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Utsunomiya Line
JU
E231-1000 series EMU betweenHigashi-Ōmiya andHasuda
Overview
Locale	Tokyo,Saitama,Tochigi,Ibaraki
Termini	Tokyo Kuroiso
Stations	34
Service
Type	Heavy rail
Operator(s)	JR East
Depot(s)	Oyama
History
Opened	28 July 1883; 141 years ago (1883-07-28)
Technical
Line length	163.5 km (101.6 mi)
Number of tracks	Double-track
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	1,500 V DC (overhead catenary)
Operating speed	120 km/h (75 mph)
Train protection system	ATS-P

TheUtsunomiya Line (Japanese:宇都宮線,romanized: Utsunomiya-sen) is the name given to a 163.5-kilometer (101.6 mi) section of theTōhoku Main Line betweenTokyo Station in Tokyo andKuroiso Station inNasushiobara, Tochigi, Japan. It is part of theEast Japan Railway Company (JR East) network.

Services on the Utsunomiya Line are typically divided into three categories: services to or from Ueno,Shōnan–Shinjuku Line services, andUeno–Tokyo Line services. Between Ueno and Ōmiya, trains share the track with theTakasaki Line, both of which serve asde facto express services compared to the parallelKeihin–Tōhoku Line. Northbound services mostly terminate atUtsunomiya orKoganei, with some atKoga. Southbound trains mostly travel through the Shōnan–Shinjuku Line toZushi on theYokosuka Line, or the Ueno–Tokyo Line toAtami on theTōkaidō Line, with a few trains terminating at Ueno.

The fastest service on the line, the rapidRabbit, makes the run between Ueno and Utsunomiya in 1 hour and 26 minutes.

Service on the line is generally divided at Utsunomiya, though the number of through trains had been increasing steadily over the years. South of Utsunomiya, 10- and 15-carE231-1000/E233-3000 series four-door suburban commuter EMUs with Green cars attached service the line, while to the north service was provided chiefly by 4-car205-600 series four-door EMUs. Starting 12 March 2022, all services north of Utsunomiya until Kuroiso useE131-600/-680 series EMUs, and through services using suburban 10/15-car trains ceased to operate.

Limited express services use the line, including:

• Nikkō / Spacia Nikkō / Kinugawa / Spacia Kinugawa (from Ikebukuro/Shinjuku to Kurihashi and on to theTōbu Nikkō Line)

Since March 2015, RapidRabbit services now run fromKōzu on the Tōkaidō Line, through the Ueno–Tokyo Line, to Utsunomiya. This service stops at every station on the Tōkaidō Line, and skips some stations on the Utsunomiya Line.Rabbit trains were first operated by theJapanese National Railways as an hourly/half-hourly rapid service. From October 2004,Rabbit services ran only twice during the morning; on weekends, they replaced the weekday commuter rapid service. From March 2021, the commuter rapid service was consolidated into the rapidRabbit service, which now operate two trains one-way from the Tōkaidō Line (one fromOdawara and one from Kōzu) to Utsunomiya in the morning, and between three and five trains each way between Ueno and Utsunomiya in the evening.^[1] From the start of March 2024 timetable revision, all southboundRabbit services to Ueno were discontinued, resulting in these services fully becoming one-way operation. Following this, evening northbound services were reduced to two trains from Ueno to Utsunomiya.^[2]

Local trains run four times hourly; one of those terminates at Koganei, while the rest terminate at Utsunomiya. During the morning peak, Tokyo-bound trains run at intervals of 4–6 minutes. Services are provided by E231/E233 series 10- or 15-car EMUs. Most trains continue south to the Tōkaidō Line through the Ueno–Tokyo Line, while some trains terminate at Ueno.

Within the Utsunomiya Line, Shōnan–Shinjuku Line rapid and local trains are each operated once per hour. They do not stop at Saitama-Shintoshin Station since it has no platforms available. They operate betweenZushi on theYokosuka Line and Utsunomiya.

Rapid trains operate once hourly, making limited stops. The travel time between Shinjuku and Utsunomiya is about 1 hour and 35 minutes.

Local trains operate once hourly (twice hourly during the morning), stopping at all stations. The travel time between Shinjuku and Ōmiya is about 32 minutes.

Between Utsunomiya and Kuroiso, local trains stop at every station. Trains operate approximately two times per hour, traveling between Utsunomiya and Kuroiso in approximately 50 minutes. All trains useE131-600/-680 series EMUs.^[3]

Commuter rapid services for Utsunomiya made fewer stops than theRabbit rapid services. They were operated only on weekday evenings, between Ueno and Utsunomiya. Trains departed Ueno between 18:00 and 22:00, and Utsunomiya between 16:00 and 21:00, with approximately one round-trip per hour. All trains wereE231/E233 series 10- or 15-car EMUs. This service ended on 12 March 2021.^[1]

From March 2015, with the Ueno–Tokyo Line opening, Tōkaidō Line RapidActy services ran up along the Utsunomiya Line. Services stopped at every station on the Utsunomiya Line, and skipped some stations on the Tōkaidō Line. Since 13 March 2021,Acty services stopped running through to the Utsunomiya Line.^[4]

• Ohayō Tochigi・Hometown Tochigi
• Hokutosei,Cassiopeia (once or twice daily night trains)

Two trains bound for Koga depart Ueno every weekday evening. Passengers can board only at Ueno; all other stations are for disembarking only. Stops include: Ueno, Urawa, Ōmiya, Higashi-Ōmiya, Hasuda, Kuki, and Koga. Service is provided by 7-car185 series and 9-car489 series EMUs.

• Local trains, excluding Shōnan–Shinjuku Line through trains, stop at all stations within the Utsunomiya Line (except Nippori)
• For limited express services, please see their respective articles.

Legends:

• ● : All trains stop
• ｜: All trains pass (↓: Indicates the direction of RapidRabbit trains passing)
• ▼: RapidRabbit trains stop (Northbound only)
• ■: Shōnan–Shinjuku Line trains stop, but use dedicated platforms on the Tōhoku Freight Line
• ∥ : Shōnan–Shinjuku Line trains do not travel within this section

• E231-1000 series EMUs
• E233-3000 series EMUs

• E131-600/-680 series 3-car EMUs (since 12 March 2022)^[3]

• EV-E301 series BEMUs

• 205-600 series EMUs (until 11 March 2022)

From March 2013, a fleet of eight refurbished 4-car 205-600 series EMUs was phased in on Utsunomiya Line services between Utsunomiya and Kuroiso, replacing211 series sets.^[5] These operated until 11 March 2022 when they were replaced by new build 3-car E131-600/-680 series EMUs.

• 
  An E231-1000 series EMU
• 
  An E233-3000 series EMU
• 
  A 205-600 series EMU

• Tōhoku Main Line
• Takasaki Line
• Shōnan–Shinjuku Line
• Ueno–Tokyo Line

Wikimedia Commons has media related toUtsunomiya Line.

• Stations of the Tōhoku Main Line (JR East)(in Japanese)

• Utsunomiya Line
• Lines of East Japan Railway Company
• Rail transport in Ibaraki Prefecture
• Rail transport in Tochigi Prefecture
• Rail transport in Saitama Prefecture
• Railway lines in Tokyo
• 1067 mm gauge railways in Japan
• Railway lines opened in 1883
• 1500 V DC railway electrification

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