight locomotives were converted into
C62 express locomotives, the largest and fastest steam engines in Japan's rail history, to haul these services. One of the C62s, C62 17, holds the narrow-gauge steam world speed record, which was achieved on the Tokaido line near Nagoya on 15 December 1954, and is preserved at the
SCMaglev and Railway Park.
On 19 November 1956, the line was fully electrified. The Tokyo–Osaka express trains, ''Tsubame'' and ''Hato'', began to be hauled by
JNR EF58 locomotives for the entire length of the route, reducing travel time from 8 hours to 7 hours and 30 minutes. With no concerns about smoke polluting the carriages, these trains were painted light green and nicknamed ''Aodaishō'' (green snakes, referring to the
Japanese rat snake).
On 1 October 1958, the ''
Kodama'', the first limited express service operated by EMUs rather than locomotive-hauled carriages, commenced. This service further reduced travel time to 6 hours and 50 minutes. The
Series 151 EMUs marked a significant milestone in railway technology, as EMUs were previously considered unsuitable for high-speed and long-distance services due to issues like noise, vibration, and cost. Since then, all non-sleeper express rolling stock, including the
Shinkansen
The , colloquially known in English as the bullet train, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan. It was initially built to connect distant Japanese regions with Tokyo, the capital, to aid economic growth and development. Beyond lon ...
, has been designed as EMUs. On the same day, the ''
Asakaze'' sleeper express entered service with the newly built Series 20 carriages. These carriages were fully air-conditioned and nicknamed the 'hotel on the rail'. Because these sleeper carriages and their successors were painted blue, sleeper trains in Japan came to be known as ''
Blue Trains''.
After the opening of the Tōkaidō Shinkansen, 1964–1987
The capacity constraints on the Tokaido Main Line had been clear prior to World War II, and work started on a new
standard gauge
A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of . The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson), international gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge in Europe, and SGR in East Africa. It is the ...
"bullet train" line in 1940. Intercity passenger traffic between Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka largely transferred to the
Tōkaidō Shinkansen
The is a Japanese high-speed rail line that is part of the nationwide Shinkansen network. Along with the San'yō Shinkansen, it forms a continuous high-speed railway through the Taiheiyō Belt, also known as the Tokaido corridor. Opening in 19 ...
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).
Privatisation, 1987–present
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 Ōfuna assigned station numbers of JT01 to JT07. Numbers increase towards in the southbound direction towards Ōfuna. Station numbers would be assigned to stations beyond Ōfuna as far as Atami in 2018.
On the evening of 5 August 2023, a JR East Tokaido Line service struck a utility pole near and lost power, resulting in a suspension of service. Four people, including the driver, sustained minor injuries. Service was restored on the morning of 6 August 2023.
Basic data
*Total distance: (including branch lines; Tokyo – Kōbe is )
**
East Japan Railway Company
The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and 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 in ...
(JR East) (Services and tracks)
***Tokyo – Atami:
***
Shinagawa
is a special ward in the Tokyo Metropolis in Japan. The Ward refers to itself as Shinagawa City in English. The Ward is home to ten embassies.
, the Ward had an estimated population of 380,293 and a population density of 16,510 persons per ...
–
Shin-Kawasaki – Tsurumi:
***
Hamamatsuchō
is a business and commercial district south of Shinbashi district in Minato, Tokyo, Minato ward in Tokyo, Japan. Hamamatsucho is located along the Tokyo Bay, with views of Odaiba and the Rainbow Bridge (Tokyo), Rainbow Bridge.
Companies based i ...
– Tokyo Freight Terminal – Kawasaki Freight Terminal – Hama-Kawasaki: (
Tōkaidō Freight Line)
***Tsurumi – Hatchō-Nawate: (Tōkaidō Freight Line)
***Tsurumi – Higashi-Takashima – Sakuragichō: (
Takashima Line)
***Tsurumi – Yokohama-Hazawa – Higashi-Totsuka: (Tōkaidō Freight Line)
**
Central Japan Railway Company
is the main railway company operating in the Chūbu (Nagoya) region of central Japan. It is officially abbreviated in English as JR Central and occasionally as JR Tokai (). The term ''Tōkai'' refers to the southern portion of Central Japan, ...
(JR Central) (Services and tracks)
***Atami – Maibara: ( between Kanayama – Nagoya overlaps with Chuo Main Line)
***Ōgaki – Mino-Akasaka: (Mino-Akasaka branch line)
***Ōgaki – (Shin-Tarui) – Sekigahara: (Shin-Tarui Line)
**
West Japan Railway Company (JR West) (Services and tracks)
***Maibara – Kōbe:
***Kyōto Freight Terminal – Tambaguchi: (not in use by passenger trains)
***Suita – (Miyahara Rail Yard) – Amagasaki: (Hoppō Freight Line)
***Suita – Umeda – Fukushima: (Umeda Freight Line, used by ''
Haruka'' and ''
Kuroshio
The , also known as the Black Current or is a north-flowing, warm ocean current on the west side of the North Pacific Ocean basin. It was named for the deep blue appearance of its waters. Similar to the Gulf Stream in the North Atlantic, the Ku ...
'' limited expresses)
**
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) (Tracks and services)
***Sannō Signal – Nagoya-Minato: (Nagoya-Minato Line)
***Suita Signal – Osaka Freight Terminal: (Osaka Terminal Line)
**Japan Freight Railway Company (JR Freight) (Services only)
***Shinagawa – Atami:
***Shinagawa – Shin-Tsurumi Signal:
***Tokyo Freight Terminal – Hama-Kawasaki:
***Tsurumi – Yokohama-Hazawa – Higashi-Totsuka:
***Tsurumi – Hatchō-Nawate:
***Tsurumi – Shinkō – Sakuragichō:
***Atami – Maibara:
***Minami-Arao Signal – Sekigahara:
***Minami-Arao Signal – Mino-Akasaka:
***Maibara – Kōbe: (via Hoppō Freight Line)
***Kyōto Freight Terminal – Tambaguchi:
***Suita – Umeda – Fukushima:
*
Gauge
Gauge ( ) may refer to:
Measurement
* Gauge (instrument), any of a variety of measuring instruments
* Gauge (firearms)
* Wire gauge, a measure of the size of a wire
** American wire gauge, a common measure of nonferrous wire diameter, especia ...
:
Narrow gauge railway
A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge (distance between the rails) narrower than . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and .
Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with Minimum railw ...
*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:
*** Nagoya – Inazawa:
*** Kusatsu – Kōbe:
** 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
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. In the context of history of technology and economic development, electrification refe ...
: 1,500
V DC (except for Sannō Signal – Nagoya-Minato)
*
Railway signalling
Railway signalling (), or 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 enormous weight ...
: Automatic Train Control
*Maximum speed:
**Tokyo – Ōfuna, Odawara – Toyohashi:
**Ōfuna – Odawara, Toyohashi – Maibara:
**Minami-Arao Signal – Tarui – Sekigahara, Minami-Arao Signal – Mino-Akasaka:
**Maibara – Kōbe: (Special Rapid Shin-Kaisoku only, local trains max at 120 km/h or 75 mph)
Station list
JR East

The section between Tokyo and Atami is operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and it is located in the
Greater Tokyo Area
The Greater Tokyo Area is the most populous metropolitan area in the world, consisting of the Kantō region of Japan (including Tokyo, Tokyo Metropolis and the prefectures of Chiba Prefecture, Chiba, Gunma Prefecture, Gunma, Ibaraki Prefecture, ...
. It has local services () and a rapid service called ''Rapid Acty'' (). It runs on dedicated tracks parallel to the
Yamanote Line
The Yamanote Line () is a railway Circle route, loop service in Tokyo, Japan, operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It is one of Tokyo's busiest and most important lines, connecting most of Tokyo's major stations and urban centres ...
between Tokyo and Shinagawa, the
Keihin–Tōhoku Line between Tokyo and Yokohama, and the
Yokosuka Line
The is a railway line in Japan operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East).
The Yokosuka Line connects Tokyo Station with in Yokosuka, Kanagawa. Officially, the name Yokosuka Line is assigned to the segment between and Kurihama sta ...
between Yokohama and Ōfuna. Some
Shōnan–Shinjuku Line trains share the segment south of
Yokohama
is the List of cities in Japan, second-largest city in Japan by population as well as by area, and the country's most populous Municipalities of Japan, municipality. It is the capital and most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a popu ...
to
Ōfuna and
Odawara
is a Cities of Japan, city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 188,482 and a population density of 1,700 persons per km2. The total area of the city is .
Geography
Odawara lies in the Ashigara Plains, in ...
. Until 12 March 2021, there were also commuter rapid () and Shōnan Liner () services.
The
Ueno–Tokyo Line, a JR East project, extended the services of the
Utsunomiya Line, the
Takasaki Line, and the
Joban Line to Tokyo Station, allowing for through services to and from the Tōkaidō Line from March 2015.
Almost all trains along this section of the line have bi-level "Green Cars" with forward-facing seats, with each set of trains having 2 of them. Green Cars can be used after paying an additional fee.
A new station between Ōfuna and Fujisawa is being planned to serve passengers near the former JR Freight ''Shōnan Freight Terminal. C''onstruction is expected to start in early 2022. The new station is expected to open for service in 2032.
Legend:
* ● : All trains stop
*| : All trains pass
* ▲ : Shōnan–Shinjuku Line trains use Yokosuka Line platforms
* Some trains run through services beyond Atami, as far as Numazu.
*With the
Ueno–Tokyo Line,
Utsunomiya Line Rapid ''Rabbit'' and
Takasaki Line Rapid ''Urban'' services now run along the Tokaido Line, and stop at all stations on this line. As such, the two services are classified as 'Local' service trains within the Tokaido Line.
*Tokaido Line Rapid ''Acty'' services operate only evening services from Tokyo to Odawara. Rapid ''Acty'' services will be discontinued effective the timetable revision on 18 March 2023 after 34 years of operation.
*''
Shōnan
is the name of a region along the coast of Sagami Bay in Kanagawa Prefecture, central Japan. Centered on Sagami River, about 60 kilometers southwest of Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and ...
'' Limited Express services are special, all-reserved commuter express trains with comfortable seating. They operate from Odawara to Tokyo on weekday mornings, with a few services terminating in Shinagawa. Return services run from Tokyo to Odawara on weekday evenings. Like commuter rapid trains, Shōnan Liner services normally make no stops between Shinagawa and Fujisawa. Between Fujisawa and Odawara, varying stops are made. In addition to the standard fare, a reserved seat fee of ¥500 is required to use the ''Shōnan Liner''.
*
Keihin-Tōhoku Line stations between Tokyo and Yokohama officially are a part of the Tōkaidō Main Line. These stations are: , , , , , , , , , and .
*
Yokosuka Line
The is a railway line in Japan operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East).
The Yokosuka Line connects Tokyo Station with in Yokosuka, Kanagawa. Officially, the name Yokosuka Line is assigned to the segment between and Kurihama sta ...
stations between Tokyo and Ōfuna officially are a part of the Tōkaidō Main Line. These stations are: , , , , and . The route of the Yokosuka Line between Shinagawa and Tsurumi is separate from the main line and is referred to as the
Hinkaku Line, on which Nishi-Ōi, Musashi-Kosugi, and Shin-Kawasaki stations are located.
* The
Shōnan–Shinjuku Line operates through services to the Tōkaidō Main Line. Trains operate from the
Takasaki Line to and enter the Yokosuka Line at to then switches tracks to the Tōkaidō Main Line towards , and vice versa. Rapid Service stop at all stations on the Tōkaidō Main Line (Totsuka - Odawara), while Special Rapid Service operate the same pattern as a ''Rapid Acty'' Service.
JR Central
The point between JR East and JR Central operation is divided at
Atami Station. The section of the line between Atami and
Maibara is operated by
JR Central, and covers the
Tōkai region
The is a subregion of the Chūbu region and Kansai region in Japan that runs along the Pacific Ocean. The name comes from the Tōkaidō, one of the Edo Five Routes. Because Tōkai is a sub-region and is not officially classified, there is ...
:
Shizuoka Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Shizuoka Prefecture has a population of 3,555,818 and has a geographic area of . Shizuoka Prefecture borders Kanagawa Prefecture to the east, Yamanashi Pref ...
,
Aichi Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Aichi Prefecture has a population of 7,461,111 () and a geographic area of with a population density of . Aichi Prefecture borders Mie Prefecture to the ...
, and
Gifu Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Gifu Prefecture has a population of 1,910,511 () and has a geographic area of . Gifu Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture to the north; Ishikawa Prefecture ...
. Some services from Odawara on the JR East section continues to travel on this section until Numazu Station.
Shizuoka Block
Nagoya Block Main Line
Maibara is shared by JR Central and JR West; JR West manages the station
Before March 2016, JR West operated trains from Maibara as far as Ogaki on JR Central territory. After the two companies realized this invasion, on 25 March 2016, all JR West departures were changed to JR Central trains to Maibara station.
Branch lines

Both the Mino-Akasaka and Tarui branch lines separate from the Main Line at , located 3.1 km west of Ōgaki Station.
=Mino-Akasaka Branch Line
=
=Tarui Branch Line
=
Between Ōgaki and Sekigahara, there is a 25 per mil grade. In 1944, a single track bypass (in orange on the diagram) was built to avoid this steep slope of the main line. The old section, informally referred to as the "Shin-Tarui Line", remains largely unused, and was closed in 1986. Today, the only rail vehicles that travel on this section of track are
freight trains and westbound express trains (the
Shirasagi,
Hida #36, and
Sunrise Seto/
Izumo services).
JR West
The western part of the Tōkaidō Main Line from
Maibara to
Kōbe is operated by
JR West
, also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, ...
and forms the main trunk of the company's Urban Network in the
Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto
is a metropolitan region in the Kansai region of Japan encompassing the metropolitan areas of the cities of Kyoto in Kyoto Prefecture, Osaka in Osaka Prefecture and Kobe in Hyōgo Prefecture. The entire region has a population () of 19,302,746 o ...
metropolitan area. Although the line is divided into three segments, known as the
Biwako Line,
JR Kyoto Line, and
JR Kobe Line, they are part of a single contiguous network, with many services traversing multiple sections. The Biwako Line includes a segment of the
Hokuriku Main Line
The Hokuriku Main Line () is a railway line owned by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West) connecting Maibara Station in Maibara, Shiga, with Tsuruga Station in Tsuruga, Fukui. The line formerly extended as far as Naoetsu Station in ...
. Some services on the
Kosei,
JR Takarazuka and
Gakkentoshi lines run through onto the Tōkaidō Main Line.
Biwako Line
The section between Maibara and
Kyoto
Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...
is known as the Biwako Line.
*●: Trains stop.
*○: Limited stop, early morning and late night only
*
, : Trains pass.
*Local (4-door Commuter trains): JR Kyoto Line local trains
*Local (3-door Suburban trains): Operate as Rapid service trains west of Takatsuki (west of Kyoto in the morning)
JR Kyoto Line
The section between Kyoto and
Osaka
is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...
is known as the JR Kyoto Line. Trains from the Biwako and Kosei lines travel through onto the JR Kyoto Line and continue west towards the
JR Kobe Line at Osaka.
Legend:
* ● : All trains stop
* , : All trains pass
* ▲ : Trains only after morning rush stop
Local trains stop at all stations. Rapid trains in the morning skip some stops between Kyoto and Takatsuki.
JR Kobe Line
The westernmost section between Osaka and Kōbe is part of the JR Kobe Line, which continues west to on the
San'yō Main Line. Although Kōbe is the official terminus of the Tōkaidō Main Line, most trains continue to
Nishi-Akashi,
Himeji
260px, Himeji City Hall
is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 525,682 in 227,099 households and a population density of 980 persons per km2. The total area of the city is ...
and beyond.
●: Trains stop at all times
|: Trains pass at all times
Former connecting lines
Kanagawa Prefecture
* Ninomiya Station: The Shonan Horse-drawn Tramway opened a line to Hatano in 1906 to haul tobacco. Steam locomotion was introduced in 1913. Passenger services ceased in 1933, and the line closed in 1935.
* Odawara Station: The
Japan Tobacco and Salt Public Corporation operated an approximately 1 km line to its factory, electrified at 1,500 V DC, between 1950 and 1984. The line was also serviced by the adjoining
Odakyu Odawara Line from its Ashigara station.
Shizuoka Prefecture
* Atami Station: In 1895, a gauge
handcar
A handcar (also known as a pump trolley, pump car, rail push trolley, push-trolley, jigger, Kalamazoo, velocipede, gandy dancer cart, platelayers' cart, draisine, or railbike) is a railroad car powered by its passengers or by people pushing t ...
line opened to Yoshihama, and was extended to Odawara the following year. In 1907, the line was converted to gauge and steam locomotives were introduced. The line closed in 1923 as a result of the
Great Kanto earthquake.
* Numazu Station: The Sunzu Electric Railway opened a line to Mishima-Tamachi on the
Izuhakone Railway Sunzu Line in 1906. In 1915, the line was truncated 1 km to connect at Mishima-Hirokoji, and the line was electrified at 600 V DC in 1919. The line closed in 1961 following the destruction of the Kisegawa bridge during a flood.
* Yoshiwara Station: The opened a gauge line to Ōmiya (presentday
Fujinomiya) in 1890. The purchased the tramway in 1912, converted it to a gauge steam railway the following year and gradually extended it (eventually becoming the
Minobu Line). In 1924, the company built a new alignment which connected to Fuji station on the Tokaido main line, at which time the original section from Omiya to Yoshiwara closed.
* Shimizu Station:
Shimizukō Line from 1916 to 1984.
* Shizuoka Station:
** The Abe Railway opened a gauge line from Inomiya (approximately 2 km from Shizuoka) to Ushizuma in 1914 to haul timber. Plans to extend the line to Shizuoka did not eventuate and the line closed in 1934.
**The Shizuoka Electric Railway opened a line to Anzai, connecting to its
Shimizu Line, electrified at 600 V DC, between 1922 and 1926. The line closed in 1962.
* Yaizu Station: A handcar line operated to Fujieda between 1891 and 1900.
* Fujieda Station: The Tōsō Railway opened a gauge line to Ote in 1913, and by 1926 had extended the line progressively in both directions for a length of from Jitogata to Suruga-Okabe, although in 1936 the section from Suruga-Okabe to Ote was closed. In 1943, the company merged with the Shizuoka Railway (see Fujiroi Station below), and in 1948, a line between Mitsumata and Jitogata opened, linking the two sections. This section of the combined line closed between 1964 and 1970.
* Shimada Station: The Fuji Prefectural Government opened a gauge handcar line in 1898 to haul timber. In 1944, following the destruction of the nearby Tokaido Line bridge over the Oigawa, it was proposed to use the alignment of this line as a replacement, including a wooden bridge over the river. The bridge was about 25% completed when the end of the war resulted in the termination of the proposal. A diesel locomotive was introduced in 1955 to haul construction material for the construction of the adjacent national highway, and the line closed in 1959.
* Kikukawa Station: The Joto horse-drawn tramway opened a gauge line to Ikeshinden in 1899. In 1923, the line was converted to gauge, and a single-cylinder diesel locomotive introduced. The line closed in 1935.
* Fukuroi Station:
**The Akiba horse-drawn tramway opened a gauge line to Enshumori-Cho in 1902. In 1926, the company renamed itself the Shizuoka Electric Railway, converted the line to gauge and electrified it at 600 V DC. The line closed in 1962.
**The Shizuoka Railway opened a gauge line to Yokosuka in 1914, extending it to Mitsumata in 1927. The company merged with the Fuji-sho Railway in 1943 (see Fujieda Station above), and in 1948, a line between Mitsumata and Jitogata opened, linking the two sections. This section of the combined line closed between 1964 and 1967.
* Hamamatsu Station: The Dainippon Railway opened a , gauge line to Kuniyoshi in 1909. In 1919, the line was acquired by the
Enshu Railway Line, which closed the first of the line in 1925, so the new connecting station became Enshu-Magome. The line closed in 1937 while the section to Enshu-Magome would close in 1985.
Aichi Prefecture
* Okazaki Station:
** The Nishio Railway opened a gauge line to Nishio in 1911, and extended it to Kira-Yoshida on the
Meitetsu Gamagōri Line between 1915 and 1916. In 1926, the company merged with the Aichi Electric Railway, which between 1928 and 1929 converted the line to gauge, electrified it at 600 V DC, and connected it to the line from Shin-Anjō on the
Meitetsu Nagoya Main Line at Nishioguchi. The line to Nishio closed in 1962.
**A tram line connected to the Meitetsu Koromo line at Okazaki-Ida Station, which between 1929 and 1962 connected to the
Meitetsu Mikawa Line at Uwagoromo, the tramway also closing in 1962.
* Owari-Ichinomiya Station: The Meitetsu line to Okoshi, electrified at 600 V DC, opened in 1924. When the voltage on the Meitetsu main line was increased to 1,500 V DC in 1952, services were suspended on this line. The substitute bus service proved so popular the line was closed rather than upgraded.
Gifu Prefecture
* Ogaki Station: The
Seino Railway opened a line from Mino-Akasaka to Ichihashi in 1928, and operated a passenger service from 1930 to 1945.
* Arao Station (on the Mino Akasaka branch): A freight-only line to the Mino Okubo limestone quarry operated between 1928 and 1990.
Hyōgo Prefecture
* Nishinomiya Station: A freight-only line was opened in 1944 to connect to Mukogawa Station on the
Hanshin Main Line. As the former was gauge, and the latter gauge, some tracks at Mukogawa were dual gauge. Service on the line ceased in 1958, but it was not formally closed until 1970.
* Rokkomichi Station: A line to Kobe Port opened in 1907, electrified at 1,500 V DC. Passenger services ceased in 1974, and the line closed in 2003.
Limited express services
In addition to standard local, rapid, and special rapid service trains, the Tōkaidō Main Line also hosts a number of limited express services.
Daytime trains
*''
Biwako Express'': Maibara – Osaka
*''
Fujikawa'': Shizuoka – Fuji – (
Minobu Line) – Kōfu
*''
Haruka'': Yasu - Kyoto – Shin-Osaka – (
Osaka Loop Line
The is a railway Circle route, loop line in Japan operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West). It encircles central Osaka.
Part of a second, outer loop line, the Osaka Higashi Line, from Hanaten Station, Hanaten to Kyuhoji Station, Kyuh ...
) – Tennōji – (
Hanwa Line
The is a commuter rail line in the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto Metropolitan Area, owned and operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West). The 61.3 km (38.1 mi) line runs between Osaka and Wakayama, Japan and has a 1.7 km branchline ...
) – Hineno – (
Kansai Airport Line) –
Kansai International Airport
Kansai International Airport (), commonly known as Kankū (; ), is the primary international airport in the Keihanshin, Greater Osaka Area of Japan and the closest international airport to the cities of Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe. It is located on ...
*''
Hida'': Nagoya / Osaka – Gifu – (
Takayama Main Line) – Toyama
*''
Odoriko'': Tokyo – Atami – (
Itō Line) – Itō – (
Izu Kyūkō) – Shimoda; Tokyo – Mishima – (
Izuhakone Railway Sunzu Line) – Shuzenji
*''
Thunderbird'': Osaka – Kyoto – (
Kosei Line) – Tsuruga
*''
Saphir Odoriko'': Tokyo – Atami – (
Itō Line) – Itō – (
Izu Kyūkō) – Izukyu-Shimoda
*''
Shirasagi'': Nagoya – Maibara – (Hokuriku Main Line) – Tsuruga
*''
Shōnan
is the name of a region along the coast of Sagami Bay in Kanagawa Prefecture, central Japan. Centered on Sagami River, about 60 kilometers southwest of Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and ...
'': Tokyo – Odawara
Overnight trains
Overnight trains on the Tōkaidō Line go from Tokyo to western
Honshū
, historically known as , is the largest of the four main islands of Japan. It lies between the Pacific Ocean (east) and the Sea of Japan (west). It is the seventh-largest island in the world, and the second-most populous after the Indonesian ...
and
Shikoku
is the smallest of the List of islands of Japan#Main islands, four main islands of Japan. It is long and between at its widest. It has a population of 3.8 million, the least populated of Japan's four main islands. It is south of Honshu ...
.
*''
Sunrise Izumo'' (Tokyo – Izumo via Okayama) ''(Operates daily)''
*''
Sunrise Seto'' (Tokyo – Takamatsu) ''(Operates daily)''
Discontinued trains
*Overnight limited express ''Sakura'' (Tokyo – Nagasaki (discontinued March 2005), Tokyo – (discontinued 1999))
*Overnight limited express ''Izumo'' (Tokyo – Izumo via Tottori), discontinued March 2006
*Limited express ''
Wide View Tōkai'' (Tokyo – Shizuoka), discontinued March 2007
*Overnight express ''
Ginga'' (Tokyo – Osaka), discontinued March 2008
*Overnight limited express ''
Fuji'' (Tokyo – Ōita), discontinued March 2009
*Overnight limited express ''
Hayabusa
was a robotic spacecraft developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to return a sample of material from a small near-Earth asteroid named 25143 Itokawa to Earth for further analysis.
''Hayabusa'', formerly known as MUSES-C ...
'' (Tokyo – Kumamoto), discontinued March 2009
*Overnight limited express ''Sunrise Yume'' (Tokyo – Hiroshima), discontinued March 2009
*''
Moonlight Nagara'' (Tokyo – Ōgaki) ''(Operates seasonally - rapid service with reserved seats), discontinued March 2020''
*''
Super View Odoriko'', ''
Resort Odoriko'', ''
Fleur Odoriko'' (Tokyo – Izukyu-Shimoda), discontinued March 2020
Rolling stock for local and rapid services
JR East

*
E231-1000 series (Tokyo – Atami – Numazu, through services onto the
Itō Line)
*
E233-3000 series (Tokyo – Atami – Numazu, through services onto the Itō Line)
*
E257-2000/2500 series (''Odoriko'', ''Shōnan'': Ikebukuro/Tokyo – Atami, through service onto the Itō Line)
*
E261 series (''Saphir Odoriko'': Shinjuku/Tokyo – Atami, through service onto the Itō Line)
JR Central

*
211-5000 series (Atami – Toyohashi, through services onto the
Gotemba Line)
*
211-6000 series (Atami – Toyohashi, through services onto the Gotemba Line, through services onto the
Minobu Line)
*
311 series (Shizuoka – Kakegawa – Hamamatsu – Toyohashi – Gifu)
*
313-0 series (Hamamatsu – Toyohashi – Gifu – Ōgaki)
*
313-300 series (Hamamatsu – Toyohashi – Gifu – Ōgaki, Ōgaki – Mino-Akasaka)
*
313-2300 series (Atami – Toyohashi, through services onto the
Gotemba Line, through services onto the
Minobu Line)
*
313-2500 series (Atami – Toyohashi, through services onto the Gotemba Line, through services onto the Minobu Line)
*
313-2600 series (Atami – Toyohashi, through services onto the Gotemba Line, through services onto the Minobu Line)
*
313-3000 series (through services onto the
Gotemba Line, through services onto the
Minobu Line)
*
313-3100 series (through services onto the Gotemba Line, through services onto the Minobu Line)
*
313-5000 series (Hamamatsu – Toyohashi – Gifu – Ōgaki – Maibara)
*
373 series (Atami – Shizuoka, Hamamatsu – Toyohashi, Ōgaki – Maibara)
*
HC85 series (Nagoya / Osaka – Gifu, through service on the Takayama Main Line)
JR West

*
681 series (Nagoya – Ōgaki – Sekigahara)
*
683-8000 series (Nagoya – Ōgaki – Sekigahara)
*
271 series (Yasu – Shin-Osaka)
*
281 series (Yasu – Shin-Osaka)
*
207 series (Kusatsu – Kobe)
*
321 series (Kusatsu – Kobe)
*
221 series
The is a suburban electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR-West) in the Kansai Region of Japan since March 1989.
Operations
* Tōkaidō Main Line (Biwako Line, JR Kyoto Line, JR Kobe Line) ( - , until ...
(Maibara – Kobe)
*
223 series (Maibara – Kobe)
*
225 series (Maibara – Kobe)
Former rolling stock
*
KiHa 75 (through services onto the Taketoyo Line, 1999 - March 2015)
*
KiHa 85 series (Nagoya / Osaka – Gifu, through service on the Takayama Main Line, 1989 – 9 July 2023)
*
113-1000 series (April 1972 - March 2006)
*
185 series
The 185 series () is an electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) primarily on mid-distance limited express services centering on Tokyo. As of August of 2024, two sets operate as Special Limit ...
(Tokyo – Atami, Misima through services onto the
Itō Line, March 1981 - March 2021)
*
211 series
The is a suburban electric multiple unit (EMU) train type introduced in 1985 by the Japanese National Railways (JNR). The trains are still being used by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). They were formerly used by the West Japan Railwa ...
(Tokyo – Atami – Numazu, through services onto the Itō Line, 1985 - April 2012)
*
215 series (Tokyo – Atami, 1992 - March 2021)
*
E217 series (Tokyo – Atami, March 2006 - March 2015)
*
251 series (Ikebukuro/Tokyo, Atami, through service onto the
Itō Line, April 1990 - March 2020)
*
651 series (''Izu Craile'' services: Odawara – Atami, through service onto the
Itō Line, July 2016 - June 2020)
File:Jre E217F.jpg, E217 series in Tokaido Line ''Shōnan'' livery, April 2007
File:113sayonara.jpg, A 113 series approaching Yokohama
is the List of cities in Japan, second-largest city in Japan by population as well as by area, and the country's most populous Municipalities of Japan, municipality. It is the capital and most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a popu ...
, March 2006.
*
References
External links
Stations of the Tōkaidō Main Line(JR East)
Further reading
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tokaido Main Line
Lines of East Japan Railway Company
Railway lines in Tokyo
Lines of Central Japan Railway Company
Lines of West Japan Railway Company
1067 mm gauge railways in Japan
Railway lines opened in 1872
1872 establishments in Japan
1500 V DC railway electrification