Central Line Opening Anniversary

The Central Line Opening Anniversary commemorates April 11th, 1889, the day the predecessor of today’s JR Chūō Line first opened. On that morning, the private Kōbu Railway launched service between Shinjuku Station and Tachikawa Station, a distance of roughly 27 kilometers. This initial segment marked the beginning of what would become one of the most important east–west rail arteries in the Tokyo region.

The line's reach expanded quickly and by August that year it had been extended to Hachioji and by 1906 the section form Hachioji to Kofu had been completed. ater that same year, under the Railway Nationalization Act, the entire line was purchased and brought under state control. When the Japanese National Railways were privatized in 1987, the line was inherited by JR East and JR Central, depending on the segment.

Today, the Chūō Line (also known as the Chūō Main Line) stretches from Tokyo Station to Nagoya, passing through Shinjuku, Tachikawa, Kōfu, and Shiojiri. It remains one of the most used, most important and most famous train lines in the Kanto plain.