This page describes details of the section of the Tōkaidō Main Line from Atami Station in Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture to Toyohashi Station in Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, operated by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central).
Overview The Tokaido Main Line in the Shizuoka block, together with the parallel Tokaido Shinkansen, National Route 1, Tomei Expressway, and New Tomei Expressway, serves as an artery that crosses the prefecture from east to west.
The Tokaido Main Line used to be served by many superior trains connecting Tokyo with Nagoya, Keihanshin, and other parts of western Japan, but after the Tokaido Shinkansen started service in 1964, long-distance transportation was shifted to the Shinkansen, and the Tokaido Main Line is now mainly used for regional passenger transportation by local trains. After the February 1, 1984 timetable revision of Japan National Railways (JNR), the predecessor of JR, an urban-type timetable (city trains) was formed with shorter and more frequent regular trains, centering on the "Suruga Shuttle," which has been operated in the same way to this day. In addition, freight trains operated by Japan Freight Railway (JR Freight) also operate on the line.
In addition, while rapid trains (rapid, new rapid, special rapid, etc.) that do not require an additional fare run on the Tokaido Main Line in other areas, there are no rapid trains between Atami Station and Hamamatsu Station in the Shizuoka area, with the exception of a few. Only fee-based rapid trains such as the Home Liner, which require a boarding ticket of 330 yen (revised on October 1, 2019) in addition to the fare, run on this line.
From Atami City, the line runs through Kannami Town, Mishima City, Numazu City, and Fuji City in eastern Shizuoka Prefecture; Shizuoka City, Yaizu City, Fujieda City, and Shimada City in central Shizuoka Prefecture; Kikugawa City, Kakegawa City, Fukuroi City, Iwata City, Hamamatsu City, Kosai City, and other major cities in western Shizuoka Prefecture; and Toyohashi City, Aichi Prefecture.
In the eastern part of Shizuoka Prefecture, when the Tokaido Line began service in 1889, it bypassed Mt. Hakone and passed through Gotemba and Susono cities, the route of the current Gotemba Line, but in 1934, 45 years after the line began service, the current route was changed to the Tanna Tunnel through the mountain range that runs along the Izu Peninsula. The route between Atami Station and Mishima Station, including the Tanna Tunnel, and between Shimada Station and Kakegawa Station, which crosses the Makinohara Plateau on the border between the central and western regions of the prefecture, passes through mountainous areas, while the route between Kambara Station and Okitsu Station and near the Yoshimune Station passes along the Suruga Bay coast. The rest of the route is mostly plains, and the aforementioned cities are scattered in these plains. The Fuji, Abe, Oi, and Tenryu Rivers flow toward the Pacific Ocean, and the Tokaido Main Line crosses them by railway bridges. The Tokaido Main Line crosses these rivers by railway bridges. The line passes near the shore of Lake Hamana between Maisaka and Washizu Stations.
History The basis for the current regular train schedule in the Shizuoka area is the "Suruga Shuttle" service, which was established in the February 1, 1984 timetable revision. Prior to this, in the November 15, 1982 revision, JNR shortened the conventional regular train formation in the Hiroshima block and established an equally spaced, high frequency schedule. Following the success of the "Hiroshima City Train" service, in the February 1984 revision, a high frequency schedule was established in the Shizuoka metropolitan area along with the Sapporo, Okayama, Kitakyushu, and Fukuoka metropolitan areas, and the "Suruga Shuttle" service was launched at that time. The name "Shuttle" was used to promote the frequent service. Fuji motif was established, and the symbol mark was placed on the headmark and on the destination marker. As a result of this timetable revision, the number of short-distance regular tickets sold in the Shizuoka metropolitan area (February, March, and April 1984) increased by 7.6% compared to the previous year.
On November 1, 1986, the last year of JNR service, the number of trains was further increased, and a 10-minute interval was established between Okitsu and Shimada stations, which continues to this day, and 20-minute intervals were also established on other sections. In addition, new stations were built one after another from the end of the Japanese National Railways (JNR) era to just after the inauguration of JR Central. Although the nickname "Suruga Shuttle" was no longer used after the 1990s, on March 16, 1991 (Heisei 1991), the Mishima/Numazu metropolitan area and Hamamatsu metropolitan area also began operating four trains per hour, and this system continued until March 17, 2007. The Home Liner (commuter liner), which has been operating in the morning and evening in various metropolitan areas of Japan since the end of the Japanese National Railways (JNR), was also introduced in the Shizuoka area on March 16, 1991, and has been increasing the number of services.
On March 18, 2007, a blanket schedule revision was made for the first time in about 20 years. This revision increased the number of section trains in the Mishima/Numazu and Hamamatsu metropolitan areas in addition to the Shizuoka metropolitan area, while reducing the number of long-distance trains between Atami, Mishima, Hamamatsu, and Toyohashi stations, as well as between Fuji and Okitsu stations and between Shimada and Kakegawa stations. The revised timetable has since been retained, while the number of direct Gotemba Line trains in the Mishima and Numazu areas has been increased, leading to the current timetable.
The March 16, 2024 timetable revision changed the previous daytime operation pattern. The trains previously operated during the daytime between Atami Station, Mishima Station, Numazu Station - Shizuoka Station and Shimada Station, between Okitsu Station, Shizuoka Station - Shimada Station and Hamamatsu Station, and between Atami Station and Numazu Station were reorganized into two patterns, one between Atami Station and Hamamatsu Station and the other between Okitsu Station and Shimada Station, each operating three trains per hour. Section trains between Mishima and Numazu, Kakegawa and Hamamatsu, and Hamamatsu and Toyohashi will be maintained, and the number of trains between each station will be maintained.JTB時刻表 2024年3月号
1950. March 1: The 80 series "Shonan Train" started operation between Tokyo Station and Numazu Station.「週刊朝日百科 歴史でめぐる鉄道全路線国鉄・JR 01 東海道本線」、朝日新聞出版 2009年6月28日 July: "Shonan Tram" was extended to Shizuoka Station. February 15, 1951: The "Shonan Train" was extended to Hamamatsu Station. In the 1960s, local trains operated about one per hour.『国鉄監修 交通公社の時刻表』1969年5月号、日本交通公社 As of September 1964, there were about one or two long-distance local trains per hour running between Tokyo and Numazu/Shizuoka/Hamamamatsu/Toyohashi/Nagoya stations, between Numazu and Toyohashi/Okazaki/Maibara stations, between Shizuoka and Maibara stations, and between Hamamatsu and Ogaki/Kyoto stations, and about three hourly honor trains to/from Tokyo.『国鉄監修 交通公社の時刻表』1964年9月号、日本交通公社 March 15, 1972: Rapid service was set up during the daytime, and together with the Local Trains, about two trains per hour were operated.『国鉄監修 交通公社の時刻表』1972年3月号・1975年3月号、日本交通公社 In addition, daytime Local Trains to/from Tokyo Station were operated until Hamamatsu Station.『国鉄監修 交通公社の時刻表』1972年2月号および3月号、日本交通公社 October 2, 1978: Rapid service was discontinued, and local trains between Atami Station and Hamamatsu Station became two per hour (every 30 minutes). Between Hamamatsu and Toyohashi stations, one Local Train per hour was operated.『国鉄監修 交通公社の時刻表』1978年10月号、日本交通公社 February 1, 1984: The "Suruga Shuttle" began service during the daytime. Four trains per hour (every 15 minutes) were operated between Okitsu and Shimada stations, including the existing medium-distance trains. The trains used were the 111 series and 113 series of the Shizuoka Operation Center (now the Shizuoka Trains Center), and were generally four-car trains. In addition, the number of trains between Hamamatsu Station and Toyohashi Station was increased to two per hour (every 30 minutes) during the daytime.『国鉄監修 交通公社の時刻表』1984年2月号、日本交通公社 March 14, 1985: About one section train per hour was set up between Mishima Station and Numazu/Fuji Station as "Alpha Train [Note 2]" .『国鉄監修 交通公社の時刻表』1985年3月号、日本交通公社 November 1, 1986: The last timetable revision by JNR took place. The number of trains between Okitsu and Shimada stations was increased to six per hour (every 10 minutes). Eight two-car 119 series trains were converted from the Toyohashi Electric Train Center (now the Toyohashi Operation Center) and given a special paint scheme and air conditioning modifications. Until the end of March 1987, when the required number of trains had been completed, the 111 series trains were also used, just before they were scrapped. The number of trains between Mishima and Okitsu stations, Shimada and Hamamatsu stations, and Hamamatsu and Toyohashi stations became three per hour (every 20 minutes), and one rapid train in the Nagoya area per hour started running to and from Hamamatsu Station.『国鉄監修 交通公社の時刻表』1986年11月号、日本交通公社 April 1, 1987: With the privatization of Japan National Railways (JNR), the Tokaido Line in Shizuoka area was managed by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central). March 13, 1988: The "Suruga Shuttle" service was expanded to operate between Fuji and Shimada stations, with six trains per hour during the daytime on this route. This revision added 115 series trains transferred from the Jinryo Train District (now the Jinryo Sharyo District) and some 115 series trains used on the Minobu Line and Gotemba Line to the service. The three down trains and two up trains departing from the Tokyo Exit of the JR East Tokaido Line (excluding night trains) no longer serve Hamamatsu Station, and one up train departs from Shimada Station, while all others are shortened to depart from Shizuoka Station.『JR編集 時刻表』1988年3月号、弘済出版社 As a result, the direct daytime regular trains between Tokyo Station and Shizuoka area were operated only up to Shimada Station. The regular trains between upstream Fuji Station and Tokyo Station have been extended to depart from Shizuoka Station, and the first upstream train at Shizuoka Station has been moved up 20 minutes. Direct trains from Shizuoka area to Nagoya area (toward Gifu and Ogaki) were also reduced. 1989 March 11: Series 119 trains were discontinued because their performance was not suitable for high-speed operation, and they were returned to operation on the Iida Line. New Series 211 trains were introduced in its place, but until its inauguration, Series 115 trains scheduled to be scrapped were used. 211 Series had three-car formation, and its formation symbol was "SS" which indicates shuttle though. July: "Hananoki-Kin-go", a late-night weekend train with seating capacity by Series 311 trains, was operated between Shizuoka and Hamamatsu Stations. March 10, 1990: Until then, during the daytime, trains alternated every 10 minutes between the Fuji Station - Shimada Station turnaround and the Numazu area - Hamamatsu Station, but from this revision, the operation pattern was changed and more trains were operated between Fuji Station and Hamamatsu Station. As a result, the starting and ending stations of some "Suruga Shuttle" trains were changed to Hamamatsu Station, and the service between Shimada and Hamamatsu Stations became four trains per hour.