Narita Line

The Narita Line (Japanese: 成田線, romanized: Narita-sen) is the name for a combination of three railway lines located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East).

Narita Line
An E231 series EMU on the Narita Line service in May 2021
Overview
Native name	成田線
Owner	JR East
Locale	Chiba Prefecture
Termini	Sakura Matsugishi
Stations	16 (Main Line) 3 (Airport Branch) 10 (Abiko Branch)
Service
Type	Heavy rail
History
Opened	19 January 1897
Technical
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	1,500 V DC (overhead catenary)
Route map

The main line connects Sakura Station and Matsugishi Station (as an alternate route to the Sōbu Main Line), and is sometimes referred to as the Samatsu Line (Japanese: 佐松線, romanized: Samatsu-sen). A branch line from Abiko Station to Narita Station is often called the Abiko Line (Japanese: 我孫子線, romanized: Abiko-sen), and a second branch, known as the Airport Line (Japanese: 空港線, romanized: Kūkō-sen) connects Narita to Narita Airport Terminal 1 Station. The first two lines are owned and operated by JR East; the Airport Line is owned by a separate company, Narita Airport Rapid Railway, which allows JR East and Keisei Railway to use the line for passenger services.

Stations

Main line

Legend:

• ● : All trains stop
• | : All trains pass

All stations are located in Chiba Prefecture.

Line name	No.	Station	Japanese	Distance (km)	Rapid	Transfers	Location
							Town/city
Sōbu Main Line	JO28	Chiba	千葉	From Chiba 0.0	●	JO Sōbu Line (Rapid) (JO28) (some through services) JB Chūō-Sōbu Line (JB39) ■ Uchibō Line ■ Sotobō Line Chiba Urban Monorail Line 1, Line 2 KS Keisei Chiba Line (Keisei Chiba: KS59)	Chūō-ku
	JO29	Higashi-Chiba	東千葉	0.9	|
	JO30	Tsuga	都賀	4.2	●	Chiba Urban Monorail Line 2	Wakaba-ku
	JO31	Yotsukaidō	四街道	7.7	●		Yotsukaidō
	JO32	Monoi	物井	11.9	●
	JO33	Sakura	佐倉	16.1	●	■ Sōbu Main Line (for Narutō)	Sakura
Narita Line				From Sakura 0.0
	JO34	Shisui	酒々井	6.4	●		Shisui
	JO35	Narita	成田	13.1	●	■ Airport branch line for Narita Airport Terminal 1 ■ Abiko branch line for Abiko KS Keisei Main Line (Keisei Narita: KS40) KS Keisei Higashi-Narita Line (Keisei Narita: KS40)	Narita
	—	Kuzumi	久住	20.0
		Namegawa	滑河	25.5
		Shimōsa-Kōzaki	下総神崎	31.6			Kozaki
		Ōto	大戸	36.1			Katori
		Sawara	佐原	40.0		■ Kashima Line
		Katori	香取	43.6		■ Kashima Line
		Suigo	水郷	47.5
		Omigawa	小見川	52.7
		Sasagawa	笹川	57.7			Tonosho
		Shimōsa-Tachibana	下総橘	62.9
		Shimōsa-Toyosato	下総豊里	66.2			Chōshi
		Shiishiba	椎柴	71.0
		Matsugishi	松岸	75.4		■ Sōbu Main Line
Sōbu Main Line				From Tokyo 117.3
		Chōshi	銚子	120.5		Chōshi Electric Railway Line

Note: Commuter Rapid service was discontinued on 12 March 2022.^[1]

Abiko branch line

Narita Station in May 2005

All stations are in Chiba Prefecture.

Name	Japanese	Distance (km)	Transfers	Location
				Town/city
Abiko	我孫子	0.0	JJ Jōban Line (Rapid) (JJ08) (through service to Ueno or Shinagawa) JL Jōban Line (Local) (JL30)	Abiko
Higashi-Abiko	東我孫子	3.4
Kohoku	湖北	6.3
Araki	新木	8.9
Fusa	布佐	12.1
Kioroshi	木下	14.0		Inzai
Kobayashi	小林	18.3
Ajiki	安食	23.2		Sakae
Shimōsa-Manzaki	下総松崎	27.3		Narita
Narita	成田	32.9	■ Narita Line (Main line, Airport branch line) (JO35) KS Keisei Lines (Keisei-Narita, as above)

Airport branch line

The Airport branch line (left) running alongside the 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) gauge Keisei Sky Access Line (right) in July 2010

All stations are in Narita, Chiba.

No.	Name	Japanese	Distance (km)	Transfers
JO35	Narita	成田	0.0	■ Narita Line Main line for Chiba (through services) and for Chōshi ■ Abiko branch line for Abiko KS Keisei Main Line (Keisei Narita: KS40) KS Keisei Higashi-Narita Line (Keisei Narita: KS40)
JO36	Narita Airport Terminal 2·3	空港第２ビル	9.8	KS Keisei Main Line (KS41) KS Narita Sky Access Line (KS41)
JO37	Narita Airport Terminal 1	成田空港	10.8	KS Keisei Main Line (KS42) KS Narita Sky Access Line (KS42)

Services

Main line and Airport branch line

Narita Express trains travel on the Narita Line but stop only at Narita Airport Terminal 2·3 and Narita Airport Terminal 1 stations, except during morning and evening rush hours when some trains stop at Narita Station.

Rapid commuter trains run between Tokyo and Narita Airport Terminal 1, stopping at all stations between Tsuga and Narita Airport Terminal 1.

Abiko branch line

All services on the Abiko branch line are local trains stopping at all stations. Some trains travel through onto the Jōban Line (Rapid) to Ueno and Shinagawa.

Rolling stock

Local service

• E131 series EMUs (since 13 March 2021, on Kashima Line through services)
• 209-2000/2100 series EMUs

Abiko Branch Line, Jōban Line through service

• E231 series EMUs

Sōbu Line (Rapid) through service

• E235-1000 series EMUs

Narita Express

• E259 series EMUs

• 
  A 209-2100 series EMU in March 2021
• 
  An E231 series EMU in May 2021
• 
  An E235-1000 series EMU in June 2022
• 
  An E257-500 series EMU in November 2006
• 
  An E259 series EMU in May 2021

Past

• E217 series EMUs (until March 2025)
• 103 series EMUs (Abiko branch line services until March 2006)
• 113 series EMUs (until September 2011)
• 183 series EMUs (Ayame limited express services)
• 211-3000 series EMUs (local services since 21 October 2006 until March 2013)
• 253 series EMUs (Narita Express limited express services until June 2010)
• E257-500 series (Ayame limited express services)

• 
  A 103 series EMU in January 2003
• 
  A 113 series EMU in May 2010
• 
  A 183 series EMU on an Ayame service in November 2005
• 
  A 253 series EMU on a Narita Express service in August 2003
• 
  211-3000 series EMU, May 2010
• 
  An E217 series EMU in March 2021

History

The Sakura - Narita - Namegawa section of the line was opened on 19 January 1897, by Sobu Railway, extended to Sawara the following year. The Narita to Abiko branch opened in 1901. The company was nationalised in 1920, and the Sawara to Matsugishi section opened between 1931 and 1933.^{[citation needed]}

The Sakura to Narita section was electrified (at 1,500 V DC overhead) in 1968.^{[citation needed]} The Abiko branch was electrified from 1 October 1973.^[2] The Narita to Matsugishi section was electrified in 1974, and freight services ceased between 1984 and 1986.^{[citation needed]}

The Sakura to Narita section was double-tracked in 1986, and the Airport branch opened in 1991 as an electrified, CTC-signalled line.^{[citation needed]}

Accidents

Derailed wagons near Namegawa Station, March 2011

In the early hours of 10 March 2011, a day before 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami occurred, a freight train carrying ethylene oxide derailed and overturned on the Narita Line near Namegawa Station.^[3]