The is a railway line in Japan operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). The line officially began at Nippori Station in Arakawa, Tokyo and ended at Iwanuma Station in Iwanuma, Miyagi. However, following the inauguration of the Ueno–Tokyo Line, Jōban Line services are operationally extended to originate from or . Likewise, through‑running operations continue beyond Iwanuma, where Jōban Line trains proceed onto the Tōhoku Main Line tracks to . The route generally parallels the Pacific coastline of Chiba, Ibaraki, and Fukushima Prefectures.
The name "Jōban" is derived from the names of the former provinces of Jōshū (), and Banshū (), which are connected by the line to reach Tokyo.
The section of the Jōban Line between and , which extends through the exclusion zone surrounding the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear meltdown, closed in the wake of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. After some major repairs, the section reopened on 14 March 2020 after 9 years without service.
Basic data Operators, distances: East Japan Railway Company (JR East) (Services and tracks) Nippori – Haranomachi – Iwanuma: Mikawashima – Sumidagawa – Minami-Senju (Sumidagawa freight branch): Mikawashima – Tabata (Tabata freight branch): Japan Freight Railway Company (JR Freight) (Services) Mikawashima – Haranomachi – Iwanuma: Mikawashima – Sumidagawa – Minami-Senju (Sumidagawa freight branch): Mikawashima – Tabata (Tabata freight branch): Double/quadruple tracking: Quadruple: Ayase – Toride Double: Nippori – Ayase, Toride – Yotsukura, Hirono – Kido, Ōno – Futaba Electrification: 1,500 V DC: Nippori – Toride, Mikawashima – Sumidagawa – Minami-Senju, Mikawashima – Tabata 20 kV AC, 50 Hz: Fujishiro – Iwanuma. This section of the line, along with a nearby section of the Tsukuba Express in Ibaraki Prefecture (Moriya – Tsukuba), uses alternating current in order to minimize interference with the nearby Kakioka Magnetic Observatory in Ishioka. The dead section is located between Toride and Fujishiro Railway signalling: Automatic Train Control (ATC): Ayase – Toride Automatic Signaling Block for all other sections operation control ATOS: Ueno – Hatori, local train track Ayase – Toride CTC: All other sections
Services The Jōban Line connects Tokyo and the Tōhoku region. After the opening of the Tōhoku Shinkansen in 1982, the Jōban Line was split into two parts at Iwaki. South of Iwaki is mainly double track (Ayase - Toride is quad track), and north of Iwaki is predominantly single track. After the Fukushima disaster in 2011, the Jōban Line is further segmented in the Iwaki – Sendai section.
Shinagawa – Ueno – Iwaki
This entire section is served by several types of train services, which are described in the following subsections according to where they operate.
Limited express trains operate across the entire section.
Shinagawa – Ueno – Toride This section is mainly served by local, rapid, medium-distance train services serving the Greater Tokyo area.
Local (各駅停車): These local trains are commonly referred to as the Jōban Line (Local) 常磐線各駅停車. These local trains operate through services to the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line to/from via , where the Jōban Line and Chiyoda Line meet; some trains continue through on the Odakyu Odawara Line to/from . Trains usually originate/terminate at Abiko. At rush hours, trains originate/terminate at . Occasionally trains won't go too far, originating/terminating at or . Rapid (快速): Rapid trains are commonly referred to as the Jōban Line (Rapid) 常磐線快速. These services run between the southern termini of or (via Ueno–Tokyo Line) to the northern termini of Toride. Some trains go on to the Narita Line to via Abiko and are referred to as Jōban・Narita Line (常磐・成田線) trains. Rapid trains will skip some stations between and Abiko, that local services mentioned above would stop. Local (Medium distance) (普通): The "local" here refers to medium distance trains that operate north beyond Toride and stop at all stations north of Toride. South of Toride, they operate as rapid services and are referred to as such. Special rapid (特別快速): Special Rapid trains operate twice daily between Shinagawa and during non-rush hours. This service is created to compete with the neighbouring railway line, the Tsukuba Express.
Shinagawa – Ueno – Mito – Katsuta Trains that run beyond Toride are distinctly referred to as the Jōban Line (常磐線), without the term "Rapid". Trains that are called Jōban Line (Rapid) cannot go beyond Toride, as their rolling stock cannot be powered by alternating current, which is the type of electrification that the section uses.
This section is mainly served by local trains.
Local (普通): These trains stop at every station north of Toride. Hence the name "local". There are two types of local trains: Medium distance: These medium distance trains, as mentioned above, operate from central Tokyo to the north of Toride and stop at all stations there. They terminate at various stations, namely Tsuchiura, and . Special rapid (特別快速): Special Rapid trains stop at every station between Toride and Tsuchiura, so they're essentially the same as the medium distance trains, but become a different service once past south of Toride. Mito Line through service: These trains run through services to the Mito Line via Tomobe Station, operating from to .
Mito – Iwaki This section is mainly served by local trains.
Local (普通): These trains stop at every station, operating between Mito and Takahagi / Iwaki Medium distance / through service: In the early morning and late-night, few medium distance trains and Mito Line through trains operate to as far as , which is located about mid-way in this section.
Iwaki – Sendai Before the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster and the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, local trains and limited express trains used to run across the entire section. However, due to the damages caused after the disaster, the section between Tomioka to Harunomachi had to be closed down, and services were suspended. After certain sections of the line were reconstructed, regular services were gradually allowed to resume.
Iwaki – Tomioka This section is served by local service trains. This section was closed due to damage caused by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, but it has since reopened. (explained below).
Tomioka – Namie This section, which extends through the exclusion zone surrounding the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear meltdown, was suspended after the 2011 disaster. This section re-opened on 14 March 2020. Before this date, services were provided by an interim bus service.
Namie – Sendai This section is served by local service trains which serve the Greater Sendai area.
The section was once partially closed due to the 2011 disaster, but has since reopened in stages. The reconstructed segment between and was reopened on 10 December 2016, prior to which services were provided by an interim bus service.JR East press release: Hongo, Jun, "A year on, Tohoku stuck in limbo", The Japan Times, 11 March 2012, p. 1. JR East inspected the segment between and Odaka in preparation for the surrounding areas being cleared for re-settlement, resulting in train services between Namie and Odaka being resumed on 1 April 2017. Train services between Tatsuta and resumed on 21 October 2017.
Station list
The above is a diagram indicating Jōban Line service patterns within Greater Tokyo. For more information on limited express services (i.e.Hitachi and Tokiwa), see their respective pages.
Shinagawa – Ueno – Mito – Iwaki Legend Trains stop at stations marked "●" and pass those marked "" Few trains stop at stations marked "△" Note: Trains going beyond Tsuchiura and listed as '15 cars' on timetables will be reduced to a max to 10 cars past Tsuchiura station due to shorter platform lengths
LineNo.StationDistance in km (mi)Localrowspan=2 rowspan=2 rowspan=2 rowspan=2 TransfersTracksLocationBetweenstationsTotal(from Nippori)Tōkaidōalign=right●●●●●TwoMinatoTokyo●●●●●●●●ChiyodaTōhoku●●●●●Taitō●●●△ArakawaJōban●● ●● Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line (H-21) Tsukuba Express (TX-04)●●●● Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line (C-18) Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line (H-22) Tobu Skytree Line (TS-09) Tsukuba Express (TX-05)Adachi● Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line (C-19)Four● Katsushika● Keisei Kanamachi Line (KS-51) ●●●● Keisei Matsudo Line (KS-88)MatsudoChiba● ● Nagareyama Line● Musashino Line (JM-15) Nagareyama Line ()● ● Kashiwa ●●●●●△ Tobu Urban Park Line (TD-24)● ●●● Narita Line (Abiko Branch Line), some through services for Abiko ○●● ○●●● Jōsō LineTorideIbarakiEnd of suburban section, boundary of (south) and (north) electrification systems ● ● Two●●△△ Ryūgasaki Line (Sanuki)Ryūgasaki●●△ Ushiku●●△ ●●△ Tsuchiura●●●△ ● ● Ishioka●● ● Omitama● Kasama●● Mito Line (some trains through to Mito)● Mito●△ ●△△ ●●● Suigun Line Kashima Rinkai Railway Ōarai Kashima Line●●● Minato LineHitachinaka● ●△△ Tōkai, Naka District●●△ Hitachi●●△ ●●● ● ● ●●△ Takahagi● Kitaibaraki●△ ● ●△ IwakiFukushima● ●● ●● ● ●● Banetsu East Line Notes
Iwaki – Iwanuma – Sendai Legend
Trains stop at stations marked "●" and pass those marked "" Few trains stop at stations marked "△" Stations marked "◇" are located on passing loops and allow trains in opposite directions to pass each other From Iwanuma to Sendai, the train goes on Tōhoku Main Line tracks.
LineStationDistance in km (mi)rowspan=2 rowspan=2 TransfersTracksLocationBetweenstationsTotal(from Nippori)Jōban●● Banetsu East LineTwoIwakiFukushima● ● ◇● ◇● ◇●● TwoHirono, Futaba District● Naraha, Futaba District● ● ◇●● ◇Tomioka, Futaba District● ◇●● OneŌkuma, Futaba District●● Futaba, Futaba District●● ◇Namie, Futaba District● ◇Minamisōma● ◇● ◇●● ◇● ◇● ◇Sōma●● ◇● ◇Shinchi, Sōma District● ◇● OneYamamoto, Watari DistrictMiyagi● ◇● ◇Watari, Watari District●△ ◇● ◇●△ Tōhoku Main Line (for )^IwanumaTōhoku● TwoNatori● Sendai Airport Line● Taihaku-ku, Sendai● ● Sendai Subway Namboku Line●●Aoba-ku, Sendai
Rolling stock Local / Rapid service stock
Shinagawa – Ueno – Iwaki
Jōban Line (Local) JR East stock E233-2000 series (x19) 10-car EMUs Tokyo Metro stock Tokyo Metro 16000 series (x37) 10-car EMUs Odakyu stock Odakyu 4000 series
Jōban Line (Rapid) E231-0 series 10+5-car EMUs
Jōban Line E501 series 10 and 5 car EMUs (Operates only between Tsuchiura and Kusano) E531 series 10 and 5-car EMUs (can run as 15 car configuration as far as Tsuchiura station)
Iwaki – Sendai
701 series 719 series E531 series E721 series
Limited express stock E657 series 10-car EMUs (Hitachi/Tokiwa services) (from 17 March 2012)
Past Kiha 58 DMUs (Tokiwa and Okukuji rapid services) (through services to Suigun Line) (until March 1985) 80 series EMUs (Hitachi services) (from October 1969 until October 1972) 401 series EMUs (cream with blue stripe) (from June 1961 until 1987) 485 series EMUs (Hitachi services) (from October 1972 until December 1998) 103 series 10+5-car EMUs (emerald green livery) (from December 1967 until March 2006) 103-1000 series 10-car EMUs (Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line through-running services, sea green stripe) (from 1971 until April 1986) 403 series/415 series 7+4+4-car EMUs (cream with blue stripe) (from 1965 until March 2007) 207–900 series 10-car EMU (x1) (Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line through-running services, emerald green stripe) (from 1986 until December 2009) 203 series 10-car EMUs (Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line through-running services, emerald green stripe) (from 1982 until 26 September 2011) 415–1500 series 4-car EMUs (blue stripe) (from 1986 until 2016) 651 series 7+4-car EMUs (x9) (Hitachi services) (from March 1989 until March 2015) E653 series 7+4-car EMUs (Fresh Hitachi services) (from October 1997 until March 2013) 209–1000 series 10-car EMUs (from 1999 until 13 October 2018)
History