The Hachiko Line (八高線) is a local line run by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It runs from Hachioji Station in Tokyo to Kuragano Station in Takasaki, Gunma, and its name comes from Hachioji and Takasaki.
History
Before the line was built, the Railway Construction Act listed a planned line from Hachioji in Tokyo to Takasaki in Gunma, through Hanno in Saitama. The Tobu Tojo Railway, the predecessor of Tobu Railway, also had plans for the section between Yorii and Takasaki. The Railway Ministry took up the Hachiko line as a state project, so Tobu gave up its plan, including the section beyond Takasaki. The line was built from both ends. The Hachiko North Line and the Hachiko South Line opened in stages. On 10 December 1931 the Hachioji to Higashi-Hanno section of the South Line opened. The North Line's Kuragano to Kodama section opened on 1 July 1931. On 25 January 1933 the Kodama to Yorii section opened, and on 15 April 1933 the Higashi-Hanno to Ogose section opened. On 24 March 1934 the Ogose to Ogawamachi section opened. On 6 October 1934 the line was completed to Yorii, and the South Line was renamed to form the Hachiko Line from Hachioji to Kuragano.
On 24 August 1945 two trains collided head-on on the bridge over the Tama River between Komiya and Haijima, and at least 105 people died. On 25 February 1947 a down train derailed and overturned between Higashi-Hanno and Komagawa, and 184 people died. On 14 July 1947 a US military A-26 attack aircraft from Yokota Air Base crashed onto a train crossing the Tama River bridge, and 4 people died. On 15 September 1947 the Kasurin typhoon brought heavy rain, which caused damage in several places, including the track bed between Gunma Fujioka and Tanjo.
In July 1952 a special train called Ushio (うしお号) began running between Higashi-Hanno and Chigasaki, which is on the Sagami Line, on Sundays during the summer holiday period only. On 11 July 1954 Ushio services were increased. On 10 April 1957 some passenger trains became diesel railcars. On 20 November 1958 all passenger trains became diesel railcars. On 10 June 1959 Kita-Hachioji station opened, and on 21 February 1961 Kita-Fujioka station opened. Ono signal station was merged into Kita-Fujioka and abolished at that time.
On 27 February 1985 Hachioji to Komagawa was converted to CTC control. On 1 April 1987 the national railways were split up and privatised, and East Japan Railway Company (JR East) took over the line. Japan Freight Railway Company (JR Freight) became the second-type operator for the whole line. On 18 March 1993 KiHa 110 series railcars began regular service between Yorii and Takasaki. On 21 April 1994 the groundbreaking ceremony for the electrification of the Hachioji to Komagawa section was held. On 15 March 1996 the KiHa 30, 35 and 38 series ended service. On 16 March 1996 Hachioji to Komagawa was electrified, and Moro to Kita-Fujioka was converted to CTC. The 103 series, 201 series and 209 series 3000 番台 began regular service. All trains between Komagawa and Takasaki became KiHa 110 series, with one-man operation. The line was split into north and south operating systems at Komagawa. Through trains ran to Kawagoe on the Kawagoe Line (川越線), and some trains ran through to the Ome Line and the Chuo Line. With this electrification, regular diesel passenger trains disappeared from railway lines in Tokyo. Excluding Okinawa, which had no railway, Tokyo was the second prefecture after Kanagawa to lose them. The Sagami Line was the last line in Kanagawa to lose them.
In March 2011 all lines, including the non-electrified sections, were suspended during Tokyo Electric Power planned blackouts. On 10 November 2003 the 205 series 3000 番台 began service. On 31 March 2005 JR Freight's second-type operation for the whole line ended. On 17 April 2005 the 209 series 3100 番台 began service. On some weekday trains to Tokyo a women-only car was introduced on 5 September 2005. On 2 October 2005 a 103 series 3000 番台 special train marked the 20th anniversary of the Kawagoe Line electrification, and the 103 series 3000 番台 service ended on 12 October 2005. The women-only car to Tokyo was abolished after the service on 16 March 2007. On 18 March 2007 E233 series trains began running on the through services from the Chuo Line. On 18 October 2014 a special train marked 80 years since the line was fully opened, running from Hachioji to Takasaki. On 28 March 2015 retractable platform barriers began use at Haijima station for the Hachioji-bound platform. On 4 December 2016 the Tokyo area train management system broadcasts and displays were operated at Haijima station, although the line itself was not part of the system for train control.
On 18 October 2019 Typhoon No. 19 caused a river to rise near the Kanna River bridge, and the pier was found to have moved. Trains between Yorii and Kita-Fujioka were suspended and replaced by buses, and trains were reduced between Komagawa and Yorii and between Kita-Fujioka and Takasaki. On 27 November 2019 the Yorii to Kita-Fujioka section resumed, and the whole line was running again. On 9 April 2020, during the COVID-19 state of emergency, the half-automatic door handling between Hachioji and Kawagoe was stopped to improve ventilation. On 12 March 2022 the operating system changed. One-man operation began between Hachioji, Komagawa and Kawagoe, which ended the through running to the Chuo Line. Half-automatic door handling was resumed. On 15 March 2025 all Komagawa to Takasaki trains became two-car one-man operation. On 1 December 2025 HB-E220 series trains began running between Komagawa and Takasaki. On 13 March 2026 the regular service of KiHa 110 series ended, and on 1 July 2026 the regional branch offices were replaced by business divisions. The Hachioji area came under the Hachioji Business Division, the Moro to Tanjo area came under the Kumagaya Business Division, and the Gunma Fujioka to Kuragano area came under the Gunma Business Division.
Local groups and Saitama Prefecture politicians have asked JR East for a double track between Hachioji and Komagawa. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government analysed the double track. Its analysis found that the cumulative cash balance would not turn positive for 41 years or more, or not at all, and that the benefit-cost ratio was below 1.0. Some people along the non-electrified section want more trains, double tracks and electrification, and the return of through running to Hachioji. Kanagawa Prefecture has asked for through running with the Yokohama Line, but JR East has been cautious, because it would need large changes to the timetables of both lines.
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Written by an AI from the line's history on Japanese Wikipedia, nothing else, and checked by a program for dates and numbers that are not in those facts. It can still be wrong. Adapted from Japanese Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0; this text is shared under the same licence.