Chūō-Sōbu Line

Chūō-Sōbu Line train at Ochanomizu

The Chūō-Sōbu Line (中央・総武緩行線, Chūō Sōbu Kankō-sen^?) is part of the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) network in Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It runs on the right-of-way of the Chūō Main Line and Sōbu Main Line (Sōbu Line (Rapid)), providing short-haul commuter service between Mitaka Station in the cities of Mitaka and Musashino and Chiba Station in Chiba.

Kankō, or "slow run", distinguishes the local trains on the Chūō-Sōbu line from the rapid service trains running on the Chūō Main Line between Mitaka and Ochanomizu, and on the Sōbu Main Line between Kinshicho and Chiba.

Women-only cars, designed to prevent chikan, will be introduced on this line during morning rush hours starting on November 20, 2006.

Facts

• Length: 60.2 km
• Gauge: 1067 mm
• Number of stations: 39 (including ends)
• Multiple-track section: Entire line
• Electric supply: 1500 V DC

Rolling stock

Trains used on the Chūō-Sōbu Line are based at Mitaka Depot.

Rolling stock currently used

• 209-500 series 10-car EMUs (yellow stripe) (from December 1998)
• E231 series 10-car EMUs (yellow stripe) (from March 2000)

Rolling stock used in the past

• 101 series EMUs (yellow livery) (from 1963 until 1988)
• 103 series 10-car EMUs (yellow livery) (from 1979 until 2001)
• 201 series 10-car EMUs (yellow livery) (from 1982 until 2002)
• 205 series 10-car EMUs (yellow stripe) (from 1989 until 2001)

Stations

○: Stop; |: Pass; △: Stop on Weekdays.

Station	Ward, Prefecture	Chūō Line Rapid	Sōbu Line Rapid	Transfers
Mitaka	Mitaka, Tokyo	○		Chūō Main Line
Kichijōji	Musashino, Tokyo	○		Keio Inokashira Line
Nishi-Ogikubo	Suginami, Tokyo	△
Ogikubo		○		Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line
Asagaya		△
Kōenji		△
Nakano	Nakano, Tokyo	○		Tokyo Metro Tozai Line (through service)
Higashi-Nakano		|		Toei Oedo Line
Ōkubo	Shinjuku, Tokyo	|
Shinjuku		○		Yamanote Line, Saikyo Line, Shonan-Shinjuku Line, Odakyu Odawara Line, Keio Line, Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line, Toei Shinjuku Line, Toei Oedo Line
Yoyogi	Shibuya, Tokyo	|		Yamanote Line, Toei Oedo Line
Sendagaya		|		Toei Oedo Line (Kokuritsu-kyogijo Station)
Shinanomachi	Shinjuku, Tokyo	|
Yotsuya	Chiyoda, Tokyo	○		Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line, Tokyo Metro Namboku Line
Ichigaya		|		Tokyo Metro Namboku Line, Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line, Toei Shinjuku Line
Iidabashi		|		Tokyo Metro Namboku Line, Tokyo Metro Tozai Line, Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line, Toei Oedo Line
Suidōbashi		|		Toei Mita Line
Ochanomizu		○		Chūō Main Line for Tokyo Station, Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line, Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line (Shin-Ochanomizu Station)
Akihabara				Yamanote Line, Keihin-Tohoku Line, Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line, Tsukuba Express
Asakusabashi	Taito, Tokyo			Toei Asakusa Line
Ryōgoku	Sumida, Tokyo			Toei Oedo Line
Kinshichō			○	Sōbu Line (Rapid) for Tokyo Station, Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line
Kameido	Koto, Tokyo		|	Tobu Kameido Line
Hirai	Edogawa, Tokyo		|
Shin-Koiwa	Katsushika, Tokyo		○
Koiwa	Edogawa, Tokyo		|
Ichikawa	Ichikawa, Chiba		○
Motoyawata			|	Toei Shinjuku Line, Keisei Main Line (Keisei Yawata Station)
Shimousa-Nakayama	Funabashi, Chiba		|
Nishi-Funabashi			|	Tokyo Metro Tozai Line (through service), Musashino Line, Keiyo Line, Toyo Rapid Railway
Funabashi			○	Tobu Noda Line, Keisei Main Line (Keisei Funabashi Station)
Higashi-Funabashi			|
Tsudanuma	Narashino, Chiba		○	Shin-Keisei Line (Shin-Tsudanuma Station)
Makuhari-Hongō	Hanamigawa-ku, Chiba		|	Keisei Chiba Line (Keisei Makuhari-Hongo Station)
Makuhari			|
Shin-Kemigawa			|
Inage	Inage-ku, Chiba		○
Nishi-Chiba	Chūō-ku, Chiba		|
Chiba			○	Uchibo Line, Sotobo Line, Sōbu Main Line, Narita Line, Chiba Monorail, Keisei Chiba Line (Keisei Chiba Station)

Trains normally terminate on the west end of the line at Mitaka or Nakano, and on the east end at Nishi-Funabashi, Tsudanuma or Chiba. Some Tokyo Metro Tozai Line services stop at the same stations as the Chūō-Sōbu line between Mitaka and Nakano and between Nishi-Funabashi and Tsudanuma stations.