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Utsunomiya Line

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Introducing

Utsunomiya Line is the nickname for trains operating on the 163.3 km long section of the Tōhoku Main Line (between Tōkyō Station and Morioka Station) between Tōkyō and Kuroiso Station.The Utsunomiya Line nickname has been in use since March 10, 1990, at the suggestion of the municipalities along the railway line. In the past, many limited express and sleeper trains to Tōhoku and Hokkaidō used to run, but now Local and rapid trains dominate the timetable.

The current operation system is separated at Utsunomiya Station. South of Utsunomiya, the Ueno Tōkyō Line and Shōnan Shinjuku Line provide commuter and school transportation in the Tōkyō metropolitan area. On the section north of Utsunomiya (some early mornings are between Oyama/Koganei and Utsunomiya), one-man operation is used to provide interregional transportation within Tochigi Prefecture.

After leaving Kuroiso Station, the train heads to Ueno Station, the northern gateway to Tōkyō, and Tōkyō Station, the center of Tōkyō, via Nasu-Shiobara Station, the gateway to Nasu, Utsunomiya Station, known as the city of dumplings, and Omiya Station, the largest terminal in Saitama Prefecture.

We hope you will enjoy the Utsunomiya Line DLC as you travel through the Kantō Plain, experiencing the changing landscape from Tochigi Prefecture to Tōkyō, including sprawling rural landscapes, suburban residential areas, and buildings in the city center.

Key data

  • Total length : 163.3 km
  • Number of stations : 34
  • Safety system : ATP-P
  • Train model : E233-3000 series (10/15 cars)
  • Max speed: 
    • Kuroiso ~ Utsunomiya : 100 km/h
    • Utsunomiya ~ Tōkyō: 110 km/h
  • Max speed after signals :
    • Reduced speed (green/yellow): 65 km/h → Utsunomiya → 75 km/h
    • Caution (yellow): 45 km/h → Utsunomiya → 55 km/h
    • Speed restriction (yellow/yellow): 25 km/h
  • Routes:
    • Koganei ~ Tōkyō (1539E) : Local train - 15 cars - 20 stations - 88.3 km
    • Utsunomiya ~ Tōkyō (1567E) : Local train - 15 cars - 24 stations - 109.5 km
    • Koganei ~ Tōkyō (1591E) : Local train - 15 cars - 20 stations - 88.3 km
    • Kuroiso ~ Ueno (3520M) : Rapid "Rabbit" train - 10 cars - 24 stations - 159.7 km
  • In-train announcements: Yes
  • Driver announcement (pointing-and-calling): Yes

Console detail

Apart from the pocket watch and the door-closing indicator in the center of the console, there are 2 displays.

image.pngThe first screen (train technical info) displays electrical voltages and various indicators at the top.

The bottom area contains:

  • Brake level and indicators for emergency brake in red (非常) and speed limit in green (抑速)
  • Brake cylinder pressure (BC)
  • Main air reservoir pressure (MR). Note that if this falls below the red zone (780kPa), the compressor starts up.
  • Speed dial.

The top line of indicators are those for ATS-P. Here are the translations of the bottom line:

  1. 3-phases (三相)

  2. Emergency short-circuit (非常短絡)

  3. Snow resistant brakes (耐雪ブレーキ)

  4. Safety Brakes (直通予備)

  5. Cruise control (定速)

  6. Parking brakes (駐車ブレーキ)

Consult the MON/TIMS/INTEROS screen page for more details about the TIMS screen.

Movie

Wikipedia : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utsunomiya_Line 

Driver's guide and timetables: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/0/d/1kbnimHrP3imiH2sykZER_3eT8ikuv-SbDszYWIuVu9w/edit 

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