The history of the Tohoku Main Line, which runs north to south through the Tohoku region

which runs north-south through the Tohoku regionTohoku Main, was home to numerous limited express and express trains until the Tohoku Shinkansen opened in 1982.
The Tohoku Main Line played a vital role in transporting people within the Tohoku region and between the Tokyo metropolitan area and Tohoku.
At Aomori Station, the former terminus of the Tohoku Main Line, it connected with the Seikan Ferry, providing access to Hokkaido.
in transporting commuters and students in various regions, and in carrying freight trains connecting the Tokyo metropolitan area with Tohoku and Hokkaidoplays an important role.
This article will explain the history of the Tohoku Main Line.

"Nippon Railway" which became the parent company of the current Tohoku Main Line

In 1872, Japan's first railway line opened between Shinbashi Station and Yokohama Station.
This railway line corresponds to a section of the current JR Tokaido Line and was a government-owned railway constructed and operated by the state.
Although the government-owned railway gradually expanded its network, due to factors such as the Satsuma Rebellion of 1877, the government's financial resources were insufficient, and construction of government-owned railways slowed considerably.

At the time, railway construction was considered essential for industrial development, so there was a demand for the early construction of railways between major cities throughout the country using private capital.
Therefore, in 1881, the "Japan Railways), often considered Japan's first private railway, was established.
with generous government protectiona semi-governmental, semi-private company, there are objections to calling it "Japan's first private railway."

The Japan Railway Company aimed to open the lines that the government-owned railway had planned.
First, the section from Ueno Station in Tokyo to Kumagaya Station in Saitama Prefecture opened on July 28, 1883, and the section to Maebashi Station in Gunma Prefecture (located on the west bank of the Tone River, and different from the current Maebashi Station) was opened by 1884. This
corresponds to parts of the current Tohoku Main Line, Takasaki Line, Joetsu Line, and Ryomo Line.

Furthermore, in 1885, a branch line was opened in Tokyo, from Shinagawa Station of the government-owned railway to Akabane Station of the Nippon Railway. This
corresponds to parts of the current Yamanote Line and Saikyo Line.
With the opening of the Nippon Railway line,raw silk, an important export product of Japan at the time, could be transported by rail from paper mills in Gunma Prefecture to Yokohama Port in Kanagawa Prefecture.

Next, the Japan Railway Companyopen a railway line to Aomoriaimed to
As a first step, they opened Omiya Station in Saitama Prefecture, which would serve as the junction point for the current Tohoku Main Line and Takasaki Line.
There was also a proposal to establish the junction at the existing Kumagaya Station, but Omiya was chosen as the junction point because it would shorten the route to the Tohoku region.

The line opened in 1885 from Omiya Station to Utsunomiya Station in Tochigi Prefecture, and was subsequently extended to Koriyama, Sendai, Ichinoseki, and Morioka.On September 1, 1891, the Nippon Railway line reached Aomori Station in Aomori Prefecture, connecting Ueno Station to Aomori Station by rail.
At that time, the journey from Ueno Station to Aomori Station took about 26 and a half hours.

As a side note, the Japan Railway, which rapidly opened lines due to its perceived importance for industrial development,was surprisingly not the first railway in the Tohoku region.
The first railway in Tohoku opened in 1880 in Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture.
this "Kamaishi Railway" in another article, so please be sure to check that out as well.

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

What is the Kamaishi Railway, the first railway in the Tohoku region and the third largest in Japan? [Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture]

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/28791

The Tohoku Shinkansen is the most prominent railway line running north to south through the Tohoku region. The Tohoku Main Line, a conventional line that runs parallel to the Shinkansen, has been an important trunk line since its full opening in 1891. Tohoku Main Line, Kanayagawa Station to Matsukawa Station (Fukushima City). However, while the Tohoku Main Line has long been an important trunk line, it was not actually the first railway in the Tohoku region. The first railway to open in the Tohoku region, and the third in the nation, was the Kamaishi Railway, which we will introduce here. The Kamaishi Railway, the third railway to open in Japan, opened in 1872 (Meiji 5) between Shimbashi Station and Yokohama Station in the Kanto region.

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Furthermore, in 1898, a coastal line connecting Tokyo and Miyagi Prefecture via Mito Station in Ibaraki Prefecture was also opened.
ThisJoban Linecorresponds to

The Japan Railway Company was nationalized in 1906, after the Russo-Japanese War, under the Railway Nationalization Act, which was issued based on the policy that main railway lines should be nationalized.
Although the Japan Railway Company ceased to exist as a company, its influence on the history of railways in eastern Japan was extremely significant.
The lines that the Japan Railway Company had opened were given names such as the "Tohoku Main Line" and the "Joban Line" in 1909, after nationalization.
The Tohoku Main Line already existed in practice, but it was at this point that it was given a name, meaning that the Tohoku Main Line was born in name and in reality.

In 1925, the Tohoku Main Line was extended to Tokyo Station.
At that time, the section between Tokyo Station and Aomori Station was the longest single railway line in Japan.
Even after the extension to Tokyo Station, long-distance trains connecting Tokyo and the Tohoku region generally operated with Ueno Station as their starting and ending point.

Northern Artery

The Tohoku Main Line,passing through many major cities in the Tohoku region andserving as the main route between Tokyo and Tohoku/Hokkaido, plays a crucial role as what could be called the "main artery of the north."

In 1906, express trains began running between Ueno Station and Aomori Station.
However, south of Sendai, they used the Joban Line.
The journey from Ueno Station to Aomori Station took about 19 hours.
In 1908, express trains that ran the entire distance from Ueno Station to Aomori Station via the Tohoku Main Line also appeared.

These trains connected with the Seikan Ferry and other services at Aomori Station, and also served as trains for people traveling to Hokkaido.
Express trains were suspended due to the worsening war situation, but resumed operation after the war.

Then, in 1958,the "Hatsukari," the first limited express train in the Tohoku region,debuted between Ueno Station and Aomori Station.
This train also ran via the Joban Line south of Sendai.
Initially, it was a classic-style limited express train with a steam locomotive pulling the passenger cars, but in 1960 it was replaced by the Kiha 81 series diesel railcar, which runs on diesel fuel.
We have explained more about the "Hatsukari" in another article, so please be sure to check that out as well.

Tohoku Rokken Trivia Media NEFT

The history of the Tohoku region's first express train, "Hatsukari"

https://jp.neft.asia/archives/28372

When people living in the Tokyo metropolitan area visit the Tohoku region by public transportation, they often use bullet trains such as the Tohoku Shinkansen. However, the Tohoku Shinkansen only opened in 1982, about 40 years ago. Before then, what did people travel to the Tohoku region by? One option was the Hatsukari, the first limited express train to run through the Tohoku region. The Appearance of the Tohoku Region's First Limited Express Train: In the prewar and immediate postwar period, the limited express trains of the Japanese National Railways (the predecessor of today's JR) were truly special trains, as their official name "limited express train" suggests, and express trains were the main mode of long-distance travel.

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In 1962, the limited express "Hibari," using the KiHa 82 series (a mass-produced version of the KiHa 81 series), began operation, connecting Ueno Station and Sendai Stationthe Tohoku Main Linevia
Combining the operating sections of "Hatsukari" and "Hibari,"limited express trains began running on almost the entire Tohoku Main Line, from Ueno Station to Aomori Station.

In 1965, the "Hibari" was replaced by the 483 series electric train (a prototype of the 485 series electric train, a representative limited express train of the Japanese National Railways).
Also, with the completion of electrification south of Morioka Station, allowing electric trains to operate,running between Ueno Station and Morioka Station, was introduced,
Furthermore, in 1968, with the completion of electrification of the entire Tohoku Main Line,the "Hatsukari" also had its route changed to the entire Tohoku Main Line and was replaced by the 583 series electric train, which could be used as a seated train during the day and a sleeper train at night.
At the time of electrification, the journey time from Ueno Station to Aomori Station for the "Hatsukari" was 8 hours and 30 minutes.

Furthermore, because the Tohoku Main Line is a long route, overnight trains have been operating on it since ancient times.
In 1964,the "Hakutsuru," the first overnight express and sleeper express train on the Tohoku Main Line, appeared,connecting
connecting the same section via the Joban LineYuzuru" also appeared,
Later, the 583 series electric train was also introduced to these trains.

In this way, the Tohoku Main Line continued to transport many people day and night.
And it played an important role not only in transporting people but also in transporting freight.

Tohoku Main Line after the opening of the Tohoku Shinkansen in Morioka

In 1982, the Tohoku Shinkansen line opened between Omiya Station and Morioka Station.
With the timetable revisions in June and November of that year,most of the daytime limited express and express trains that ran south of Morioka Station on the Tohoku Main Line, such as the "Hibari" and "Yamabiko,"were discontinued.
The main role of the Tohoku Main Line became local transport and freight transport.
However, the limited express "Hatsukari" continued to operate north of Morioka Station.
In addition, overnight trains such as the sleeper limited express "Hakutsuru" and "Yuzuru" also continued to operate.
In 1987, the Japanese National Railways was privatized and divided, and the entire Tohoku Main Line was taken over by JR East.

Furthermore, in 1988, the Seikan Tunnel, an underwater tunnel connecting Aomori Prefecture and Hokkaido, opened, and this led to the introduction of a new sleeper express train:
"Hokutosei," which connected Ueno Station and Sapporo Station in Hokkaido.
From Ueno Station to Aomori Station, it naturally traveled via the Tohoku Main Line.
the train, eat in the dining car, spend the night, and arrive in Sapporo after spending 16 hours on board from Ueno Station.
such a train ran every day, where you could boarda dreamlike era whenIt was

using newly manufactured passenger carsCassiopeiato the launch of the
However, during the 1990s, several overnight trains, including the sleeper express "Yuzuru," were discontinued.

Tohoku Main Line shortened due to the extension and opening of the Tohoku Shinkansen

In 2002, the Tohoku Shinkansen was extended from Morioka Station to Hachinohe Station in Aomori Prefecture.
Consequently, the section of the Tohoku Main Line running parallel to the newly opened section was separated from JR East's management. The section
from Morioka Station to Metoki Station in Aomori Prefecture was transferred to the newly established third-sector railway company, IGR Iwate Galaxy Railway, while the section from Metoki Station to Hachinohe Stationwas transferred to the Aoimori Railway.
This effectively divided JR East's Tohoku Main Line into two sections: south of Morioka Station and north of Hachinohe Station.
At this time,the limited express "Hatsukari" and the sleeper limited express "Hakutsuru"were discontinued.

In 2010, the Tohoku Shinkansen was extended from Hachinohe Station to Shin-Aomori Station, completing the entire line. Consequently,from JR East to the Aoimori Railwaywas transferred
The Tohoku Main Line was shortened to its current length, running from Tokyo Station to Morioka Station.
Its length, once the longest in Japan, was surpassed by the San'in Main Line and the Tokaido Main Line, and it is now the third longest.

In 2016, the Hokkaido Shinkansen opened from Shin-Aomori Station to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station.
Around the same time, the "Hokutosei" limited express train was discontinued because conventional trains could no longer pass through the Seikan Tunnel,its regular serviceended
As a result, limited express trains have disappeared from most sections of the Tohoku Main Line.

Currently, the limited express trains operating on some sections of the Tohoku Main Line are all trains that run directly to other lines, such as the "Kusatsu/Shima" which connects to the Takasaki Line, or the "Hitachi" which mainly runs on the Joban Line. None of them can really be called "limited express trains on the Tohoku Main Line."
It's a little sad to think that there used to be limited express trains like the "Hatsukari" that ran the entire length of the Tohoku Main Line.

However, there are also advantages to the discontinuation of express trains.
The elimination of express trains allows for an increase in the number of local and freight trains.
These trains continue to play an important role on the Tohoku Main Line.

summary

Built during the Meiji era as an indispensable element for the development of Japanese industry, the Tohoku Main Line has continued to play a vital role in connecting the Tokyo metropolitan area with the Tohoku region.
When I see the unusually long platforms of the Tohoku Main Line at stations such as Sendai and Morioka, I am deeply moved, thinking, "In the old days, long trains like the 'Hatsukari' used to stop here..."
Although the Tohoku Shinkansen has now taken over the role of long-distance passenger transport,an essential part of many people's lives, providing passenger transport in each region and serving as a route for freight trainsremains

Yuto Ono

A former railway engineer and current freelance writer who has loved trains since childhood, his dream is to make train travel his career