Saikyō Line

A northbound Saikyo Line train bound for Kawagoe takes on passengers at Shinjuku Station.

The Saikyō Line (埼京線, Saikyō-sen^?, lit. "Saitama-Tokyo Line") is a railway line between Osaki Station (Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo) and Omiya Station (Omiya Ward, Saitama City).

It runs parallel to the Yamanote Line between Osaki and Ikebukuro (where it is formally called the Yamanote Freight Line (山手貨物線, Yamanote Freight Line^?)) and to the Tohoku Main Line between Akabane and Omiya (where it is formally called the New Commuter Line (通勤新線, New Commuter Line^?) or Second Tohoku Line (東北別線, Second Tohoku Line^?)). The portion between Ikebukuro and Akabane is officially as the Akabane Line (赤羽線, Akabane Line^?). However, none of these names are currently used in JR practice.

At the northern end of the line, some trains continue beyond Omiya as far as the city of Kawagoe on the Kawagoe Line. At Osaki, some Saikyo Line trains continue onward to Shinkiba on the Tokyo Waterfront Railway (Rinkai Line).

This line is notorious for chikan (痴漢), people (usually male) who take advantage of the line's severe overcrowding and long distances between stations to molest other people (usually female).[1] This overcrowding is planned to be relieved by the completion of the Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line, which will also serve the Saitama-Yamanote corridor.

Service

There are three types of trains on the Saikyo Line: Local trains (普通), Rapid trains (快速) and Commuter Rapid trains (通勤快速). Between Omiya and Akabane, Rapid trains only stop at Toda-Koen, Musashi-Urawa and Yono-Hommachi, while Commuter Rapid trains, which run during rush hours, stop only at Musashi-Urawa. South of Akabane, as well as on the Kawagoe and Rinkai lines, all trains make all scheduled station stops.

The equipment used on the Saikyo line consists of 205 series EMU trains owned by JR East, and series 70-000 EMU trains owned by Tokyo Waterfront Railway (only used on Rinkai Line through services).

Stations

• Omiya Station
• Kita-Yono Station
• Yono-Hommachi Station
• Minami-Yono Station
• Naka-Urawa Station
• Musashi-Urawa Station
• Kita-Toda Station
• Toda Station
• Toda-Koen Station
• Ukima-Funado Station
• Kita-Akabane Station
• Akabane Station
• Jujo Station
• Itabashi Station
• Ikebukuro Station
• Shinjuku Station
• Shibuya Station
• Ebisu Station
• Osaki Station

Rolling stock

• 205 series 10-car EMUs x 32 (based at JR Kawagoe Depot)
• TWR 70 series 10-car EMUs (owned by TWR)

References

• JR Saikyo Line
• "Worst for Chikan in Tokyo is Saikyo Line" Yomiuri Shimbun, February 8, 2005, retrieved June 19, 2006