| Tōkaidō Main Line | |
|---|---|
| JT | |
Trains on the Tokaido Line. Clockwise from top left:
| |
| Overview | |
| Other names |
|
| Native name | 東海道本線 |
| Locale | Kantō,Tōkai,Kansai regions |
| Termini | |
| Stations | 166 (passenger only) |
| Service | |
| Type | Heavy rail |
| Operator(s) | |
| History | |
| Opened | 14 October 1872; 153 years ago (1872-10-14) |
| Technical | |
| Track length | 589.5 km (366.3 mi) |
| Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) |
| Electrification | 1,500 V DCoverhead catenary |
| Operating speed | 130 km/h (81 mph) |
TheTōkaidō Main Line (Japanese:東海道本線,romanized: Tōkaidō-honsen) is one of the most important railway corridors in Japan, connecting the major cities ofTokyo andKobe viaShizuoka,Nagoya,Kyoto andOsaka. The line, with termini atTokyo andKobe stations, is 589.5 km (366.3 mi) long, not counting its many freight feeder lines around the major cities. The high-speedTōkaidō Shinkansen largely parallels the line.
The term "Tōkaidō Main Line" is largely a holdover from pre-Shinkansen days; now various portions of the line have different names which are officially used by JR East, JR Central, and JR West. Today, the only daily passenger train that travels the entire length of the line is the combinedSunrise Izumo/Sunrise Seto service which runs overnight. During the day, longer intercity trips using the line require several transfers along the way.
The Tokaido Main Line is owned and operated by threeJapan Railways Group (JR Group) companies:

The Tōkaidō route takes its name from theancient road connecting theKansai region (Kyoto, Osaka) with theKantō region (Tokyo, then Edo) through theTōkai region (including Nagoya). Its name meant "Tōkai road", or the road running through Tōkai. The Tōkaidō Line does not follow the old road exactly, since the latter diverges at Nagoya toward theMie Prefecture coastline; to follow it by train, theKansai Main Line andKusatsu Line would have to be followed fromNagoya toKusatsu. Japan's largest population centers are all along this route: Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe. Since construction of the line, these centers have since grown to occupy an ever more dominant role in the country's government, financial, manufacturing, and cultural life.[1]
Historically, one of the first priorities of Japanese railway planners was to build a line from Tokyo to theKansai region, either following the Tokaido route or the northernNakasendō route. This decision remained unresolved as regional needs were addressed. The first railway in Japan was the line fromShimbashi toSakuragicho in Yokohama, which opened in 1872; another segment of today's Tokaido Main Line, between Kyoto and Kobe, opened in 1877.[2]
In 1883, the government decided to use the Nakasendō route, and construction of several segments commenced (including the modern-dayTakasaki Line). Railways were opened between Ogaki and Nagahama (1884) and between Nagoya and Kisogawa (1886) in line with the Nakasendo plan. However, by 1886, it was clear that the Tokaido route would be more practical, and so the Nakasendo plan was abandoned.[2]

The lines betweenKisogawa andOgaki,Yokohama andKozu, andHamamatsu andObu were completed in 1887, and the first line from Tokyo to Kobe was completed in 1889, when Kozu and Hamamatsu were connected through the present-dayGotemba Line corridor. The final segments were completed between Kasumigahara and Otsu. At the time, there was one Tokyo–Kobe train in each direction per day, taking over 20 hours each way. The "Tokaido Line" name was formally adopted in 1895. In October 1895, following theSino-Japanese War,through service to the Sanyo Railway (now theSan'yō Main Line) began.[2]
Express service between Tokyo and Kobe began in 1896, sleeper service in 1900, and dining car service in 1901. In 1906,all privately run main lines were nationalized under the newly createdJapanese Government Railways, which at the time had a network of just over 7,000 km (4,300 mi) of track.

On 20 December 1914,Tokyo Station opened and succeeded Shinbashi Station as the Tokyo-side terminus of the line. On the same day, an electrified commuter line was inaugurated along the section between Tokyo Station and today’sYokohama Station, which is now part of theKeihin–Tōhoku Line.[2] Automatic couplers were introduced on all freight wagons in 1926. In 1930, the firstTsubame ("swallow") express was introduced, reducing the Tokyo - Kobe travel-time to nine hours - a significant reduction from the twenty hours required in 1889 and fifteen in 1903.[1]

By the start of theTaishō era, route changes on several stretches of the line were deemed necessary to accommodate growing demand. The route bypassing Osakayama (betweenŌtsu andKyoto Stations), in use since 1878, was closed when the current, less steep route with two long tunnels was completed on 25 September 1919. The mountainous Gotemba stretch required an even larger-scale route change, culminating in the completion of theTanna Tunnel in 1934 after 15 years of construction. The new route through the tunnel is 11.2 kilometres long, compared to the old Gotemba route, which took a 60.2-kilometre detour around the Tanna Basin.[4] With the opening of the tunnel, the section between Tokyo and Numazu was fully electrified, as steam locomotives were unable to operate through the long tunnel safely.[5]

Electrification also progressed on the other end of the line around the same time, in 1934. Commuter rapid services between Kyoto and Kobe, using52 Series streamliner EMUs, began in 1937. However, further electrification of the line was overshadowed by the Second World War and did not resume until after the war. For security reasons, the army preferred to keep the middle portion of the line unelectrified, as unelectrified tracks were much easier to repair in the event of an enemy attack.[6]
During the war, the line's focus shifted towards freight services. Express services were significantly reduced, and sleepers and restaurant cars were withdrawn from service in 1944.JNR Class D52 locomotives were introduced for wartime freight transport, but their poor manufacturing quality led to several boiler explosion accidents.[7]

In the immediate aftermath of the war, almost all surviving express train carriages were requisitioned by theAllied Occupation Forces. Services such as theAllied Limited (Tokyo–Moji),Dixie Limited (Tokyo–Hakata), and theBCOF Train (Tokyo–Kure) operated on the Tōkaidō Line. Express trains for Japanese nationals resumed in April 1947, with sleeper services following in July 1948.[8]
In 1949, the Limited ExpressHeiwa, a successor to the pre-warTsubame service, and the sleeper expressGinga both began operating between Tokyo and Osaka. In January 1950,Heiwa was renamedTsubame. MakeshiftD52 freight locomotives were converted intoC62 express locomotives, the largest and fastest steam engines in Japan's rail history, to haul these services. One of the C62s, C62 17, holds the narrow-gauge steam world speed record, which was achieved on the Tokaido line near Nagoya on 15 December 1954, and is preserved at theSCMaglev and Railway Park.[9]
On 19 November 1956, the line was fully electrified. The Tokyo–Osaka express trains,Tsubame andHato, began to be hauled byJNR EF58 locomotives for the entire length of the route, reducing travel time from 8 hours to 7 hours and 30 minutes.[10] With no concerns about smoke polluting the carriages, these trains were painted light green and nicknamedAodaishō (green snakes, referring to theJapanese rat snake).[11]
On 1 October 1958, theKodama, the first limited express service operated by EMUs rather than locomotive-hauled carriages, commenced. This service further reduced travel time to 6 hours and 50 minutes. TheSeries 151 EMUs marked a significant milestone in railway technology, as EMUs were previously considered unsuitable for high-speed and long-distance services due to issues like noise, vibration, and cost. Since then, all non-sleeper express rolling stock, including theShinkansen, has been designed as EMUs. On the same day, theAsakaze sleeper express entered service with the newly built Series 20 carriages. These carriages were fully air-conditioned and nicknamed the 'hotel on the rail'.[12][13] Because these sleeper carriages and their successors were painted blue, sleeper trains in Japan came to be known asBlue Trains.
The capacity constraints on the Tokaido Main Line had been clear prior to World War II, and work started on a new1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)standard gauge "bullet train" line in 1940. Intercity passenger traffic between Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka largely transferred to theTōkaidō Shinkansen after it was completed in 1964. Since then, the Tokaido Main Line has been used as a commuter and freight line, serving a very small number of long-distance passenger trains (mainly overnight and sleeper services).
Following theHanshin earthquake on 17 January 1995, the line was shut down between Takatsuki and Kobe, with certain segments remaining impassable until 1 April of that year.
On 20 August 2016, station numbering was introduced, with stations between Tokyo and Ōfuna assigned station numbers of JT01 to JT07.[14][15] Numbers increase towards in the southbound direction towards Ōfuna. Station numbers would be assigned to stations beyond Ōfuna as far as Atami in 2018.
On the evening of 5 August 2023, a JR East Tokaido Line service struck a utility pole nearŌfuna and lost power, resulting in a suspension of service.[16] Four people, including the driver, sustained minor injuries. Service was restored on the morning of 6 August 2023.


The section between Tokyo and Atami is operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and it is located in theGreater Tokyo Area. It has local services (Japanese:普通,romanized: Futsū) and a rapid service calledRapid Acty (Japanese:快速アクティー,romanized: Kaisoku Akutī). It runs on dedicated tracks parallel to theYamanote Line between Tokyo and Shinagawa, theKeihin–Tōhoku Line between Tokyo and Yokohama, and theYokosuka Line between Yokohama and Ōfuna. SomeShōnan–Shinjuku Line trains share the segment south ofYokohama toŌfuna andOdawara. Until 12 March 2021, there were also commuter rapid (Japanese:通勤快速,romanized: Tsūkin Kaisoku) and Shōnan Liner (Japanese:湘南ライナー,romanized: Shōnan Rainā) services.[17]
TheUeno–Tokyo Line, a JR East project, extended the services of theUtsunomiya Line, theTakasaki Line, and theJoban Line to Tokyo Station, allowing for through services to and from the Tōkaidō Line from March 2015.[18]
Almost all trains along this section of the line have bi-level "Green Cars" with forward-facing seats, with each set of trains having 2 of them. Green Cars can be used after paying an additional fee.
A new station between Ōfuna and Fujisawa is being planned to serve passengers near the former JR FreightShōnan Freight Terminal. Construction is expected to start in early 2022. The new station is expected to open for service in 2032.[19]
Legend:
The point between JR East and JR Central operation is divided atAtami Station. The section of the line between Atami andMaibara is operated byJR Central, and covers theTōkai region:Shizuoka Prefecture,Aichi Prefecture, andGifu Prefecture. Some services from Odawara on the JR East section continues to travel on this section until Numazu Station.
| No. | Station | Japanese | Distance (km) | Rapid Services | Home Liner | Transfers | Location | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Between Stations | Total (From Tokyo) | Semi Rapid | Rapid | New Rapid | Special Rapid | |||||||
| CA00 | Atami | 熱海 | 104.6 | JTItō Line | Atami | Shizuoka | ||||||
| CA01 | Kannami | 函南 | 9.9 | 114.5 | Kannami,Tagata District | |||||||
| CA02 | Mishima | 三島 | 6.2 | 120.7 | ● | ■Izuhakone Railway Sunzu Line (some morning/evening through services) | Mishima | |||||
| CA03 | Numazu | 沼津 | 5.5 | 126.2 | ● | ● | Numazu | |||||
| CA04 | Katahama | 片浜 | 4.1 | 130.3 | ● | | | ||||||
| CA05 | Hara | 原 | 2.5 | 132.8 | ● | | | ||||||
| CA06 | Higashi-Tagonoura | 東田子の浦 | 4.6 | 137.4 | ● | | | Fuji | |||||
| CA07 | Yoshiwara | 吉原 | 3.9 | 141.3 | ● | | | ■Gakunan Railway Line | |||||
| CA08 | Fuji | 富士 | 4.9 | 146.2 | ● | ● | ||||||
| CA09 | Fujikawa | 富士川 | 3.5 | 149.7 | | | | | ||||||
| CA10 | Shin-Kambara | 新蒲原 | 2.8 | 152.5 | | | | | Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka | |||||
| CA11 | Kambara | 蒲原 | 2.4 | 154.9 | | | | | ||||||
| CA12 | Yui | 由比 | 3.5 | 158.4 | | | | | ||||||
| CA13 | Okitsu | 興津 | 5.9 | 164.3 | | | | | ||||||
| CA14 | Shimizu | 清水 | 4.7 | 169.0 | ● | ● | ||||||
| CA15 | Kusanagi | 草薙 | 5.2 | 174.2 | | | | | Shizuoka Railway Shizuoka-Shimizu Line | |||||
| CA16 | Higashi-Shizuoka | 東静岡 | 3.5 | 177.7 | | | | | Aoi-ku, Shizuoka | |||||
| CA17 | Shizuoka | 静岡 | 2.5 | 180.2 | ● | ● | Shizuoka Railway Shizuoka-Shimizu Line (Shin-Shizuoka) | |||||
| CA18 | Abekawa | 安倍川 | 4.3 | 184.5 | | | Suruga-ku, Shizuoka | ||||||
| CA19 | Mochimune | 用宗 | 2.1 | 186.6 | | | |||||||
| CA20 | Yaizu | 焼津 | 7.1 | 193.7 | | | Yaizu | ||||||
| CA21 | Nishi-Yaizu | 西焼津 | 3.3 | 197.0 | | | |||||||
| CA22 | Fujieda | 藤枝 | 3.3 | 200.3 | ● | Fujieda | ||||||
| CA23 | Rokugō | 六合 | 4.6 | 204.9 | | | Shimada | ||||||
| CA24 | Shimada | 島田 | 2.9 | 207.8 | ● | |||||||
| CA25 | Kanaya | 金谷 | 5.1 | 212.9 | | | Oigawa Railway Oigawa Main Line | ||||||
| CA26 | Kikugawa | 菊川 | 9.3 | 222.2 | ● | Kikugawa | ||||||
| CA27 | Kakegawa | 掛川 | 7.1 | 229.3 | ● | Tenryū Hamanako Railroad | Kakegawa | |||||
| CA28 | Aino | 愛野 | 5.3 | 234.6 | | | Fukuroi | ||||||
| CA29 | Fukuroi | 袋井 | 3.5 | 238.1 | ● | |||||||
| CA30 | Mikuriya | 御厨 | 4.6 | 242.7 | | | Iwata | ||||||
| CA31 | Iwata | 磐田 | 3.2 | 245.9 | ● | |||||||
| CA32 | Toyodachō | 豊田町 | 2.9 | 248.8 | | | |||||||
| CA33 | Tenryūgawa | 天竜川 | 3.9 | 252.7 | | | Chūō-ku, Hamamatsu | ||||||
| CA34 | Hamamatsu | 浜松 | 4.4 | 257.1 | ● | ● | ● | Enshū Railway Line (Shin-Hamamatsu) | ||||
| CA35 | Takatsuka | 高塚 | 5.3 | 262.4 | ● | ● | ||||||
| CA36 | Maisaka | 舞阪 | 5.1 | 267.5 | ● | ● | ||||||
| CA37 | Bentenjima | 弁天島 | 2.3 | 269.8 | ● | ● | ||||||
| CA38 | Araimachi | 新居町 | 3.1 | 272.9 | ● | ● | Kosai | |||||
| CA39 | Washizu | 鷲津 | 3.7 | 276.6 | ● | ● | ||||||
| CA40 | Shinjohara | 新所原 | 5.8 | 282.4 | ● | ● | Tenryū Hamanako Railroad | |||||
| CA41 | Futagawa | 二川 | 4.3 | 286.7 | ● | ● | Toyohashi | Aichi | ||||
| CA42 | Toyohashi | 豊橋 | 6.9 | 293.6 | ● | ● | NH Meitetsu Nagoya Main Line Toyohashi Railroad Atsumi Line (Shin-Toyohashi),Toyohashi Railroad Azumada Main Line (Ekimae) | |||||
| No. | Station | Japanese | Distance (km) | Rapid Services | Home Liner | Transfers | Location | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Between Stations | Total (From Tokyo) | Semi Rapid | Rapid | New Rapid | Special Rapid | |||||||
| CA42 | Toyohashi | 豊橋 | 6.9 | 293.6 | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | NH Meitetsu Nagoya Main Line Toyohashi Railroad Atsumi Line (Shin-Toyohashi),Toyohashi Railroad Azumada Main Line (Ekimae) | Toyohashi | Aichi |
| CA43 | Nishi-Kozakai | 西小坂井 | 4.8 | 298.4 | ● | | | | | | | | | Toyokawa | ||
| CA44 | Aichi-Mito | 愛知御津 | 3.7 | 302.1 | ● | | | | | | | | | |||
| CA45 | Mikawa-Ōtsuka | 三河大塚 | 3.1 | 305.2 | ● | | | | | | | | | Gamagori | ||
| CA46 | Mikawa-Miya | 三河三谷 | 3.1 | 308.3 | ● | ▲ | ▲ | | | | | |||
| CA47 | Gamagōri | 蒲郡 | 2.3 | 310.6 | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | GN Meitetsu Gamagōri Line | ||
| CA48 | Mikawa-Shiotsu | 三河塩津 | 2.3 | 312.9 | ● | | | | | | | | | GN Meitetsu Gamagōri Line (Gamagōri-Kyōteijō-Mae) | ||
| CA49 | Sangane | 三ヶ根 | 2.6 | 315.5 | ● | | | | | | | | | Kōta,Nukata District | ||
| CA50 | Kōda | 幸田 | 3.0 | 318.5 | ● | ▲ | ▲ | | | | | |||
| CA51 | Aimi | 相見 | 3.1 | 321.6 | ● | | | | | | | | | |||
| CA52 | Okazaki | 岡崎 | 7.4 | 325.9 | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ■Aichi Loop Line | Okazaki | |
| CA53 | Nishi-Okazaki | 西岡崎 | 4.2 | 330.1 | | | | | | | | | | | |||
| CA54 | Anjō | 安城 | 3.6 | 333.7 | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | Anjō | ||
| CA55 | Mikawa-Anjō | 三河安城 | 2.6 | 336.3 | ● | ● | | | | | | | |||
| CA56 | Higashi-Kariya | 東刈谷 | 1.8 | 338.1 | | | | | | | | | | | Kariya | ||
| CA57 | Noda-Shimmachi | 野田新町 | 1.6 | 339.7 | | | | | | | | | | | |||
| CA58 | Kariya | 刈谷 | 1.9 | 341.6 | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | MU Meitetsu Mikawa Line | ||
| CA59 | Aizuma | 逢妻 | 1.9 | 343.5 | | | | | | | | | | | |||
| CA60 | Ōbu | 大府 | 3.0 | 346.5 | ● | ● | ● | | | ● | Ōbu | ||
| CA61 | Kyōwa | 共和 | 3.0 | 349.5 | ● | ● | | | | | | | |||
| CA62 | Minami-Ōdaka | 南大高 | 2.3 | 351.8 | | | | | | | | | | | Midori-ku, Nagoya | ||
| CA63 | Ōdaka | 大高 | 1.8 | 353.6 | | | | | | | | | | | |||
| CA64 | Kasadera | 笠寺 | 3.2 | 356.8 | | | | | | | | | | | Minami-ku, Nagoya | ||
| CA65 | Atsuta | 熱田 | 4.0 | 360.8 | | | | | | | | | | | Atsuta-ku, Nagoya | ||
| CA66 | Kanayama | 金山 | 1.9 | 362.7 | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | NH Meitetsu Nagoya Main Line Nagoya Municipal Subway: | Naka-ku, Nagoya | |
| CA67 | Otōbashi | 尾頭橋 | 0.9 | 363.6 | | | | | | | | | | | Nakagawa-ku, Nagoya | ||
| CA68 | Nagoya | 名古屋 | 2.4 | 366.0 | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | E KintetsuNagoya Line (Kintetsu-Nagoya) NH Meitetsu Nagoya Main Line (Meitetsu-Nagoya) Nagoya Municipal Subway: AN Aonami Line (AN01) | Nakamura-ku, Nagoya | |
| CA69 | Biwajima | 枇杷島 | 4.0 | 370.0 | | | | | | | | | | | ■Tōkai Transport Service Jōhoku Line | Kiyosu | |
| CA70 | Kiyosu | 清洲 | 3.8 | 373.8 | | | | | | | | | | | Inazawa | ||
| CA71 | Inazawa | 稲沢 | 3.3 | 377.1 | | | | | | | | | | | |||
| CA72 | Owari-Ichinomiya | 尾張一宮 | 6.0 | 383.1 | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | NH Meitetsu Nagoya Main Line, BS Meitetsu Bisai Line (Meitetsu-Ichinomiya) | Ichinomiya | |
| CA73 | Kisogawa | 木曽川 | 3.5 | 388.6 | | | | | | | | | | | |||
| CA74 | Gifu | 岐阜 | 7.7 | 396.3 | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | NH Meitetsu Nagoya Main Line, KG Meitetsu Kagamihara Line (Meitetsu Gifu) | Gifu | Gifu |
| CA75 | Nishi-Gifu | 西岐阜 | 3.2 | 399.5 | ● | ● | ● | ● | | | |||
| CA76 | Hozumi | 穂積 | 1.0 | 400.5 | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | Mizuho | ||
| CA77 | Ōgaki | 大垣 | 9.5 | 410.0 | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ■Yōrō Railway Yōrō Line ■Tarumi Railway Tarumi Line | Ōgaki | |
| CA78 | Tarui | 垂井 | 8.1 | 418.1 | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | Tarui,Fuwa District | ||
| CA79 | Sekigahara | 関ヶ原 | 5.7 | 423.8 | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | Tōkaidō Main Line (Shin-Tarui branch line) | Sekigahara, Fuwa District | |
| CA80 | Kashiwabara | 柏原 | 7.1 | 430.9 | ● | ● | ● | ● | Maibara | Shiga | ||
| CA81 | Ōmi-Nagaoka | 近江長岡 | 4.3 | 435.2 | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||||
| CA82 | Samegai | 醒ヶ井 | 4.6 | 439.8 | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||||
| CA83 | Maibara * | 米原 | 6.1 | 445.9 | ● | ● | ● | ● | ■Ohmi Railway Main Line | |||
Maibara is shared by JR Central and JR West; JR West manages the station
Before March 2016, JR West operated trains from Maibara as far as Ogaki on JR Central territory. From 25 March 2016, all JR West departures were changed to JR Central trains to Maibara station.


Both the Mino-Akasaka and Tarui branch lines separate from the Main Line atMinami-Arao Junction [ja], located 3.1 km west of Ōgaki Station.
| Station | Japanese | Distance (km) | Transfers | Location | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Between Stations | Total (from Ōgaki) | |||||
| Ōgaki | 大垣 | - | 0.0 | Tōkaidō Main Line | Ōgaki | Gifu |
| Arao | 荒尾 | 3.4 | 3.4 | |||
| Mino-Akasaka | 美濃赤坂 | 1.6 | 5.0 | |||
All trains on theMino-Akasaka Branch Line operate as ashuttle service betweenOgaki andMino-Akasaka.[21] Services operate approximately every 45 minutes during morning and evening peak hours, but there are large gaps between services of 2-3 hours during the day. Running time is 7 minutes.[22]
Between Ōgaki and Sekigahara, there is a 25 per mil grade. In 1944, a single track bypass (in orange on the diagram) was built to avoid this steep slope of the main line. The old section, informally referred to as the "Shin-Tarui Line", remains largely unused, andShin-Tarui Station [ja] was closed in 1986. Today, the only rail vehicles that travel on this section of track arefreight trains and westbound express trains (theShirasagi,Hida #36, andSunrise Seto/Izumo services).
| Station | Japanese | Distance (km) | Transfers | Location | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Between Stations | Total (from Ōgaki) | |||||
| Ōgaki | 大垣 | - | 0.0 | Tōkaidō Main Line | Ōgaki | Gifu |
| Tarui | 垂井 | 8.1 | 8.1 | Tarui,Fuwa District | ||
| Sekigahara | 関ヶ原 | 5.7 | 13.8 | JR Central: Tōkaidō Main Line | Sekigahara | |
The western part of the Tōkaidō Main Line fromMaibara toKōbe is operated byJR West and forms the main trunk of the company's Urban Network in theOsaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area. Although the line is divided into three segments, known as theBiwako Line,JR Kyoto Line, andJR Kobe Line, they are part of a single contiguous network, with many services traversing multiple sections. The Biwako Line includes a segment of theHokuriku Main Line. Some services on theKosei,JR Takarazuka andGakkentoshi lines run through onto the Tōkaidō Main Line.
The section between Maibara andKyoto is known as the Biwako Line.
| Official line name | No. | Station | Japanese | Distance (km) | Stop | Transfers | Location | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Between Stations | Total (from Tokyo) | Local (Commuter) | Local (Suburban) | Special Rapid | Ward, City | Prefecture | |||||
| Through service from/toHokuriku Main Line | |||||||||||
| Tōkaidō Main Line | A12 | Maibara | 米原 | - | 445.9 | ● | ● |
| Maibara | Shiga | |
| A13 | Hikone | 彦根 | 6.0 | 451.9 | ● | ● | ■ Ohmi Railway Main Line | Hikone | |||
| A14 | Minami-Hikone | 南彦根 | 3.3 | 455.2 | ● | | | |||||
| A15 | Kawase | 河瀬 | 3.1 | 458.3 | ● | | | |||||
| A16 | Inae | 稲枝 | 3.7 | 462.0 | ● | | | |||||
| A17 | Notogawa | 能登川 | 3.7 | 465.7 | ● | ● | Higashiōmi | ||||
| A18 | Azuchi | 安土 | 5.1 | 470.8 | ● | | | Ōmihachiman | ||||
| A19 | Ōmi-Hachiman | 近江八幡 | 3.5 | 474.3 | ● | ● | ■Ohmi Railway Yōkaichi Line | ||||
| A20 | Shinohara | 篠原 | 4.0 | 478.3 | ● | | | |||||
| A21 | Yasu | 野洲 | 5.6 | 483.9 | ○ | ● | ● | Yasu | |||
| A22 | Moriyama | 守山 | 3.1 | 487.0 | ○ | ● | ● | Moriyama | |||
| A23 | Rittō | 栗東 | 2.1 | 489.1 | ○ | ● | | | Rittō | |||
| A24 | Kusatsu | 草津 | 2.3 | 491.4 | ● | ● | ● | Kusatsu | |||
| A25 | Minami-Kusatsu | 南草津 | 2.5 | 493.9 | ● | ● | ● | ||||
| A26 | Seta | 瀬田 | 2.7 | 496.6 | ● | ● | | | Ōtsu | |||
| A27 | Ishiyama | 石山 | 2.5 | 499.1 | ● | ● | ● | ||||
| A28 | Zeze | 膳所 | 2.8 | 501.9 | ● | ● | | | ||||
| A29 | Ōtsu | 大津 | 1.7 | 503.6 | ● | ● | ● | ||||
| A30 | Yamashina | 山科 | 4.5 | 508.1 | ● | ● | ● | Yamashina-ku, Kyoto | Kyoto | ||
| A31 | Kyoto | 京都 | 5.5 | 513.6 | ● | ● | ● | Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto | |||
| Through service from/toJR Kyoto Line | |||||||||||
| Within JR Kyoto Line: | Local (Northbound only) | Rapid | Special Rapid | ||||||||
The section between Kyoto andOsaka is known as the JR Kyoto Line. Trains from the Biwako and Kosei lines travel through onto the JR Kyoto Line and continue west towards theJR Kobe Line at Osaka.
Legend:
Local trains stop at all stations. Rapid trains in the morning skip some stops between Kyoto and Takatsuki.
The westernmost section between Osaka and Kōbe is part of the JR Kobe Line, which continues west toHimeji on theSan'yō Main Line. Although Kōbe is the official terminus of the Tōkaidō Main Line, most trains continue toNishi-Akashi,Himeji and beyond.
●: Trains stop at all times
|: Trains pass at all times
| Official line name | No. | Station | Japanese | Distance (km) | Stop | Transfers | Location | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Between stations | from Osaka | Local | Rapid | Special Rapid | Ward, City | Prefecture | |||||
| Through service to/from theJR Kyoto Line | |||||||||||
| Tokaido Main Line | A47 | Osaka | 大阪 | - | 0.0 | ● | ● | ● |
| Kita-ku, Osaka | Osaka |
| A48 | Tsukamoto | 塚本 | 3.4 | 3.4 | ● | | | | | Yodogawa-ku, Osaka | |||
| A49 | Amagasaki | 尼崎 | 4.3 | 7.7 | ● | ● | ● | Amagasaki | Hyōgo | ||
| A50 | Tachibana | 立花 | 3.0 | 10.7 | ● | | | | | ||||
| A51 | Kōshienguchi | 甲子園口 | 2.2 | 12.9 | ● | | | | | Nishinomiya | |||
| A52 | Nishinomiya | 西宮 | 2.5 | 15.4 | ● | ● | | | ||||
| A53 | Sakura Shukugawa | さくら夙川 | 1.5 | 16.9 | ● | | | | | ||||
| A54 | Ashiya | 芦屋 | 2.3 | 19.2 | ● | ● | ● | Ashiya | |||
| A55 | Kōnan-Yamate | 甲南山手 | 1.4 | 20.6 | ● | | | | | Higashinada-ku, Kobe | |||
| A56 | Settsu-Motoyama | 摂津本山 | 1.5 | 22.1 | ● | | | | | ||||
| A57 | Sumiyoshi | 住吉 | 1.6 | 23.6 | ● | ● | | | Kobe New TransitRokko Island Line (R01) | |||
| A58 | Rokkōmichi | 六甲道 | 2.2 | 25.9 | ● | ● | | | Nada-ku, Kobe | |||
| A59 | Maya | 摩耶 | 1.4 | 27.3 | ● | | | | | ||||
| A60 | Nada | 灘 | 0.9 | 28.2 | ● | | | | | ||||
| A61 | Sannomiya | 三ノ宮 | 2.4 | 30.6 | ● | ● | ● | Chuo-ku, Kobe | |||
| A62 | Motomachi | 元町 | 0.8 | 31.4 | ● | ● | | | ||||
| A63 | Kobe | 神戸 | 1.7 | 33.1 | ● | ● | ● | ||||
| Through service to/from theSanyo Main Line and theAko Line | |||||||||||



In addition to standard local, rapid, and special rapid service trains, the Tōkaidō Main Line also hosts a number of limited express services.
Overnight trains on the Tōkaidō Line go from Tokyo to westernHonshū andShikoku.


Middleton, William D. (August 2023) [April 1966]. "Tomorrow's railroad".Trains. Vol. 83, no. 8.Kalmbach Media. pp. 34–43.