Chūō Line (Rapid)

This article is about rapid services on the Chūō Line. For local services on the Chūō Line, see Chūō-Sōbu Line. For the entire Chūō Line between Tokyo and Nagoya, see Chūō Main Line.

The Chūō Line (Rapid) (中央線快速, Chūō-sen kaisoku) is the name given to rapid services on the eastern section of the Chūō Main Line operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) between Tokyo and Takao stations. Some services continue to Otsuki.

Chūō Line (Rapid)
JC
A Chūō Line (Rapid) E233 series, November 2022
Overview
Other name(s)	JC
Native name	中央線快速 (Chūō-sen kaisoku)
Owner	JR East
Locale	Tokyo
Termini	Tokyo Takao
Stations	24
Color on map	Orange (#ff4500)
Service
Operator(s)	JR East
Depot(s)	Mitaka, Toyoda
Rolling stock	E233-0 series 209-1000 series
Daily ridership	2,259,559 (daily 2015)[1]
History
Opened	11 April 1889; 135 years ago (1889-04-11)
Technical
Line length	53.1 km (33.0 mi)
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	1,500 V DC (overhead line)
Operating speed	100 km/h (62 mph) 130 km/h (81 mph) (Limited Express trains between Hachiōji and Takao)
Signalling	Automatic closed block
Train protection system	ATS-P

Basic data

• Operator: East Japan Railway Company (Services and tracks)
  • Tokyo – Takao: 53.1 km (33.0 mi)
• Double-tracked section: Entire line
• Railway signalling: ATS
• CTC center: Tokyo Operations Control Center

History

Most of the route of the Chūō Line (Rapid) was built by the Kōbu Railway and later acquired by the Japanese Government Railways in 1906.

Operation of electric multiple unit (EMU) trains on the Chūō Main Line began in 1904. By 1930, the EMU service had reached Tokyo to the east and Asakawa (now Takao) to the west. In 1933, two tracks were added to the existing double-tracked section between Ochanomizu and Iidamachi stations (later closed) to complete the four-track line between Ochanomizu and Nakano. On these additional tracks, express trains (急行電車, kyūkō densha), which skipped all stations except Yotsuya and Shinjuku, were introduced the same year. The express service was renamed "Rapid" (快速, kaisoku) service in March 1961.

Initially, the operation of express/rapid services was limited to weekday peak periods only. Express service began on weekends on March 5, 1944; daytime non-peak operation began on November 9, 1959, but it was limited to weekdays only until April 28, 1966. All day rapid service trains are available since March 14, 2020, when early morning and late night rapid operations began.^[2]

Manseibashi Station, located between Kanda and Ochanomizu, was closed in 1943. On the section east of Takao, only Nishi-Kokubunji Station (opened in 1973) and Nishi-Hachiōji Station (opened in 1939) were opened after the start of rapid services.

• 20 August 1979: 201 series EMUs introduced
• 16 March 1991: Ohayō Liner Takao/Ōme and Home Liner Takao/Ōme begin operation
• 10 April 1993: Kokubunji Station added to Ōme Special Rapid stops; Commuter Special Rapid begins operation
• 1 December 1997: Chūō Main Line-bound 115 series EMUs no longer service Shinjuku Station
• 5 October 2005: Women-only cars introduced
• 26 December 2006: E233 series EMUs introduced
• 20 August 2016: Station numbering introduced with stations being assigned station numbers between JC01 (Tokyo) and JC24 (Takao).^[3][4]
• 16 March 2019: 209-1000 series EMUs commence service.
• 11 March 2022: Through services to the Hachikō Line and Itsukaichi Line (except Holiday Rapid services) end.
• 18 March 2023: End of all Rapid Holiday Akigawa services and all Rapid Holiday Okutama services between Shinjuku and Ome.^[5][6]
• 2025:Green car service scheduled to start.^[7]

Future developments

JR East plans to introduce Green (first class) cars on Chūō Line (Rapid) and Ome Line services from spring 2025.^[8] This will involve adding two bilevel Green cars to 10-car and 6-car E233 series EMU sets, forming 12-car and 8-car sets. Work will be involved in lengthening station platforms and depot facilities to handle the longer trains.^[8] In order to compensate the insufficient train sets for regular operations due to existing sets to be undergoing green car addition modifications, two 209-1000 series train sets originally used on the Jōban Line (Local) have been transferred to the Chūō Line. These sets commenced service from 16 March 2019.

JR further announced the deployment of Green Car equipped trains from October 13 2024 on a trial basis before full deployment in early 2025.^[9][10]

Suicides

The Chūō Rapid Line is known for a high number of suicides, primarily due to the high speed at which some trains pass through stations on the line.^[11]

Services

Although the Chūō Line (Rapid) designation only refers to the section between Tokyo and Takao stations, many trains continue on past Takao to Ōtsuki, with some trains operating through services to other lines. These include both limited express and various special rapid services. For details, see the Chūō Main Line article. In addition, Chūō Line (Rapid) trains do not stop at some stations between Ochanomizu and Nakano stations; for information on those services, see the Chūō-Sōbu Line article.

The Chūō Line (Rapid) uses the two express tracks on the four-track section between Ochanomizu and Mitaka stations. Past Mitaka, trains use both tracks on the remaining double-track section. Since the express tracks do not have platforms at several stations in central Tokyo, even the slowest services of the Chūō Line (Rapid) skip such stations and are therefore called "Rapid" (快速). In addition to the basic type of "Rapid", there are some variations of the service types with fewer stops.

Rapid (快速)

Rapid LED display

This service is the most common on the Chūō Line (Rapid) route. They stop at all stations west of Nakano. After Nakano, it stops at Shinjuku, Yotsuya, Ochanomizu, and Kanda stations before arrival in Tōkyō Terminal. On weekends and holidays, trains do not stop at Asagaya, Kōenji, and Nishi-Ogikubo stations.

They run between Tokyo on the east side, and Takao/Otsuki on the west side, though some westbound services terminate at stations before Takao, such as Musashi-Koganei, Tachikawa, Toyoda and Hachioji.

Some trains operate through services to the Ōme Line (to as far as Ōme/from Okutama) or the Fuji Kyuko Line (to/from Kawguchiko, via Ōtsuki).

The service's signature color on service diagrams is orange (■).

Chūō Special Rapid (中央特快)  • Ōme Special Rapid (青梅特快)

Chūō Special Rapid LED display

Ōme Special Rapid LED display

Four services per hour in off-peak hours make limited stops between Tokyo and Tachikawa. These two services stop at the same stations that Rapid services would stop between Tokyo and Nakano. After Nakano, these services only stop at Mitaka, Kokubunji and Tachikawa, and stop at all stations west of Tachikawa. Eastbound services continue from Nakano as a rapid service.

Chūō Special Rapid stays on the Chūō Main Line to Takao and Ōtsuki, and some services operate beyond Ōtsuki to the Fuji Kyuko Line towards Kawaguchiko.

Ōme Special Rapid spurs to the Ōme Line towards Ōme, stopping at all stations within the line.

The service's signature color on service diagrams is blue (■) for Chūō Special Rapid and green (■) for Ōme Special Rapid.

Commuter Rapid (通勤快速)

Commuter Rapid

Commuter Rapid LED display

Commuter Rapid services operates weekday evening. It starts service in Tokyo heading west, and stops at Ogikubo and Kichijōji in addition to the stops of the two Special Rapids. They mostly terminate at Takao, though a few trains go further to Ōtsuki, or operate through services to Kawaguchiko on the Fuji Kyuko Line, or to Ōme on the Ōme Line. Again, through services to the Ōme Line or the Fuji Kyuko Line stops at all stations on their respective lines.

The service's signature color on service diagrams is purple (■).

Commuter Special Rapid (通勤特快)

Commuter Special Rapid LED display

This service only operates on weekday towards Tokyo, where two originates from Ōtsuki, two from Ōme on the Ōme Line, and one from Takao. It stops at all stations until Takao, Hachiōji, Tachikawa, Kokubunji, and Shinjuku and continues as a rapid service from Shinjuku. Again, services from Ōme stop at all stations on the Ōme Line.

The service's signature color on service diagrams is pink (■).

Musashino (むさしの号)

Musashino LED display

Main article: Musashino (train)

The Musashino is a local service train linking Ōmiya to Hachiōji via the Musashino Line. Services enter/exit the Chūō Line at Kunitachi by the freight branch, and stops at all stops from Kunitachi to Hachiōji.

Holiday Rapid (ホリデー快速)

A variety of Holiday Rapid services running on the Chūō Rapid Line operate during the weekends and holidays to serve passengers.

See also: Holiday Rapid Okutama

• The Holiday Rapid Okutama (ホリデー快速おくたま), which runs through the Ōme Line, and Holiday Rapid Akigawa (ホリデー快速あきがわ), which runs through the Itsukaichi Line, are two of them. They couple together, running through the Chūō Rapid Line, from Tokyo / Shinjuku to Tachikawa, through the Ōme Line to Haijima, and decouple. The former heads to Okutama, and the latter heads to Musashi-Itsukaichi.
• The Holiday Rapid Mount Fuji (ホリデー快速富士山) and Holiday Rapid View Yamanashi (ホリデー快速ビューやまなし) are two holiday rapid services that, though nominally called 'Rapid', they stop at stations not less than the Special Rapids (Stops at Shinjuku, Mitaka, Tachikawa, Hachiōji, Takao within the Chūō Rapid Line, and skips stations such as Nakano, Kokubunji, Hino, Toyoda, Nishi-Hachiōji, and also some stations west of Takao.)

• 
  Holiday Rapid Okutama & Akigawa coupled together
• 
  Holiday Rapid LED display
• 
  Holiday Rapid Okutama side LED display
• 
  Holiday Rapid Akigawa side LED display

Former Service

Local (各駅停車)

Main article: Chūō-Sōbu Line

Local LED display

This service operated during early morning and late night, where Rapid service trains would enter Chūō-Sōbu Line tracks within Nakano and Ochanomizu, stopping at all stations where regular Rapid services would skip, namely Higashi-Nakano, Ōkubo, Yoyogi, Sendagaya, Shinanomachi, Ichigaya, Iidabashi and Suidobashi. During this time, Chūō-Sōbu Line local trains only operated between Ochanomizu and Chiba.

They ran between Tokyo on the east side and as far as Takao on the west side, though, like Rapid services, some westbound services terminate at stations before Takao, such as Musashi-Koganei, Tachikawa, Toyoda and Hachioji. A few services operated through services to Ōme on the Ōme Line.

The service's signature color on service diagrams is yellow (■).

To prepare for the installation of platform doors on the Chūō-Sōbu Line platforms and the future addition of Green Cars, Rapid service trains ceased to operate on the Chūō-Sōbu Line tracks after 13 March 2020. Chūō-Sōbu Line local trains will no longer turn around at Ochanomizu during early morning and late night hours.^[2]

Itsukaichi Line and Hachikō Line through services

With the exception of the Holiday Rapid Akigawa, through services to the Itsukaichi Line (to/from Musashi-Itsukaichi, via Haijima on the Ōme Line) and Hachikō Line (to/from as far as Komagawa, via Haijima on the Ōme Line) operated until 11 March 2022.^[12]

Station list

• This list will include stations from Tokyo to Ōtsuki, where most train services on this line serve.
• For information on local services, please see the Chūō-Sōbu Line article.
• For information on the Chūō Line west of Otsuki, please see the Chūō Main Line article.
• Information on the limited expresses Azusa, Kaiji, Narita Express, Fuji Excursion, Hachiōji, Ōme and seasonal trains can be found on their respective pages.

Legend

• ● : All trains stop
• ｜: All trains pass (↑ ↓ : Indicates the direction of trains passing)
• ▲: Stop, eastbound only
• ▼: Stop. westbound only
• ◆: All trains pass on weekends and holidays

Station No.	Name	Japanese	Distance (km)		Rapid	Comm. Rapid	Special Rapid	Comm. Special Rapid	Chūō Main Line Local	Ōme Special Rapid	Transfers	Location
			Between stations	Total
TYOJC01	Tokyo	東京	-	0.0	●	▼	●	▲		●	Tohoku Shinkansen Hokkaido Shinkansen Yamagata Shinkansen Akita Shinkansen Joetsu Shinkansen Hokuriku Shinkansen JY Yamanote Line JK Keihin-Tōhoku Line JO Yokosuka Line JO Sōbu Line (Rapid) JE Keiyō Line JU Ueno-Tokyo Line JT Tokaido Line Tokaido Shinkansen M Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line	Chiyoda	Tokyo
KNDJC02	Kanda	神田	1.3	1.3	●	▼	●	▲		●	JY Yamanote Line JK Keihin-Tōhoku Line G Tokyo Metro Ginza Line
JC03	Ochanomizu	御茶ノ水	1.3	2.6	●	▼	●	▲		●	JB Chūō-Sōbu Line (Local) M Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line C Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line (Shin-Ochanomizu)
JC04	Yotsuya	四ツ谷	0.8	6.6	●	▼	●	▲		●	JB Chūō-Sōbu Line (Local) M Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line N Tokyo Metro Namboku Line	Shinjuku
SJKJC05	Shinjuku	新宿	0.7	10.3	●	▼	●	▲		●	JY Yamanote Line JB Chūō-Sōbu Line (Local) JA Saikyō Line JS Shōnan-Shinjuku Line OH Odakyū Odawara Line KO Keiō Line KO Keiō New Line M Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line S Toei Shinjuku Line E Toei Ōedo Line Seibu Shinjuku Line (Seibu-Shinjuku)
JC06	Nakano	中野	1.9	14.7	●	▼	●	↑		●	T Tokyo Metro Tōzai Line	Nakano
JC07	Kōenji	高円寺	1.4	16.1	◆	↓	｜	↑		｜		Suginami
JC08	Asagaya	阿佐ケ谷	1.2	17.3	◆	↓	｜	↑		｜
JC09	Ogikubo	荻窪	1.4	18.7	●	▼	｜	↑		｜	M Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line
JC10	Nishi-Ogikubo	西荻窪	1.9	20.6	◆	↓	｜	↑		｜
JC11	Kichijōji	吉祥寺	1.9	22.5	●	▼	｜	↑		｜	IN Keiō Inokashira Line	Musashino
JC12	Mitaka	三鷹	1.6	24.1	●	▼	●	↑		●		Mitaka
JC13	Musashi-Sakai	武蔵境	1.6	25.7	●	↓	｜	↑		｜	Seibu Tamagawa Line	Musashino
JC14	Higashi-Koganei	東小金井	1.7	27.4	●	↓	｜	↑		｜		Koganei
JC15	Musashi-Koganei	武蔵小金井	1.7	29.1	●	↓	｜	↑		｜
JC16	Kokubunji	国分寺	2.3	31.4	●	▼	●	▲		●	Seibu Kokubunji Line Seibu Tamako Line	Kokubunji
JC17	Nishi-Kokubunji	西国分寺	1.4	32.8	●	↓	｜	↑		｜	JM Musashino Line
JC18	Kunitachi	国立	1.7	34.5	●	↓	｜	↑		｜		Kunitachi
JC19	Tachikawa	立川	3.0	37.5	●[* 1]	▼[* 2]	●	▲	●	●	JC Ōme Line (some trains through to/from Tokyo) JN Nambu Line Tama Toshi Monorail Line (Tachikawa-Kita, Tachikawa-Minami)	Tachikawa
JC20	Hino	日野	3.3	40.8	●	▼	●	↑	●			Hino
JC21	Toyoda	豊田	2.3	43.1	●	▼	●	↑	●
JC22	Hachiōji	八王子	4.3	47.4	●	▼	●	▲	●		JH Yokohama Line ■ Hachikō Line KO Keiō Line (Keiō-Hachiōji)	Hachiōji
JC23	Nishi-Hachiōji	西八王子	2.4	49.8	●	▼	●	↑	●
JC24	Takao	高尾	3.3	53.1	●	▼	●	▲	●		■ Chūō Main Line (some trains through to Ōtsuki) KO Keiō Takao Line
Through service from/to					Chūō Main Line					JC Ōme Line
					for Ōtsuki and Kawaguchiko			for Ōtsuki	for Ōtsuki and Kōfu	for Ōme

1. Some through services from/to Ōme Line
2. Some through services to Ōme Line

Rolling stock

Rapid・Commuter Special Rapid・Chūō Special Rapid・Ōme Special Rapid ・Commuter Rapid

• E233 series (from 26 December 2006)

Former rolling stock

• 72 series
• 101 series (25 December 1957-13 March 1985)
• 103 series (1973-1983)
• 201 series (20 August 1979-16 October 2010)
• 209-1000 series x2 sets (16 March 2019-6 September 2024)

Chūō Liner / Ōme Liner

• 183 series (March 14, 1991 - March 14, 2008)
• E351 series 12-car EMUs (March 15, 2008 - March 16, 2018).

• 
  209-1000 series set 82, November 2022
• 
  Chūō Line 201 series, May 2001

References

1. "平成27年 大都市交通センサス 首都圏報告書" (PDF). P.92. 国土交通省.
2. "2020年3月ダイヤ改正について (Schedule changes for March 2020)" (PDF). 13 December 2019.
3. "⾸都圏エリアへ 「駅ナンバリング」を導⼊します" [Introduce “station numbering” to the Tokyo metropolitan area] (PDF). jreast.co.jp (in Japanese). 6 April 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
4. Kusamachi, Yoshikazu (7 April 2016). "JA・JK・JT・AKB…JR東日本、首都圏で駅ナンバリングなど導入へ" [JA, JK, JT, AKB … JR East to introduce station numbering in the Tokyo metropolitan area]. Response Automotive Media (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 6 August 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
5. "ホリデー快速おくたま"の奥多摩直通運転が終了" ["Holiday Express Okutama" ends Okutama direct service]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). 13 March 2023. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
6. "ホリデー快速あきがわ"の運転終了" ["Holiday Rapid Akigawa" service ends]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). 13 March 2023. Archived from the original on 13 March 2023. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
7. https://www.jreast.co.jp/railway/train/green/. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
8. ＪＲ東日本、中央線のグリーン車計画を延期 [JR East to postpone Chūō Line Green car plans]. Sankei News (in Japanese). Japan: The Sankei Shimbun & Sankei Digital. 24 March 2017. Archived from the original on 24 March 2017. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
9. "中央線快速・東京～大月など 2階建てグリーン車導入 「お試し」来年春まで無料 山梨". YTV News NNN (in Japanese). Retrieved 14 October 2024.
10. Oguchi, Takahiro (13 October 2024). "2階建てグリーン車であえて「1階」を選ぶ理由--JR中央線で連結開始、全席電源でテレワークも". CNET Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 14 October 2024.
11. French, Howard W. (6 June 2000). "Kunitachi City Journal; Japanese Trains Try to Shed a Gruesome Appeal". Health. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 27 June 2009. Retrieved 2008-09-20.
12. "2022年3月ダイヤ改正について" [March 2022 Timetable Revision (Hachiōji Branch)] (PDF) (in Japanese). 17 December 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 March 2022.

External links

• East Japan Railway Company (JR East) Official Website (in English)