Sōtetsu–JR Link Line

The Sōtetsu–JR Link Line is a section of the Eastern Kanagawa Rail Link project, built by the Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency (JRTT). It connects the Sōtetsu Main Line to the JR East Saikyō Line, via the tracks of the Sōtetsu Shin-Yokohama Line and the Tōkaidō Freight Line. This service is publicly referred to as a Sotetsu Link Line by JR East,[1][2][3] and as a JR Link Line by the Sagami Railway.[4][5]

Sōtetsu–JR Link Line
JSJA
Overview
Native name相鉄・JR直通線
StatusOperational
Owner
LocaleTokyo, Kanagawa prefectures
Termini
Stations18
Service
Depot(s)
  • Kashiwadai (Sotetsu)
  • Kawagoe (JR East)
History
Opened30 November 2019
Technical
Line length57 km (35 mi)
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification1,500 V DC overhead catenary
Operating speed120 km/h (75 mph)
Route map
Sōtetsu–JR Link Line

Kawagoe
JR Kawagoe Line
Ōmiya
Akabane
Ikebukuro
JR Yamanote
Freight Line
Shinjuku
Shibuya
Ebisu
Ōsaki
JR Yamanote Freight Line Right arrow
Nishi-Ōi
Musashi-Kosugi
Left arrow
to Shin-yokohama
(since March 2023)
Hazawa
yokohama-kokudai
Nishiya
Sōtetsu Main Line
Futamata-gawa
Ebina

Key to symbols

service boundary
existing rail network
stations omitted for brevity
since 30 November 2019

Services

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JR through service trains enter the Tōkaido Freight Line once leaving Hazawa Yokohama-Kokudai Station, via the Tokyo-side of Yokohama-Hazawa Freight Station, then enters the Yokosuka Line tracks near Tsurumi Station. The service shares the same route as the Shōnan–Shinjuku Line, heading inbound towards Musashi-Kosugi, Ōsaki, Shibuya, and Shinjuku.

Trains operate from Ebina on the Sotetsu Main Line, via Nishiya, Musashi-Kosugi, and enter the Saikyō Line at Ōsaki. Trains will mostly terminate at Shinjuku. In the morning rush hours, some trains go further north towards Musashi-Urawa, Ōmiya, Sashiōgi (where the Kawagoe Line depot is located), and as far as Kawagoe. A total of 46 round trips will be operated every day, with a rush-hour frequency of 4 trains per hour, and off-peak frequency of 2-3 trains per hour.[6]

The fastest travel times are 44 minutes between Futamatagawa and Shinjuku, 45 minutes between Yamato and Shibuya, and 36 minutes between Ebina and Musashi-Kosugi.[6]

Service types

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  •   Local (各停), stopping at all stations
  •   Limited Express (特急), stopping at all stations on the JR lines.
    • However, when Limited Express trains are on the JR line, they are displayed as Local instead.

Past proposal

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Past proposals also suggested Sōtetsu trains to operate through services with the Ueno-Tokyo Line, towards the Utsunomiya, Takasaki and Jōban Lines. This requires trains to cross over level junctions to enter Tōkaido Line tracks near Tsurumi or Shinagawa (or somewhere in between), which would possibly undermine the high density train operations in this section, if no dedicated grade separation is built. Thus the idea was scrapped due to these difficulties.

Nomenclature

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Ebina Station ... Futamatagawa Station ... Nishiya Station Hazawa yokohama-kokudai Station Tsurumi Station Shin-Tsurumi Signal Station ... Ōsaki Station Shinjuku Station
Line name in passenger info Through service to JR Saikyo Line Through service to Saikyo (Kawagoe) Line Saikyo (Kawagoe) Line
Sotetsu Lines Through service to Sotetsu Lines Through service to Saikyo Line Sotetsu Line
Official route name Sotetsu Main Line Sotetsu Shin-Yokohama Line Tōkaidō Main Line Yamanote Line
Track name Tokaido Freight Line Hinkaku Line Hinkaku Line Yamanote Freight Line

Limited Express stations

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Company Line name No. Station Japanese Transfers Location
Through service to Kawagoe on the Saikyō Line and Kawagoe Line
JR East Yamanote Line
SJKJA11
Shinjuku 新宿 Shinjuku Tokyo
Shibuya
SBYJA10
Shibuya 渋谷
EBSJA09
Ebisu 恵比寿
OSKJS17JA08 Ōsaki 大崎
Shinagawa
Tōkaidō Main Line JS16 Nishi-Ōi 西大井 JO Yokosuka Line (for Shinagawa)
MKGJS15
Musashi-Kosugi 武蔵小杉
Nakahara-ku, Kawasaki Kanagawa
  Hazawa yokohama-kokudai 羽沢横浜国大 Sōtetsu Shin-Yokohama Line (for Shin-Yokohama) Kanagawa-ku, Yokohama
Sagami Railway Sōtetsu Shin-Yokohama Line
  Nishiya 西谷 Sōtetsu Main Line (for Yokohama) Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama
Sōtetsu Main Line
  Futamatagawa 二俣川 Izumino Line Asahi-ku, Yokohama
  Yamato 大和   Odakyu Enoshima Line Yamato
  Ebina 海老名   Odakyu Odawara Line
Sagami Line
Ebina

References

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  1. ^ "JR東日本:東京近郊路線図(車内掲出版)" (PDF). 東日本旅客鉄道株式会社. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
  2. ^ (JR線代表的駅構内図)"大崎駅構内図1F". 東日本旅客鉄道. Retrieved 2021-02-10.
  3. ^ 佐藤利夫 (2021-03-01). "特集:東京近郊JR路線別ガイド ⑪埼京・川越・相鉄直通線". 鉄道ファン2021年3月号. 61 (第3号(通巻719号)). 交友社: 34–35.
  4. ^ "相鉄線路線図(詳細版)" (PDF). 相模鉄道株式会社. Retrieved 2020-05-08.
  5. ^ (相鉄線代表的駅構内案内)"西谷(にしや)". 相鉄グループ (in Japanese). Retrieved 2020-05-08.
  6. ^ a b "相鉄・JR直通線の運行計画の概要について" [Regarding the operation summary of the Sotetsu JR Link Line] (PDF). July 16, 2019.