The , commonly called the Chūō Line, is one of the major trunk railway lines in Japan. It connects Tokyo and Nagoya, although it is the slowest direct railway connection between the two cities; the coastal Tōkaidō Main Line is slightly faster, and the Tōkaidō Shinkansen is currently the fastest rail link between the cities.
The eastern portion, the , is operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East), while the western portion, the , is operated by the Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central). The dividing point between the two companies is , where express trains from both operators continue north onto the Shinonoi Line towards the cities of Matsumoto and Nagano. Compared to the huge urban areas at either end of the Chūō Line, its central portion is lightly traveled; the Shiojiri-Nakatsugawa corridor is only served by one limited express and one local service per hour.
The Chūō Main Line passes through the mountainous center of Honshu. Its highest point (near ) is about above sea level and much of the line has a gradient of 25 per mil (2.5% or 1 in 40). Along the Chūō East Line section, peaks of the Akaishi and Kiso as well as Mount Yatsugatake can be seen from trains. The Chūō West Line parallels the old Nakasendō highway (famous for the preserved post towns of Tsumago-juku and Magome-juku) and the steep Kiso Valley.
Routes Entire Route (Tokyo - Nagoya including branch): East Line (Tokyo - Shiojiri): Tokyo - Kanda: (officially part of the Tōhoku Main Line) Kanda - Yoyogi: Yoyogi - Shinjuku: (officially part of the Yamanote Line) Shinjuku - Shiojiri: East Line - Tatsuno branch line (Okaya - Tatsuno - Shiojiri): West Line (Shiojiri - Nagoya): Shiojiri - Kanayama: Kanayama - Nagoya: (alongside Tōkaidō Main Line)
Stations and services
This section lists all stations on the Chūō Main Line and generally explains regional services on the line. In addition, there are limited express services connecting major cities along the line, namely Azusa, Super Azusa, Kaiji, Hamakaiji, Narita Express and Shinano. For details of the limited express trains, see the relevant articles.
Tokyo - Mitaka
The section between Tokyo and Mitaka is grade-separated, with no level crossings. Between Ochanomizu and Mitaka, the Chūō Main Line has four tracks; two of them are with platforms at every station; the other two are with some stations without platforms. The local tracks are used by the Chūō-Sōbu Line local trains, while the rapid tracks carry rapid service and limited express trains. The Tokyo-Mitaka portion is a vital cross-city rail link.
The commuter services on the rapid tracks are collectively called the Chūō Line (Rapid) in comparison with the or the Chūō-Sōbu Line on the local tracks. The former is usually referred to simply as the Chūō Line and the latter the Sōbu Line. Separate groups of trainsets are used for these two groups of services: cars with an orange belt for the rapid service trains and cars with a yellow belt for the local service trains. Signs at stations also use these colors to indicate the services.
This section is located entirely within Tokyo.
Mitaka - Takao
The four-track section ends at Mitaka. Most of the section between Mitaka and Tachikawa had been elevated between 2008 and 2011 to eliminate level crossings. Plans have been proposed to add another two tracks as far as Tachikawa, but were not included in the track elevation.
Takao - Shiojiri Most of the rapid service trains from Tokyo terminate at Takao, where the line exits the large urban area of Tokyo. The section between Takao and Ōtsuki still carries some commuter trains as well as long distance local trains and Limited Express trains. The Kaiji limited express terminates at Kōfu, the capital of Yamanashi Prefecture, while the Azusa continue beyond Shiojiri to Matsumoto via the Shinonoi Line.
All stations from Takao to Shiojiri are served by the Chūō Main Line Local. Local trains from Takao run as far as Matsumoto or even Nagano.
Legends:
●: All trains stop ▲: Stop, eastbound services only ▼: Stop, westbound services only
Station No.NameJapaneseDistance (km)Chūō Main Line LocalRapidComm.RapidChūō SpecialRapidComm.SpecialRapidTransfersLocationBetween stationsTotalThrough service to Chūō Line (Rapid) for:TachikawaTachikawa, Shinjuku and Tokyo高尾3.353.1●●▼●▲ Chūō Line (Rapid)Keiō Takao LineHachiōjiTokyo相模湖9.562.6●●▼●▲SagamiharaKanagawa藤野3.766.3●●▼●▲上野原3.569.8●●▼●▲UenoharaYamanashi四方津4.274.0●●▼●▲梁川3.677.6●●▼●▲Ōtsuki鳥沢3.681.2●●▼●▲猿橋4.185.3●●▼●▲Ōtsuki大月2.587.8●●▼●▲ Fujikyuko Line (some through trains to/from Kawaguchiko)Through service to:Chūō Main Line for (see below)Some to Fujikyuko Line for Kawaguchiko/ Station numbers were introduced through Shiojiri in February 2025. Station No. StationJapanese Distance (km) TransfersLocation 大月87.8 Fujikyuko LineŌtsukiYamanashi 初狩93.9 笹子100.4 甲斐大和106.5 Kōshū 勝沼ぶどう郷112.5 塩山116.9 東山梨120.1 Yamanashi 山梨市122.2 春日居町125.0 Fuefuki 石和温泉127.8 酒折131.2 Kōfu 甲府134.1 Minobu Line 竜王138.6 Kai 塩崎142.7 韮崎147.0 Nirasaki 新府151.2 穴山154.7 日野春160.1 Hokuto 長坂166.3 小淵沢173.7 Koumi Line 信濃境178.2 FujimiNagano 富士見182.9 すずらんの里186.1 青柳188.0 Chino 茅野195.2 Fumonji Junction普門寺信号場(198.9) Suwa 上諏訪201.9 下諏訪206.3 Shimosuwa 岡谷210.4Chūō Line (For Tatsuno)Okaya みどり湖218.2 Shiojiri 塩尻222.1
Okaya – Shiojiri
The Okaya-Shiojiri branch is an old route of the Chūō Main Line. It carries a small number of shuttle trains and trains from/to the Iida Line, which branches off at Tatsuno.
StationJapanese Distance (km) TransfersLocation 岡谷210.4 Chūō Line (for Kami-Suwa, Midoriko)OkayaNagano 川岸213.9 辰野219.9 Iida Line 信濃川島224.2 小野228.2 塩尻238.1 Shiojiri
Prior to the opening of the new route between Okaya and Shiojiri, there was a junction () between and stations. It had a reversing layout. The signal station was closed on 12 October 1983.
Shiojiri - Nakatsugawa
Shiojiri is the dividing point of the East Line and the West Line; no train continues from one to the other. The Shinano limited express is the main service for the rural Shiojiri-Nakatsugawa section.
No. StationJapanese Distance TransfersLocation 塩尻222.1ShiojiriNagano 洗馬226.3 日出塩231.0 贄川236.2 木曽平沢241.4 奈良井243.2 藪原249.8 Kiso (village) 宮ノ越255.5 Kiso (town) 原野258.3 木曽福島263.8 上松271.1 Agematsu 倉本277.7 須原282.5 Ōkuwa 大桑285.8 野尻288.8 十二兼292.5 Nagiso 南木曽298.0 田立304.3 坂下307.1 NakatsugawaGifu 落合川313.2 中津川317.0 Chūō Line (for Tajimi, Nagoya)
Nakatsugawa - Nagoya Local and rapid service trains run on the line from Nakatsugawa to Nagoya. This section carries urban traffic for the Greater Nagoya Area.
Local trains stop at all stations (except Sannō Junction).
Legends: ● : All trains stop | ↓ ↑ : All trains pass (Arrows indicate the passing direction) ▼ : Only southbound trains stop ▲ : Only northbound trains stop
No. StationJapanese Distance(km)Stops Transfers LocationRapidHome LinerTajimiMizunamiNakatsugawaCity / TownPrefecture 中津川 317.0● ● Chūō Line (for Kiso-Fukushima and Shiojiri)NakatsugawaGifu 美乃坂本 323.4●↑ 恵那 328.6●●Akechi Railroad Akechi Line Ena 武並 334.0●↑ 釜戸 339.4●↑ Mizunami 瑞浪 346.8●●● 土岐市 353.7●●● Toki 多治見 360.7●●●● Taita LineTajimi 古虎渓 365.3|↓|↑ 定光寺 368.8|↓|↑ KasugaiAichi 高蔵寺 372.9●●▼↑Aichi Loop Line 神領 376.1|↓|↑ 春日井 378.8●↓|↑ 勝川 381.9●↓|↑JR-Central Transport Service Jōhoku Line 新守山 384.6|↓|↑ Nagoya 大曽根 387.1●↓●● Meitetsu Seto Line
Meijō Line
Nagoya Guideway Bus Yutorito Line 千種 389.8●●●● Higashiyama Line鶴舞 391.3●↓▲● Tsurumai Line 金山 393.6●●●● Tōkaidō Main Line
Meitetsu Nagoya Main Line
Meijō Line
Meikō Line Sannō Junction山王信号場 395.1|↓|↑JR Freight Nagoyaminato Branch名古屋 396.9●●●● Tōkaidō Shinkansen
Tōkaidō Main Line
Kansai Main Line
Higashiyama Line
Sakura-dōri Line
Aonami Line
Meitetsu Nagoya Main Line (at Meitetsu Nagoya)
Kintetsu Nagoya Line (at )
Junctions
is a junction between Chino and Kami-Suwa stations in Suwa, Nagano. It entered into use on 2 September 1970. is a junction that diverts freight traffic from the Chūō Main Line to the Tōkaidō Line freight branch between Kanayama and Nagoya stations in Nagoya. It entered into use on 10 October 1962.
Rolling stock
Chūō East Line (JR East) New E233 series trains entered service on Tokyo-area commuter services from 26 December 2006. These trains are a development of the E231 series used on other commuter lines in the Tokyo area, and replaced the aging 201 series rolling stock introduced on the line in 1981.
From 2017, new E353 series EMUs were introduced on Azusa and Super Azusa limited express services, replacing the E351 and E257 series trains.
From 2021, E259 series EMUs on Narita Express services to and from Takao ceased operations.
Chūō Rapid Line E233 series 209-1000 series Chūō-Sōbu Line E231 series E231-500 series Tokyo Metro Tōzai Line E231-800 series 05 series 07 series 15000 series Chūō Main Line Local trains 211 series E127 series Limited Express E353 series (Azusa, Kaiji, Fuji Excursion, Hachiōji, Ōme) Seasonal services 185 series (Hamakaiji) 215 series (Holiday Rapid View Yamanashi)
Chūō West Line (JR Central)
Local Trains 211 series 213 series 311 series 313 series 315 series Limited Express 383 series (Shinano)
Freight train JR Freight Class EH200
History The opened the initial section of the Chūō Line from Shinjuku Station to Tachikawa Station in 1889. The company then extended the line both westward and eastward (towards Tokyo) until it was nationalised in 1906. The Japanese Government Railways (JGR) then continued to extend the line, reaching Shiojiri the same year, and Tokyo (at ) in 1908. The JGR also built the line from Nagoya, the first section opening in 1900, with the lines connecting in 1911. The Table below gives the section opening dates.
In 1904, the section between Iidamachi Station (formerly located between Suidōbashi Station and Iidabashi Station) and Nakano Station was the first urban electric railway in Japan using 600 V DC. Electrification was extended in 1919 and 1922, was increased to 1,200 V DC when extended to Tokyo in 1927, boosted again to 1,500 V DC in 1929, and reached Kofu in 1931. Electrification from the Nagano end was commissioned in sections from 1966, and the entire line was electrified by 1973.
+Chūō Main Line construction timelineSectionOpening dateBuilderEast LineTokyo1 March 1919JGRManseibashi †1 April 1912Shōheibashi †19 April 1908Ochanomizu31 December 1904KōbuIidamachi †3 April 1895Ushigome †9 October 1894Shinjuku11 April 1889Tachikawa11 August 1889Hachiōji1 August 1901JGRUenohara1 June 1902Torisawa1 October 1902Ōtsuki1 February 1903Kai-Yamato(Hajikano)11 June 1903Kōfu15 December 1903Nirasaki21 December 1904Fujimi25 November 1905Okaya5 July 1983(See note below)JNRShiojiriWest Line1 December 1909JGRYabuhara5 October 1910Miyanokoshi1 May 1911Kiso-Fukushima25 November 1910Agematsu5 October 1910Suhara1 December 1909Nojiri1 September 1909Nagiso (Midono)15 July 1909Sakashita1 August 1908Nakatsugawa(Nakatsu)21 December 1902Tajimi25 July 1900Nagoya Notes: The section between Okaya Station and Shiojiri Station is the new route that replaced the old route opened on June 11, 1906, by JGR. Station names in parentheses are original names. Stations marked † are now closed. Prior to the connection of the East Line and the West Line in 1911, the section between Shiojiri Station and Miyanokoshi Station belonged to the East Line.
Former connecting lines
Mitaka Station: A line to a Nakajima Aircraft factory opened in 1942, and was closed in 1945. In 1950, the factory site was used to build a sports stadium. The line from Mitaka to reopened on 14 April 1951, but was closed again on 1 November 1959.