The is a railway line in Japan operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). The line runs from Ueno Station in Ueno, Tokyo through major cities including Saitama, Utsunomiya, Fukushima, and Sendai, terminating at Morioka in Iwate Prefecture. The line originally extended to Aomori, but was truncated following the extension of the Tōhoku Shinkansen beyond Morioka, which largely parallels the former route.
A portion of the Tōhoku Main Line is shared with the Keihin–Tōhoku Line (between Ueno and Ōmiya Station in Ōmiya-ku, Saitama) and the Saikyō Line (between Akabane Station in the Kita ward of Tokyo and Ōmiya Station).
In regular service, JR East applies different service names to sections of the Tōhoku Main Line. The section between Tokyo Station and Kuroiso Station in Nasushiobara, Tochigi Prefecture is referred to as the Utsunomiya Line, while the remaining northern portion is referred to as the Tōhoku Line. This distinction reflects a change in electrification from south of Kuroiso to north of the station; as a result, there are no regularly scheduled passenger services operating through Kuroiso Station.
Station list
These lists are separated by service patterns provided on the Tōhoku Main Line.
Ueno – Kuroiso
The section between and is known as the Utsunomiya Line.
Kuroiso – Shin-Shirakawa
{| class="wikitable"
!Station
!Distance from<br> (km)
!Transfers
! colspan="2" |Location
|-
|
| align="center" |163.3
| Utsunomiya Line
|Nasushiobara
| rowspan="4" |Tochigi Prefecture
|-
|
| align="center" |167.3
| align="center" |
| rowspan="3" |Nasu
|-
|
| align="center" |171.5
|
|-
|
| align="center" | 176.7
|
|-
|
| align="center" |182.0
|
|Shirakawa
| rowspan="2" |Fukushima Prefecture
|-
|Shin-Shirakawa
| align="center" |185.4
|
|Nishigo
|}
Shin-Shirakawa – Fukushima
All stations are located in Fukushima Prefecture.
{| class="wikitable"
!Station
!Distance from<br> (km)
!Transfers
!Location
|-
|
| align="center" |185.4
|
|Nishigo
|-
|
| align="center" |188.2
|
| rowspan="2" |Shirakawa
|-
|
| align="center" |192.9
|
|-
|
| align="center" |197.4
|
|Izumizaki
|-
|
| align="center" |203.4
|
|Yabuki
|-
|
| align="center" |208.8
|
|Kagamiishi
|-
|
| align="center" |215.1
|
|Sukagawa
|-
|
| align="center" |221.8
|
| rowspan="3" |Kōriyama
|-
|Kōriyama
| align="center" |226.7
|
|-
|
| align="center" |232.4
|
|-
|
| align="center" |236.9
|
| rowspan="2" |Motomiya
|-
|
| align="center" |240.7
|
|-
|
| align="center" |246.6
|
| rowspan="3" |Nihonmatsu
|-
|
| align="center" |250.3
|
|-
|
| align="center" |254.5
|
|-
|
| align="center" |259.5
|
| rowspan="4" |Fukushima
|-
|
| align="center" |264.0
|
|-
|
| align="center" |269.4
|
|-
|Fukushima
| align="center" |272.8
|
|}
Fukushima – Sendai
- ●: All rapid trains stop
- : All rapid trains pass
{|class=wikitable
!Station
!Distance from<br> (km)
!Rapid
!Transfers
!colspan=2|Location
|-
|Fukushima
| align="center" |272.8
| rowspan="15" |Through to Sendai Airport Line
|
| rowspan="2" |Fukushima
| rowspan="6" |Fukushima Prefecture
|-
|
| align="center" |278.8
|
|-
|
| align="center" |281.9
|
|Date
|-
|
| align="center" |285.9
|
|Koori
|-
|
| align="center" |289.3
|
| rowspan="2" |Kunimi
|-
|
| align="center" |294.9
|
|-
|Kosugō
| align="center" |298.6
|
| rowspan="4" |Shiroishi
|rowspan=14|Miyagi Prefecture
|-
|Shiroishi
| align="center" |306.8
|
|-
|Higashi-Shiroishi
| align="center" |311.0
|
|-
|Kita-Shirakawa
| align="center" |315.3
|
|-
|Ōgawara
| align="center" |320.1
|
|Ōgawara
|-
|Funaoka
| align="center" |323.1
|
| rowspan="2" |Shibata
|-
|Tsukinoki
| align="center" |327.7
|Abukuma Express Line
|-
|Iwanuma
| align="center" |334.2
| rowspan="2" | Jōban Line
|Iwanuma
|-
|Tatekoshi
| align="center" |337.9
|rowspan=2|Natori
|-
|Natori
| align="center" |341.4
| align="center" |●
|
|-
|Minami-Sendai
| align="center" |344.1
| align="center" |<nowiki>|</nowiki>
| rowspan="2" | Jōban Line
|rowspan=3|Taihaku-ku, Sendai
|-
|Taishidō
| align="center" |346.3
| align="center" |<nowiki>|</nowiki>
|-
|Nagamachi
| align="center" |347.3
| align="center" |<nowiki>|</nowiki>
|
|-
|Sendai
| align="center" |351.8
| align="center" |●
|
|Aoba-ku, Sendai
|}
Sendai – Ichinoseki
Legends:
- ●: All rapid trains stop
- |: All rapid trains pass
- ‖: Senseki-Tōhoku Line trains do not travel on this section
{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="3" |Station
! rowspan="3" |Distance from Tokyo (km)
! colspan="3" |Senseki-Tōhoku Line
! rowspan="3" |Transfers
! colspan="2" rowspan="3" |Location
|-
! colspan="2" |Rapid
! rowspan="2" |Special Rapid
|-
!style="background:#beb;"|Green
!style="background:#fee;"|Red
|-
|Sendai
| align="center" |351.8
| align="center" |●
| align="center" |●
| align="center" |●
|
|Aoba-ku, Sendai
| rowspan="19" |Miyagi Prefecture
|-
|Higashi-Sendai
| align="center" |355.8
| align="center" |●
| align="center" |<nowiki>|</nowiki>
| align="center" |<nowiki>|</nowiki>
|
| rowspan="2" |Miyagino-ku, Sendai
|-
|Iwakiri
| align="center" |359.9
| align="center" |●
| align="center" |<nowiki>|</nowiki>
| align="center" |<nowiki>|</nowiki>
|
|-
| bgcolor="#cccccc" |Shin-Rifu
| bgcolor="#cccccc" align="right" skyblue |2.5 (from Iwakiri)
| align="center" |‖
| align="center" |‖
| align="center" |‖
| rowspan="2" |Branch line from Iwakiri
| rowspan="2" |Rifu
|-
| bgcolor="#cccccc" |Rifu
| bgcolor="#cccccc" align="right" |4.2 (from Iwakiri)
| align="center" |‖
| align="center" |‖
| align="center" |‖
|-
|Rikuzen-Sannō
| align="center" |362.2
| align="center" |●
| align="center" |<nowiki>|</nowiki>
| align="center" |<nowiki>|</nowiki>
|
| rowspan="2" |Tagajō
|-
|Kokufu-Tagajō
| align="center" |363.5
| align="center" |●
| align="center" |<nowiki>|</nowiki>
| align="center" |<nowiki>|</nowiki>
|
|-
|Shiogama
| align="center" |365.2
| align="center" |●
| align="center" |●
| align="center" |●
| Senseki-Tōhoku Line
|Shiogama
|-
|Matsushima
| align="center" |375.2
| colspan="3" rowspan="16" align="center" |Senseki-Tōhoku Line (for Senseki Line)
|
| rowspan="3" |Matsushima
|-
|Atago
| align="center" |377.2
|
|-
|Shinainuma
| align="center" |381.6
|
|-
|Kashimadai
| align="center" |386.6
|
| rowspan="2" |Ōsaki
|-
|Matsuyama-Machi
| align="center" |391.5
|
|-
|Kogota
| align="center" |395.0
|
|Misato
|-
|Tajiri
| align="center" |401.1
|
|Ōsaki
|-
|Semine
| align="center" |407.8
|
|Kurihara
|-
|Umegasawa
| align="center" |411.5
|
| rowspan="3" |Tome
|-
|Nitta
| align="center" |416.2
|
|-
|Ishikoshi
| align="center" |423.5
|
|-
|Yushima
| align="center" |427.0
|
| rowspan="3" |Ichinoseki
| rowspan="3" |Iwate Prefecture
|-
|Hanaizumi
| align="center" |431.2
|
|-
|
| align="center" |434.4
|
|-
|Arikabe
| align="center" |437.8
|
|Kurihara
|Miyagi Prefecture
|-
|Ichinoseki
| align="center" |445.1
|
|Ichinoseki
|Iwate Prefecture
|}
Ichinoseki – Morioka
All stations are located in Iwate Prefecture.
- ●: All rapid trains stop
- : All rapid trains pass
{| class="wikitable"
!Station
!Distance from<br> (km)
!Rapid Hamayuri
!Transfers
!Location
|-
|Ichinoseki
| align="center" |445.1
|
|
| rowspan="2" |Ichinoseki
|-
|
| align="center" |448.0
|
|
|-
|Hiraizumi
| align="center" |452.3
|
|
|Hiraizumi
|-
|Maesawa
| align="center" |459.9
|
|
| rowspan="3" |Ōshū
|-
|
| align="center" |465.1
|
|
|-
|Mizusawa
| align="center" |470.1
|
|
|-
|Kanegasaki
| align="center" |477.7
|
|
| rowspan="2" |Kanegasaki
|-
|
| align="center" |481.1
|
|
|-
|Kitakami
| align="center" |487.5
|
|
| rowspan="2" |Kitakami
|-
|
| align="center" |492.2
|
|
|-
|Hanamaki
| align="center" |500.0
| align="center" |●
| Kamaishi Line (some through services)
| rowspan="3" |Hanamaki
|-
|
| align="center" |505.7
| align="center" |<nowiki>|</nowiki>
|
|-
|
| align="center" |511.4
| align="center" |<nowiki>|</nowiki>
|
|-
|
| align="center" |516.8
| align="center" |<nowiki>|</nowiki>
|
| rowspan="3" |Shiwa
|-
|
| align="center" |518.6
| align="center" |<nowiki>|</nowiki>
|
|-
|
| align="center" |521.5
| align="center" |<nowiki>|</nowiki>
|
|-
|
| align="center" |525.1
| align="center" |●
|
|Yahaba
|-
|
| align="center" |529.6
| align="center" |<nowiki>|</nowiki>
|
| rowspan="3" |Morioka
|-
|
| align="center" |533.5
| align="center" |<nowiki>|</nowiki>
|
|-
|Morioka
| align="center" |535.3
| align="center" |●
|
|}
Rolling stock
Tokyo – Utsunomiya
- E231-1000 series EMUs
- E233-3000 series EMUs
Utsunomiya - Kuroiso
- E131-600/-680 series EMUs
Previously
- 205-600 series EMUs
From March 2013, a fleet of eight refurbished 4-car 205-600 series EMUs was phased in on Utsunomiya Line services between Koganei and Kuroiso, replacing 211 series sets.
<gallery>
File:JR EAST E231-1000 U541.jpg|An E231-1000 series EMU
File:E233 3000 L06.JPG|An E233-3000 series EMU
File:Jreast 205-600 Utsunomiya Line 20130316.jpg|A 205-600 series EMU
</gallery>
Kuroiso – Shin-Shirakawa
- E531-3000 series EMUs
Shin-Shirakawa – Ichinoseki
- 701 series EMUs
- 719 series EMUs
- E721 series/ SAT721 series EMUs
- HB-E210 series DMUs - Senseki-Tōhoku Line
Ichinoseki – Morioka
- 701 series EMUs
<gallery>
File:701kei touhoku main line.JPG|701 series (Sendai-based)
File:JR East 701 series 1014F at Morioka 20230610.jpg|701 series (Morioka-based)
File:JRE EC719 nagamachi sta 20081018.jpg|719 series
File:E721&SAT721.JPG|E721 series (right) and SAT721 series (left)
File:HB-E210 C-3 5531D Rikuzen-sanno 20150614.jpg|HB-E210 series hybrid DMU
</gallery>
History
The construction of the Tōhoku Main Line began in the Kantō region and extended to the north end of Honshu, and the city of Aomori. It is one of oldest railway lines in Japan, with construction beginning in the late 19th century. Until 1 November 1906, the current Tōhoku Main Line was run by a private company Nippon Railway.
In 1883, the first segment between Ueno and Kumagaya opened. In 1885, it was extended to Utsunomiya, but the Tone River had to be crossed by boat. Following construction of the Tone River Bridge in 1886, Utsunomiya and Ueno were directly connected. The line gradually extended further to the north; to Kōriyama, Sendai, Ichinoseki and Morioka. In 1891, the segment between Morioka and Aomori opened, creating the longest continuous railway line in Japan.
After 1906, the line was nationalized and became the Tōhoku Main Line operated by the Ministry of Railways. When Tokyo Station opened in 1925, the Tōhoku Main Line was extended from Ueno to the new station. Until the 1950s, this segment was used and many trains ran through both the Tōkaidō Main Line and Tōhoku Main Line. However, when the Tōhoku Shinkansen opened, it occupied land previously used for the tracks of mid and long-distance Tōhoku Main Line trains. As a result, only a small number of commuter lines (such as the Keihin–Tōhoku Line) operated from Ueno to Tokyo, making Tokyo Station's status as part of the Tōhoku Main Line somewhat circumspect, until the Ueno–Tokyo Line opened in 2015, connecting the two stations (with the exception of the occasional train that terminates at Ueno Station).
In 2002, the Tōhoku Shinkansen was extended from Morioka to Hachinohe and the operations of the local track segment between those two cities was turned over to Iwate Ginga Railway (IGR) and Aoimori Railway. With the extension of the Tōhoku Shinkansen to Shin-Aomori station in 2010, the segment between Hachinohe and Aomori was delegated to the Aoimori Railway Company. The shortened Tōhoku Main Line is now the second-longest line in Japan, after the Sanin Main Line.
Double-tracking
The Tokyo to Omiya section was double-tracked between 1892 and 1896, extended to Koga in 1908, Oyama the following year, and to Utsunomiya in 1913.
The Iwanuma - Sendai - Iwakiri section was double-tracked between 1920 & 1923 and the Utsunomiya - Iwanuma section between 1959 and 1964. The Iwakiri - Morioka - Aomori section was double-tracked between 1951 and 1968, including the realigned section between Iwakiri and Atago in 1962.
Electrification
The Tokyo to Tabata section was electrified at 1,500 V DC in 1909, extended to Akabane in 1928, Omiya in 1932 and Kuroiso in 1959. Electrification was then continued north at 20 kV AC, reaching Fukushima in 1960, Sendai in 1961, Morioka in 1965, and Aomori in 1968.
Former connecting lines
thumb|The staff of the Bushu Railway in 1927
thumb|The railcar used on the Tsukinoki to Tateyama line
thumb|The Matsushima-Machi handcar tramway
thumb|A train on the Kurihara Railway in April 2006
Saitama Prefecture
- Hasuda Station: The Bushu Railway operated a line to Kamine from 1924 until 1938.
Tochigi Prefecture
- Mamada Station: A gauge handcar line to Omoigawa operated between 1899 and 1917.
- Hoshakuji Station: A line servicing the Utsunomiya Army Airfield operated between 1942 and 1945.
- Ujiie Station: An gauge handcar line operated to Kitsuregawa between 1902 and 1918.
- Yaita Station: The Tobu Railway opened the gauge Tobu Yaita Line to Shin Takatoku (on the Tobu Kinugawa Line) on 1 March 1924. The line was converted to gauge in 1929, and closed on 30 June 1959.