# Chūō-Sōbu Line

The Chūō-Sōbu Line (Japanese: 中央・総武緩行線, Hepburn: Chūō-Sōbu-kankō-sen) is a railway line that runs through Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Part of the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) network, the line operates on separate tracks along the right-of-way of the Chūō Main Line (Chūō Line (Rapid)) and Sōbu Main Line (Sōbu Line (Rapid)), providing service between Mitaka Station in the cities of Mitaka and Musashino and Chiba Station in Chiba.
The term Kankō (緩行, lit. "slow run") distinguishes local trains on the Chūō-Sōbu line from rapid service trains running on the Chūō Main Line between Mitaka and Ochanomizu and on the Sōbu Main Line between Kinshichō and Chiba.

## Service patterns
### Chūō-Sōbu Line

* Regularly, trains terminate at Chiba or Tsudanuma at the east side, and terminate at Nakano or Mitaka at the west side
* All trains stop at every station.
** For station information on the parallel rapid/express lines, see the Chūō Line (Rapid) and Sōbu Line (Rapid) articles.

### Tōzai Line through service

All through service trains enter the Tōzai Line at either Nakano, or Nishi-Funabashi. These trains operate within the following routes:
* Mitaka – Nakano – (Tōzai Line) – Nishi-Funabashi – Tsudanuma (weekday mornings/evenings only)
* Nakano – (Tōzai Line) – Nishi-Funabashi – Tsudanuma (weekday mornings/evenings only)
* Mitaka – Nakano – (Tōzai Line) – Nishi-Funabashi
* Mitaka – Nakano – (Tōzai Line) – Nishi-Funabashi – (Tōyō Rapid Railway Line) – Tōyō-Katsutadai (mornings/evenings only)

### Limited express

Prior to March 2024, seasonal Limited Express Shinjuku Wakashio and Shinjuku Sazanami trains stopped at Akihabara on the Chūō-Sōbu Line "mainly on weekends and holidays when service is heavy". As of March 2024, these trains no longer stop at Akihabara.

### Former Early morning / Late night

At around 9 -10pm, a few westbound trains headed beyond Mitaka onto the Chūō Line (Rapid), with some terminating at Musashi-Koganei, and the others at Tachikawa. The other trains during the hour operated regularly.
At around 4 - 6am and 11pm - 1am, Chūō-Sōbu Line services were divided at Ochanomizu Station, into two sections.
* At the western section (Mitaka – Ochanomizu), Chūō Line (Rapid) trains ran through the Chūō-Sōbu Line tracks between Nakano and Ochanomizu, with services serving between Tokyo and as far as Takao, or even Ōme, which stops at all stations.
* At the eastern section (Ochanomizu – Chiba), local trains operated and terminated at the two ends of the section.
This service pattern last operated on 13 March 2020. To prepare for the eventual installation of platform doors on Chūō-Sōbu Line platforms and the future addition of Green Cars on the Rapid line, Chūō Line Rapid service trains no longer regularly operate on the Chūō-Sōbu Line tracks.

## Station list
### Legend

* ●: All trains stop
* ■: Some trains pass
* ▲: All trains pass on weekends and holidays
* ｜: All trains pass
| Official Line name | Station No. | Station | Japanese | Distance (km) | Distance (km) | Distance (km) | Local | Local | Rapid | Rapid | Transfers | Location | Location |
| Official Line name | Station No. | Station | Japanese | Between stations | Total | Total | Chūō-Sōbu Line | Tozai Line through | Chūō Line | Sōbu Line | Transfers | Location | Location |
| Sōbu Main Line | JB39 | Chiba | 千葉 | - | From Chiba 0.0 | From Tokyo 39.2 | ● | | ↑ To Tokyo | ● | ■ Uchibō Line ■ Sotobō Line ■ Narita Line ■ Sōbu Main Line KS Keisei Chiba Line (Keisei Chiba: KS59) Chiba Urban Monorail Lines 1 and 2 | Chūō-ku, Chiba | Chiba |
| Sōbu Main Line | JB38 | Nishi-Chiba | 西千葉 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 37.8 | ● | | ↑ To Tokyo | ｜ | | Chūō-ku, Chiba | Chiba |
| Sōbu Main Line | JB37 | Inage | 稲毛 | 1.9 | 3.3 | 35.9 | ● | | ↑ To Tokyo | ● | | Inage-ku, Chiba | Chiba |
| Sōbu Main Line | JB36 | Shin-Kemigawa | 新検見川 | 2.7 | 6.0 | 33.2 | ● | | ↑ To Tokyo | ｜ | | Hanamigawa-ku, Chiba | Chiba |
| Sōbu Main Line | JB35 | Makuhari | 幕張 | 1.6 | 7.6 | 31.6 | ● | | ↑ To Tokyo | ｜ | KS Keisei Chiba Line (Keisei Makuhari: KS53) | Hanamigawa-ku, Chiba | Chiba |
| Sōbu Main Line | JB34 | Makuharihongō | 幕張本郷 | 2.0 | 9.6 | 29.6 | ● | | ↑ To Tokyo | ｜ | KS Keisei Chiba Line (Keisei Makuharihongō: KS52) | Hanamigawa-ku, Chiba | Chiba |
| Sōbu Main Line | JB33 | Tsudanuma | 津田沼 | 2.9 | 12.5 | 26.7 | ● | ● | ↑ To Tokyo | ● | SL Shin-Keisei Line (Shin-Tsudanuma: SL23) | Narashino | Chiba |
| Sōbu Main Line | JB32 | Higashi-Funabashi | 東船橋 | 1.7 | 14.2 | 25.0 | ● | ● | ↑ To Tokyo | ｜ | | Funabashi | Chiba |
| Sōbu Main Line | JB31 | Funabashi | 船橋 | 1.8 | 16.0 | 23.2 | ● | ● | ↑ To Tokyo | ● | TD Tobu Urban Park Line (TD35) KS Keisei Main Line (Keisei Funabashi: KS22) | Funabashi | Chiba |
| Sōbu Main Line | JB30 | Nishi-Funabashi | 西船橋 | 2.6 | 18.6 | 20.6 | ● | ● | ↑ To Tokyo | ｜ | JM Musashino Line (JM10) TR Tōyō Rapid Railway Line (TR01) T Tokyo Metro Tozai Line (T-23) (some trains through to Tsudanuma) | Funabashi | Chiba |
| Sōbu Main Line | JB29 | Shimōsa-Nakayama | 下総中山 | 1.6 | 20.2 | 19.0 | ● | Through to T Tokyo Metro Tozai Line | ↑ To Tokyo | ｜ | | Funabashi | Chiba |
| Sōbu Main Line | JB28 | Moto-Yawata | 本八幡 | 1.6 | 21.8 | 17.4 | ● | Through to T Tokyo Metro Tozai Line | ↑ To Tokyo | ｜ | S Toei Shinjuku Line (S-21) | Ichikawa | Chiba |
| Sōbu Main Line | JB27 | Ichikawa | 市川 | 2.0 | 23.8 | 15.4 | ● | Through to T Tokyo Metro Tozai Line | ↑ To Tokyo | ● | | Ichikawa | Chiba |
| Sōbu Main Line | JB26 | Koiwa | 小岩 | 2.6 | 26.4 | 12.8 | ● | Through to T Tokyo Metro Tozai Line | ↑ To Tokyo | ｜ | | Edogawa | Tokyo |
| Sōbu Main Line | JB25 | Shin-Koiwa | 新小岩 | 2.8 | 29.2 | 10.0 | ● | Through to T Tokyo Metro Tozai Line | ↑ To Tokyo | ● | | Katsushika | Tokyo |
| Sōbu Main Line | JB24 | Hirai | 平井 | 1.8 | 31.0 | 8.2 | ● | Through to T Tokyo Metro Tozai Line | ↑ To Tokyo | ｜ | | Edogawa | Tokyo |
| Sōbu Main Line | JB23 | Kameido | 亀戸 | 1.9 | 32.9 | 6.3 | ● | Through to T Tokyo Metro Tozai Line | ↑ To Tokyo | ｜ | TS Tōbu Kameido Line (TS44) | Kōtō | Tokyo |
| Sōbu Main Line | JB22 | Kinshichō | 錦糸町 | 1.5 | 34.4 | 4.8 | ● | Through to T Tokyo Metro Tozai Line | ↑ To Tokyo | ● | JO Sōbu Line (Rapid) (JO22) Z Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line (Z-13) | Sumida | Tokyo |
| Sōbu Main Line Branch | JB22 | Kinshichō | 錦糸町 | 1.5 | 34.4 | From Kinshichō 0.0 | ● | Through to T Tokyo Metro Tozai Line | ↑ To Tokyo | ● | JO Sōbu Line (Rapid) (JO22) Z Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line (Z-13) | Sumida | Tokyo |
| Sōbu Main Line Branch | JB21 | Ryōgoku | 両国 | 1.5 | 35.9 | 1.5 | ● | Through to T Tokyo Metro Tozai Line | ↑ To Tokyo | To Tokyo and JO Yokosuka Line ↓ | E Toei Ōedo Line (E-12) | Sumida | Tokyo |
| Sōbu Main Line Branch | JB20 | Asakusabashi | 浅草橋 | 0.8 | 36.7 | 2.3 | ● | Through to T Tokyo Metro Tozai Line | ↑ To Tokyo | To Tokyo and JO Yokosuka Line ↓ | A Toei Asakusa Line (A-16) | Taitō | Tokyo |
| Sōbu Main Line Branch | AKBJB19 | Akihabara | 秋葉原 | 1.1 | 37.8 | 3.4 | ● | Through to T Tokyo Metro Tozai Line | ↑ To Tokyo | To Tokyo and JO Yokosuka Line ↓ | JY Yamanote Line (JY03) JK Keihin-Tōhoku Line (JK28) H Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line (H-16) Tsukuba Express (01) S Toei Shinjuku Line (Iwamotocho Station, S-08) | Chiyoda | Tokyo |
| Sōbu Main Line Branch | JB18 | Ochanomizu | 御茶ノ水 | 0.9 | 38.7 | 4.3 | ● | Through to T Tokyo Metro Tozai Line | ● | To Tokyo and JO Yokosuka Line ↓ | JC Chūō Line (Rapid) (JC03) M Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line (M-20) C Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line (Shin-ochanomizu: C-12) | Chiyoda | Tokyo |
| Chūō Main Line | JB18 | Ochanomizu | 御茶ノ水 | 0.9 | 38.7 | From Tokyo 2.6 | ● | Through to T Tokyo Metro Tozai Line | ● | To Tokyo and JO Yokosuka Line ↓ | JC Chūō Line (Rapid) (JC03) M Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line (M-20) C Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line (Shin-ochanomizu: C-12) | Chiyoda | Tokyo |
| Chūō Main Line | JB17 | Suidōbashi | 水道橋 | 0.8 | 39.5 | 3.4 | ● | Through to T Tokyo Metro Tozai Line | ｜ | To Tokyo and JO Yokosuka Line ↓ | I Toei Mita Line (I-11) | Chiyoda | Tokyo |
| Chūō Main Line | JB16 | Iidabashi | 飯田橋 | 1.1 | 40.6 | 4.5 | ● | Through to T Tokyo Metro Tozai Line | ｜ | To Tokyo and JO Yokosuka Line ↓ | T Tokyo Metro Tozai Line (T-06) Y Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line (Y-13) N Tokyo Metro Namboku Line (N-10) E Toei Ōedo Line (E-06) | Chiyoda | Tokyo |
| Chūō Main Line | JB15 | Ichigaya | 市ケ谷 | 1.3 | 41.9 | 5.8 | ● | Through to T Tokyo Metro Tozai Line | ｜ | To Tokyo and JO Yokosuka Line ↓ | Y Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line (Y-14) N Tokyo Metro Namboku Line (N-09) S Toei Shinjuku Line (S-04) | Chiyoda | Tokyo |
| Chūō Main Line | JB14 | Yotsuya | 四ツ谷 | 0.8 | 42.7 | 6.6 | ● | Through to T Tokyo Metro Tozai Line | ● | To Tokyo and JO Yokosuka Line ↓ | M Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line (M-12) N Tokyo Metro Namboku Line (N-08) | Shinjuku | Tokyo |
| Chūō Main Line | JB13 | Shinanomachi | 信濃町 | 1.3 | 44.0 | 7.9 | ● | Through to T Tokyo Metro Tozai Line | ｜ | To Tokyo and JO Yokosuka Line ↓ | | Shinjuku | Tokyo |
| Chūō Main Line | JB12 | Sendagaya | 千駄ケ谷 | 0.7 | 44.7 | 8.6 | ● | Through to T Tokyo Metro Tozai Line | ｜ | To Tokyo and JO Yokosuka Line ↓ | E Toei Ōedo Line (Kokuritsu-kyogijo: E-25) | Shibuya | Tokyo |
| Chūō Main Line | JB11 | Yoyogi | 代々木 | 1.0 | 45.7 | 9.6 | ● | Through to T Tokyo Metro Tozai Line | ｜ | To Tokyo and JO Yokosuka Line ↓ | JY Yamanote Line (JY18) E Toei Ōedo Line (E-26) | Shibuya | Tokyo |
| Yamanote Line | JB11 | Yoyogi | 代々木 | 1.0 | 45.7 | 9.6 | ● | Through to T Tokyo Metro Tozai Line | ｜ | To Tokyo and JO Yokosuka Line ↓ | JY Yamanote Line (JY18) E Toei Ōedo Line (E-26) | Shibuya | Tokyo |
| Yamanote Line | SJKJB10 | Shinjuku | 新宿 | 0.7 | 46.4 | 10.3 | ● | Through to T Tokyo Metro Tozai Line | ● | To Tokyo and JO Yokosuka Line ↓ | JY Yamanote Line (JY17) JA Saikyō Line (JA11) JS Shōnan-Shinjuku Line (JS20) Odakyū Odawara Line (OH01) Keiō Line, Keiō New Line (KO01) M Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line (M-08) S Toei Shinjuku Line (S-01) E Toei Ōedo Line (E-27, Shinjuku-nishiguchi: E-01) Seibu Shinjuku Line (Seibu-Shinjuku: SS01) | Shinjuku | Tokyo |
| Chūō Main Line | SJKJB10 | Shinjuku | 新宿 | 0.7 | 46.4 | 10.3 | ● | Through to T Tokyo Metro Tozai Line | ● | To Tokyo and JO Yokosuka Line ↓ | JY Yamanote Line (JY17) JA Saikyō Line (JA11) JS Shōnan-Shinjuku Line (JS20) Odakyū Odawara Line (OH01) Keiō Line, Keiō New Line (KO01) M Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line (M-08) S Toei Shinjuku Line (S-01) E Toei Ōedo Line (E-27, Shinjuku-nishiguchi: E-01) Seibu Shinjuku Line (Seibu-Shinjuku: SS01) | Shinjuku | Tokyo |
| Chūō Main Line | JB09 | Ōkubo | 大久保 | 1.4 | 47.8 | 11.7 | ● | Through to T Tokyo Metro Tozai Line | ｜ | To Tokyo and JO Yokosuka Line ↓ | JY Yamanote Line (Shin-Ōkubo: JY16) | Shinjuku | Tokyo |
| Chūō Main Line | JB08 | Higashi-Nakano | 東中野 | 1.1 | 48.9 | 12.8 | ● | Through to T Tokyo Metro Tozai Line | ｜ | To Tokyo and JO Yokosuka Line ↓ | E Toei Ōedo Line (E-31) | Nakano | Tokyo |
| Chūō Main Line | JB07 | Nakano | 中野 | 1.9 | 50.8 | 14.7 | ● | ● | ■ | To Tokyo and JO Yokosuka Line ↓ | T Tokyo Metro Tozai Line (T-01) (some trains through to Mitaka) | Nakano | Tokyo |
| Chūō Main Line | JB06 | Kōenji | 高円寺 | 1.4 | 52.2 | 16.1 | ● | ● | ▲ | To Tokyo and JO Yokosuka Line ↓ | | Suginami | Tokyo |
| Chūō Main Line | JB05 | Asagaya | 阿佐ケ谷 | 1.2 | 53.4 | 17.3 | ● | ● | ▲ | To Tokyo and JO Yokosuka Line ↓ | | Suginami | Tokyo |
| Chūō Main Line | JB04 | Ogikubo | 荻窪 | 1.4 | 54.8 | 18.7 | ● | ● | ■ | To Tokyo and JO Yokosuka Line ↓ | M Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line (M-01) | Suginami | Tokyo |
| Chūō Main Line | JB03 | Nishi-Ogikubo | 西荻窪 | 1.9 | 56.7 | 20.6 | ● | ● | ▲ | To Tokyo and JO Yokosuka Line ↓ | | Suginami | Tokyo |
| Chūō Main Line | JB02 | Kichijōji | 吉祥寺 | 1.9 | 58.6 | 22.5 | ● | ● | ■ | To Tokyo and JO Yokosuka Line ↓ | Keiō Inokashira Line (IN17) | Musashino | Tokyo |
| Chūō Main Line | JB01 | Mitaka | 三鷹 | 1.6 | 60.2 | 24.1 | ● | ● | ■ | To Tokyo and JO Yokosuka Line ↓ | JC Chūō Line (JC12) | Mitaka | Tokyo |

## Rolling stock
### Chūō-Sōbu Line

Trains used on the line are based at Mitaka Depot.
* E231-0 series 10-car EMUs (yellow stripe) (since February 2000)
* E231-500 series 10-car EMUs (yellow stripe) (since 1 December 2014)

### Tozai Line - Toyo Rapid Line through service

Trains run between Mitaka and Tsudanuma (Chūō-Sōbu Line) or Toyo-Katsutadai (Toyo Rapid Line), all via the Tokyo Metro Tozai Line between Nakano and Nishi-Funabashi.
* E231-800 series 10-car EMUs (light blue and blue stripe) (Does not run on the Toyo Rapid Line)
* Tokyo Metro 05 series 10-car EMUs (light blue stripe)
* Tokyo Metro 07 series 10-car EMUs (light blue stripe)
* Tokyo Metro 15000 series 10-car EMUs (light blue stripe)
* JR East E231-0 series
* JR East E231-500 series
* Tokyo Metro 05 series
* Tokyo Metro 15000 series
* Tokyo Metro 07 series
* JR East E231-800 series

### Former rolling stock
#### Chūō-Sōbu Line

* 101 series EMUs (yellow livery) (from 1963 until November 1988)
* 103 series 10-car EMUs (yellow livery) (from 1979 until March 2001)
* 201 series 10-car EMUs (yellow livery) (from 1982 until November 2001)
* 205 series 10-car EMUs (yellow stripe) (from August 1989 until November 2001)
* 209-500 series 10-car EMUs (yellow stripe) (from December 1998 until 19 April 2019)
* E231-900 series 10-car EMU (yellow stripe) (from 27 March 1999 as 209-950 series, until 25 February 2020)

#### Tozai Line - Toyo Rapid Line through service

* 301 series 10-car EMUs (light blue stripe) (on Tozai Line inter-running services from 1966 until 2003)

#### Chūō Line (Early morning / Late night)

* See Chūō Line (Rapid)#Rolling stock for the train types which operated this service until 13 March 2020.
* A Chūō-Sōbu Line 101 series EMU in August 1978
* A Chūō-Sōbu Line 201 series EMU in May 2001
* A Chūō-Sōbu Line 301 series EMU in February 2003
* A Chūō-Sōbu Line 205 series EMU
* A Chūō-Sōbu Line 209-500 series EMU in April 2009
* The sole E231-900 series EMU in June 2019

### Timeline
## History

Women-only cars, designed to prevent gropers, were introduced on this line during morning peak periods starting on 20 November 2006.
On 20 August 2016, station numbering was introduced to the Chuo-Sobu line with stations being assigned station numbers between JB01 and JB39. Numbers increase towards in the eastbound direction towards Chiba.