Although the Chūō Line (Rapid) designation only refers to the section between Tokyo and Takao stations, many trains continue on past Takao to Ōtsuki. These include both limited express and various special rapid services. For details, see the
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
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 . In addition to the basic type of "Rapid", there are some variations of the service types with fewer stops.
services run on weekday peak periods only. There is one Chūō Liner from Takao for Tokyo in the morning and six in the evenings from Tokyo for Takao and Hachioji. The Ōme Liner has one service during the morning from Ōme and two in the evening from Tokyo. Unlike other rapid services, the Chūō/Ōme Liners require the purchase of a liner ticket in addition to the base fare; all seats are unreserved, but the number of liner tickets solid is limited to the number of seats available. Liner services are provided by
Most of the route of the Chūō Line (Rapid) was built by the Kōbu Railway and later acquired by the
(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, , which skipped all stations except Yotsuya and Shinjuku, were introduced the same year. The express service was renamed to 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.
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.
, primarily due to the high speed at which some trains pass through stations on the line.
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Japanese |
Distance (km) |
Rapid |
Comm. Rapid |
Special Rapid |
Ōme Special Rapid |
Comm. Special Rapid |
Chūō /Ōme Liners |
Transfers |
Location |
Between Stations |
Total |
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Tōhoku ShinkansenThe is a Japanese high-speed Shinkansen rail line, connecting Tokyo with Aomori in Aomori Prefecture for a total length of 674 km, Japan's longest Shinkansen line. It runs through the more sparsely populated Tōhoku region of Japan's main island Honshu. It has two spur lines, Yamagata... , Jōetsu ShinkansenThe is a high-speed railway line connecting Tokyo and Niigata, Japan, via the Tōhoku Shinkansen, operated by the East Japan Railway Company .-History:The program was initiated in 1971 by Niigata-born prime minister Tanaka Kakuei... , Nagano ShinkansenThe is a Shinkansen high-speed rail line operated by East Japan Railway Company between Takasaki and Nagano in Japan. It opened on 1 October 1997, connecting Tokyo and Nagano in time for the 1998 Winter Olympics held in Nagano... , Yamanote LineThe is commuter rail loop line in Tokyo, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company . It is one of Tokyo's busiest and most important lines, connecting most of Tokyo's major stations and urban centres, including the Yūrakuchō/Ginza area, Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Ikebukuro, with all but two of its... , Keihin-Tōhoku LineThe , is a railway line in Japan which connects the cities of Saitama, Kawaguchi, Tokyo, Kawasaki, and Yokohama. It is part of the East Japan Railway Company network. The line's name is derived from the characters for , and the... , Tōkaidō Line, Sōbu Line (Rapid)The is a railway service on the Sōbu Main Line in Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It connects in Chūō, Tokyo and in Chūō-ku, Chiba via the cities of Ichikawa, Funabashi, and Narashino... , Yokosuka LineThe is a railway line in Japan operated by the East Japan Railway Company .The Yokosuka Line connects in Chūō, Tokyo and in Yokosuka, Kanagawa... , Keiyō LineThe is a railway line connecting Tokyo and Chiba, Japan, running mainly along the edge of Tokyo Bay. It is operated by the East Japan Railway Company .It provides the main rail access to the Tokyo Disney Resort and the Makuhari Messe exhibition center...
Tōkaidō Shinkansen Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line (M-17) |
Chiyodais one of the 23 special wards in central Tokyo, Japan. In English, it is called Chiyoda ward. As of October 2007, the ward has an estimated population of 45,543 and a population density of 3,912 people per km², making it by far the least populated of the special wards...
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Yamanote Line, Keihin-Tōhoku Line Tokyo Metro Ginza LineThe is a subway line located in Tokyo, Japan. It is part of the of Tokyo Metro network. The official name is . It is 14.3 km long and serves the wards of Shibuya, Minato, Chūō, Chiyoda, and Taitō.... (G-13) |
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Chūō-Sōbu Line (Local) The is a railway line located in Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Part of the East Japan Railway Company network, it runs on separate tracks along the right-of-way of the Chūō Main Line and Sōbu Main Line , providing service between Mitaka Station in the cities of Mitaka and Musashino and...
Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line (M-20), Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line (C-12) |
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四ツ谷 |
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6.6 |
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Chūō-Sōbu Line (Local) Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line (M-12), Tokyo Metro Namboku LineThe is a subway line owned and operated by Tokyo Metro in Tokyo, Japan. Its name literally means South-North Line. The line runs between Meguro in Shinagawa and Akabane-Iwabuchi in Kita... (N-08) |
Shinjukuis one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative center, housing the busiest train station in the world and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration center for the government of Tokyo.As of 2008, the ward has an estimated population...
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10.3 |
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Yamanote Line, Chūō-Sōbu Line (Local), Saikyō Line The is a railway line between Ōsaki Station in Shinagawa, Tokyo, and Ōmiya Station in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. It is a part of the East Japan Railway Company network... , Shōnan-Shinjuku LineThe is a passenger railway service in Japan which commenced in December 2001. The line has no dedicated track as services run through shared sections along the Ryōmō Line, Takasaki Line, Utsunomiya Line, Yamanote Freight Line, Yokosuka Line, and Tōkaidō Main Line...
Odakyū Odawara Line Keiō Line, Keiō New LineThe is a 3.6 km link which connects Keio Corporation's Keiō Line from Sasazuka Station in Shibuya to Shinjuku Station with through service on to the Shinjuku Line of the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation.-Synopsis:...
Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line (M-08) Toei Shinjuku LineThe is a subway line in Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture, Japan, operated by Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation . The line runs between Motoyawata Station in Ichikawa, Chiba in the east and Shinjuku Station in the west... (S-01), Toei Ōedo LineThe is a subway line in Tokyo, Japan operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation . It commenced full operations on December 12, 2000; using the Japanese calendar this reads "12/12/12" as the year 2000 equals Heisei 12... (E-01, E-27) Seibu Shinjuku Line |
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Tokyo Metro Tōzai Line The is a rapid transit line owned and operated by Tokyo Metro located in Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Its name literally means East-West Line. The line runs between Nakano Station in Nakano, Tokyo and Nishi-Funabashi Station in Funabashi, Chiba... (T-01) |
Nakanois one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. In English, it calls itself Nakano City .As of April 1, 2011, the ward has an estimated population of 311,690 with a household number of 176,936 and a density of 19,992.94 persons per km². The total area is 15.59 km².-Geography:Five special wards...
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Suginamiis one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. In English, it calls itself Suginami City.As of April 1, 2011, the ward has an estimated population of 538,703, with 301,277 households, and a density of 15,834.39 persons per km². The total area is 34.02 km².-Geography:Suginami occupies the...
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阿佐ケ谷 |
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17.3 |
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Musashinois a city located in Tokyo, Japan.As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 137,222 and a population density of 12,788.63 persons per km². The total area is 10.73 km².The city was founded on November 3, 1947...
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Mitakais a city located in Tokyo, Japan. As of 1 November 2010, the city has an estimated population of 176,737. The total area is 16.50 km² and is about 50 – 55 meters above sea level...
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Seibu Tamagawa Line The Tamagawa Line, or , part of the Seibu Railway system, is an 8.0 km railway line in the western suburbs of Tokyo. The line runs from Musashi-Sakai Station on the Chūō Main Line to Koremasa Station along the Tama River. The line has only six stations and is not connected to any other part of...
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東小金井 |
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Koganei is a city located in Tokyo, Japan. As of July 1, 2011, the city has an officially registered population of 116,055 with 56,296 households and a population density of 10,243.16 persons per km²...
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Seibu Kokubunji Line, Seibu Tamako Line |
Kokubunji is a city in Tokyo, Japan.As of 1 June 2008, the city has an estimated population of 117,335 . The total area is 11.48 km²...
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Musashino LineThe is a railway line operated by the East Japan Railway Company . It links Tsurumi Station in Yokohama with Nishi-Funabashi Station in Chiba Prefecture, forming a 100.6 km unclosed loop around central Tokyo...
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国立 |
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Kunitachiis a city located in the western part of the metropolitan area of Tokyo, Japan. As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 74,623.- History :Kunitachi was founded on January 1, 1967...
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立川 |
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Ōme Line The is a railway line operated by East Japan Railway Company in western Tokyo, Japan. It links Tachikawa and the Chūō Line with the town of Okutama. Many Chūō Line trains operate via the Ōme Line to Ōme Station, providing non-stop service to Tokyo Station.... (some trains through to/from Tokyo), Nambu LineThe is a Japanese railway line which connects Tachikawa Station in Tachikawa, Tokyo and Kawasaki Station in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture. For most of its length, it parallels the Tama River, the natural border between Tokyo and Kanagawa prefectures. It is part of the East Japan Railway Company ...
Tama Toshi Monorail LineThe , also referred to as the Tama Monorail, is an important part of the Western Tokyo public transport network.Operated by Tokyo Tama Intercity Monorail Co., Ltd., the double tracked, 16.0 km monorail line carries passengers between the suburban cities of Higashiyamato and Tama via Tachikawa,... |
Tachikawais a city located in western Tokyo, Japan.As of February 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 178,064 and the density of 7,303.69 people per km². The total area is 24.38 km²...
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日野 |
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40.8 |
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Through to/ from Ōme LineThe is a railway line operated by East Japan Railway Company in western Tokyo, Japan. It links Tachikawa and the Chūō Line with the town of Okutama. Many Chūō Line trains operate via the Ōme Line to Ōme Station, providing non-stop service to Tokyo Station....
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Hino is a city located in central Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 182,092 and a population density of 6,610 persons per km². The total area was 27.53 km².-Geography:...
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豊田 |
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八王子 |
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47.4 |
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Yokohama Line, Hachikō LineThe is a 92.0 km regional railway line owned and operated by East Japan Railway Company . It is located within Tokyo, Saitama, and Gunma Prefectures in Japan. Its endpoints are Hachiōji Station in Hachiōji, Tokyo and Kuragano Station in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture.-Services:Komagawa Station in...
Keiō Line |
Hachiōji is a city located in Tokyo, Japan, about 40 kilometers west of the center of the special wards of Tokyo.As of January 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 551,901 and a population density of 2,962.27/km². The total area is 186.31 km². It is the eighth largest city in the...
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西八王子 |
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49.8 |
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高尾 |
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Chūō Main LineThe , commonly called the Chūō Line, is one of the major trunk railway lines in Japan. It runs between Tokyo and Nagoya, although it is the slowest direct railway connection between the two cities; the coastal Tōkaidō Main Line is slightly faster, while the Tōkaidō Shinkansen is the fastest rail... (some trains through to ) Keiō Takao Line |