Kashima Line


The Kashima Line is a railway line operated by the East Japan Railway Company. It links Katori Station with Kashima Soccer Stadium Station by crossing and then following the Tone River, at the border between Chiba Prefecture and Ibaraki Prefecture.

Operation

Katori Station is on the Narita Line, and all trains of the Kashima Line run through from/to its neighboring station, Sawara Station, or beyond it, but all trains terminate at Kashima-Jingū Station. Only Kashima Rinkai Railway Ōarai Kashima Line trains run from here to Kashima Soccer Stadium and Mito Station. Kashima Soccer Stadium Station is only temporarily operated when football matches are held at Kashima Soccer Stadium, the home stadium of Kashima Antlers in J.League.
From Sawara to Kashima Jingu, JR East local electric trains run approximately once per 1–2 hours. Some trains run beyond Sawara, to Narita Station or Chiba Station. Until 2015, the Limited Express Ayame service ran between Tokyo Station and Kashima Jingu once in a day, from Kashima Jingu in every morning, from Tokyo in every night, and stopped all stations on the Kashima Line. From Kashima-Jingū and Mito, Oarai Kashima Line local or rapid diesel trains run approximately once an hour. Normally, no passenger train stops at Kashima Soccer Stadium, except when football matches are played in the stadium.
JR Freight operates trains on the line, from Tokyo area to the Kashima Rinko Line. The trains change its directions at Kashima Soccer Stadium Station.

Stations

History

This line was planned as the main mass transportation method within the Kashima Industrial Zone along the southern coast of Ibaraki Prefecture, to connect with the Tokyo Metropolis.