The is a railway line in Japan operated by the

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). It connects Kōzu Station in

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 ...

Numazu is a city located in eastern Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 189,486 in 91,986 households, and a population density of 1,014 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Numazu is at the n ...

via

Gotemba is a city on the southeastern flank of Mount Fuji in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 88,370 in 36,096 households, and a population density of 450 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography ...

. The '' Mt. Fuji'' limited express service runs between

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 ...

Shinjuku Station is a major railway station in Tokyo, Japan, that serves as the main connecting hub for rail traffic between central/eastern Tokyo (the Special wards of Tokyo, special wards) and Western Tokyo on the inter-city rail, commuter rail, and rapid tr ...

and Gotemba via

Matsuda Matsuda (written: lit. "pine ricefield") is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: *, Japanese badminton athlete * Aoko Matsuda (松田青子, born 1979), Japanese writer and translator * Eiji Matsuda (1894–1978), Mexican ...

Station list

Rolling stock

Local services

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 ...

* 313 series

Limited express ''Mt. Fuji'' (formerly named ''Asagiri'') services

Odakyu 60000 series MSE The (Multi Super Express) is a Romancecar electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by the private railway operator Odakyu Electric Railway in Japan since March 2008. The trains are used on Odakyu through service to the Tokyo Metro Chiyo ...

(from March 2012)

Past

* 113 series *

Odakyu 3000 series SE The or SE (Super Express), later becoming SSE (Short Super Express), was a "Romancecar" electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by the Odakyu Electric Railway in the Tokyo area of Japan. It was the recipient of the inaugural Blue R ...

(until 1991) *

115 series 115 may refer to: *115 (number), the number *AD 115, a year in the 2nd century AD *115 BC, a year in the 2nd century BC *115 (Hampshire Fortress) Corps Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers, a unit in the UK Territorial Army *115 (Leicestershire) Field ...

(until 2007) *

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 ...

(until March 2012) *

371 series The was an electric multiple unit (EMU) train operated by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) in Japan between 1991 and 2014. Originally used on ''Asagiri (train), Asagiri'' limited express services in conjunction with Odakyu Electric Ra ...

(''Asagiri'' services, until March 2012) *

Odakyu 20000 series RSE The (Resort Super Express) was an electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated between 1991 and March 2012 by the private railway operator Odakyu Electric Railway on ''Asagiri (train), Asagiri'' limited express services in Japan. Operation ...

(''Asagiri'' services, until March 2012)

History

The present-day Gotemba Line was built as part of the original route of the

Tōkaidō Main Line The Tōkaidō Main Line () is one of the most important railway corridors in Japan, connecting the major cities of Tokyo and Kobe via Shizuoka (city), Shizuoka, Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka. The line, with termini at Tokyo Station, Tokyo and Kōbe St ...

connecting

with

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 portion between Kōzu and Numazu was opened on February 1, 1889, although it was not officially named the "Tokaido Line" until 1896. Portions were double tracked from 1891 and the double tracking was completed by 1901. The line took an indirect route between Kōzu and Numazu in order to avoid the Hakone Mountains, which affected the potential journey time between Tokyo and Osaka. A more direct route had been planned as early as 1909, but technical difficulties delayed the completion of the Tanna Tunnel until December 1, 1934. With the opening of the tunnel, the route of the Tōkaidō Main Line became via

Atami Station is a railway station in the city of Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, jointly operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central). Lines Atami Station is served by the JR Central Tōkaidō Shin ...

, leaving the section between Kōzu Station and Numazu Station as a

spur line A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line. Branch lines may serve one or more industries, or a city or town not located ...

renamed as the Gotemba Line. In 1943, due to the reduced traffic on the Gotemba line, and the urgent requirement for steel in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the line was returned to a single track railway. Diesel multiple units replaced

steam locomotive A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, Fuel oil, oil or, rarely, Wood fuel, wood) to heat ...

-hauled passenger trains in 1955, and a cooperative agreement was reached with the privately owned

Odakyu Electric Railway , 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 f ...

to operate

express train An express train is a type of passenger train that makes few or no stops between its origin and destination stations, usually major destinations, providing faster service than local trains that stop at many or all of the stations along their ...

s directly from

in Tokyo in the same year. The line was

electrified 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 ...

from 1968, and regularly scheduled freight services were discontinued at most stations by 1982. A new centralized traffic control system was installed in December 1989, with a programmed route control system implemented from March 1990. Installation for the

TOICA TOICA () is a rechargeable contactless smart card ticketing system for JR Central railway network which was introduced in the Chūkyō Area (Greater Nagoya) of Japan on November 25, 2006. The name is an abbreviation of " Tōkai IC Card". Like J ...

automated

turnstile A turnstile (also called a gateline, baffle gate, automated gate, turn gate in some regions) is a form of gate which allows one person to pass at a time. A turnstile can be configured to enforce One-way traffic#One-way traffic of people, one-way ...

system was completed at all stations in 2010.

Former connecting lines

* Gotemba station - A 19 km 762mm gauge horse tramway opened to Kawaguchiko in 1898, closed in 1905 but was reopened in 1909. It connected to the Tsuru horse tramway, providing a connection to Otsuki station on the Chuo Main Line until 1919, when it was truncated by 9 km, completely closing 10 years later. * Shimo-Togari station - The Izu Railway Co. opened a line to Shuzenji in 1898, electrifying the line at 1500V DC in 1918. In 1934 following the opening of the Tanna Tunnel and associated realignment, the line was truncated to Mishima-Hirokoji station on the Tokaido Main Line.

References

* {{Central Japan Railway Company Lines Lines of Central Japan Railway Company Railway lines in Kanagawa Prefecture Rail transport in Shizuoka Prefecture 1067 mm gauge railways in Japan Railway lines opened in 1889