On October 6th, East Japan Railway Company (hereafter JR East) celebrated the 90th anniversary of the Hachiko Line. To commemorate the milestone, the JR East Hachioji Branch Office held several events along the line.
Let me start with a brief overview of the Hachiko Line. This JR East line runs through the northwestern part of the Tokyo metropolitan area from south to north. Stretching 92 kilometers, it connects Hachioji in western Tokyo with Kuragano in Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture. Most of the route consists of a single track, and the gauge is 1,067 millimeters. The entire line was opened on October 6th, 1934 by the former Ministry of Railways.
The southern section, between Hachioji and Komagawa, serves as a commuter route in an urban area. It is electrified at 1,500 V DC with overhead catenaries and operated by EMU sets of the EMU 209-3500 and E231-3000 series.
In contrast, the northern section, between Komagawa and Kuragano, is a more rural local route. It is non-electrified and operated by DMU sets of the DMU KiHa110 series.
During my visit, I spotted special memorial plates mounted on the front and back of Set 42 of the E231-3000 series. These plates were designed by JR East employees. I especially liked the one that cleverly uses the number “90” to form a smiling face—so cute! According to JR East, the same plates are also displayed on Set 204 of the KiHa 110 series running in the northern section.
Congratulations to the Hachiko Line on its 90th anniversary!
