Sagami Line

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Not to be confused with Sagami Railway.

Sagami Line
A E131-500 series EMU in November 2021
Overview
OwnerJR East
LocaleKanagawa Prefecture
Termini
Stations18
Service
TypeCommuter rail
Rolling stockE131-500 series
History
Opened1921
Technical
Line length33.3 km (20.7 mi)
Number of tracksSingle track
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification1,500 V DC Overhead catenary
Route map

The Sagami Line (相模線, Sagami-sen) is a railway line in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It approximately parallels the east bank of the Sagami River. The line connects Hashimoto Station in Sagamihara and Chigasaki Station in Chigasaki.

Services[edit]

All services on the line are operated as local trains.

Between March 1991 and 11 March 2022,[1] some trains operated through services onto the Yokohama Line beyond Hashimoto and made four additional stops, terminating at Hachiōji Station.

Rolling stock[edit]

Former Rolling Stock:

  • KiHa 4 DMU
  • KiHa 10 DMU (until 1980)
  • KiHa 20 DMU (1958–1982)
  • KiHa 26-400 (under KiHa 55 family)
  • KiHa 30
  • KiHa 35 (1986–1991)
  • KiHa 36
  • 205-500 series four-car EMUs (from 1991—2022)

The Sagami Line formerly operated a series of Diesel Multiple Unit passenger trains before electrification. The 205-500 series four-car EMUs were introduced in 1991 after the line was electrified. New E131-500 series EMUs replaced the older 205 series EMUs starting from Fall 2021.[3]

  • Sagami Line E131-500 series EMU, November 2021
    Sagami Line E131-500 series EMU, November 2021
  • Sagami Line 205-500 series EMU, November 2021
    Sagami Line 205-500 series EMU, November 2021

Stations[edit]

  • All stations located in Kanagawa Prefecture.
  • All trains stop at every station.
  • Stations marked "o", "v", or "^" allow passing; stations marked"｜" do not.
Station Japanese Distance (km) Transfers   Location
Between
stations 		Total
Chigasaki 茅ヶ崎 - 0.0 JT Tōkaidō Line
JS Shōnan-Shinjuku Line 		v Chigasaki
Kita-Chigasaki 北茅ヶ崎 1.3 1.3   o
Kagawa 香川 2.1 3.4   ｜
Samukawa 寒川 1.7 5.1   o Samukawa, Kōza District
Miyayama 宮山 2.1 7.2   ｜
Kurami 倉見 1.4 8.6   o
Kadosawabashi 門沢橋 1.4 10.0   ｜ Ebina
Shake 社家 1.6 11.6   o
Atsugi 厚木 2.6 14.2 OH Odakyū Odawara Line ｜
Ebina 海老名 1.7 15.9 OH Odakyū Odawara Line
Sagami Railway Main Line 		o
Iriya 入谷 3.0 18.9   ｜ Zama
Sōbudaishita 相武台下 1.7 20.6   o Minami-ku, Sagamihara
Shimomizo 下溝 2.9 23.5   ｜
Harataima 原当麻 1.3 24.8   o
Banda 番田 2.1 26.9   o Chūō-ku, Sagamihara
Kamimizo 上溝 1.5 28.4   ｜
Minami-Hashimoto 南橋本 2.9 31.3   o
Hashimoto 橋本 2.0 33.3 JH Yokohama Line
KO Keiō Sagamihara Line 		^ Midori-ku, Sagamihara

History[edit]

The Chigasaki to Samukawa section was opened by the Sagami Railway (Sōtetsu) in 1921, primarily to haul gravel. The line was extended to Atsugi in 1926, and to Hashimoto in 1931.[4][5][6]

The line was nationalized in 1944 during World War II; the private Sagami Railway began operating the then Jinchū Line (神中線), now the Sagami Railway Main Line.

A short branch to Nishi-Samukawa Station from Samukawa Station was closed in 1984, and freight services ceased in 1998.

After privatization of Japanese National Railways (JNR) in 1987, the line was electrified in 1991. Before the JNR privatization, there were discussions to transfer the line to the Sagami Railway in order meet the expected demands of passenger traffic in the Tokyo and Yokohama suburbs. Because it had long been left as a non-electrified rural line, the cost to upgrade the line was beyond the ability of then financially constrained JNR; Sagami Railway, on the other hand, was running a profitable operation on its own line. However, the two companies did not agree on a deal, and plans to transfer the line were cancelled.

Upon electrification, through services to the Yokohama Line began, using the new 205-500 series EMUs. The through service operation ended on 11 March 2022.[1]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "２０２２年３月ダイヤ改正について（八王子支社）" [March 2022 timetable revision, Hachidoji Branch] (PDF). 17 December 2021.
  2. ^ "相模線Ｅ131 系営業運転開始について" [About the entry of service of the Sagami Line E131 series] (PDF). 17 September 2021.
  3. ^ "相模線への新型車両の投入について" [Information about new train type for the Sagami Line] (PDF). 17 June 2021. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  4. ^ "鉄道省鉄道統計資料. 大正10年度 - 国立国会図書館デジタルコレクション". dl.ndl.go.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  5. ^ "官報. 1926年07月20日 - 国立国会図書館デジタルコレクション". dl.ndl.go.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  6. ^ "官報. 1931年05月05日 - 国立国会図書館デジタルコレクション". dl.ndl.go.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 23 December 2021.

Further reading[edit]

  • Sato, Makoto (2000). JR相模線物語 [JR Sagami Line Story] (in Japanese). Japan: 230 Club. ISBN 9784931353336.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sagami Line.
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