Tobu Utsunomiya Line, Tochigi to Tobu Utsunomiya

[Sacto1985]

YouTube user newkiyose posted this interesting cab view video of the Tobu Utsunomiya Line from Tochigi Station to Tobu Utsunomiya Station from a Tobu 8000 Series 3-car EMU:

 

 

Note that every station along the way has two tracks, so it is designed to run more busy traffic at certain times of the day.

[kvp]

Good video! The high number of stub track remains and disused freight platforms indicate that in the past this line had some freight traffic too.

[Sacto1985]

kvp, thanks for the comments!  :)

 

By the way, I believe that all trains on this line only operate between Tobu Utsunomiya and Tochigi Stations. Passengers going on to Tokyo will have to change trains at Tochigi Station to get a train on the Tobu Nikko Line going south.

[ToniBabelony]

By the way, I believe that all trains on this line only operate between Tobu Utsunomiya and Tochigi Stations. Passengers going on to Tokyo will have to change trains at Tochigi Station to get a train on the Tobu Nikko Line going south.

 

Not entirely true. There is the Shimotsuke Limited Express that runs from Asakusa to Tōbu Utsunomiya. It is a 4-car only train of the 350 type. This line though is really going on my 'to-ride' list. Every day, Tobu is getting more and more interesting... Damn me for being stuck in Kanagawa with boring the Odakyu Railway...

 

[bikkuri bahn]

I rode this line last month.  Remarkable for its long tangents.  A couple of stations with the staggered platform arrangement adds a bit of variety.  There was once a connection with the Tobu Ooya Line at Nishikawada, this connection was severed when the Ooya Line was closed in 1964.  Apparently the Ooya Line veered to the left off the Utsunomiya Line at approx. 31:54 in the video, the road next to the white colored two story house before the road overpass was the ROW.  The line hauled pumice tuff for the construction trade until trucks siphoned off most of the traffic.

[Sacto1985]

I'm actually a little surprised that Tobu still runs the Shimotsuke limited express, considering that there are more convenient options from Utsunomiya back to Tokyo by JR East rapid service using E233 trainsets. That is unless the Tobu train goes to areas not easily accessible to the near JR East station on the Utsunomiya Line between Ueno and Utsunomiya.

[nartak]

There are some factors which still support Tobu to run Shimotsuke.

1. Fare (in case of no monthly pass)
Tobu Shimotsuke: 1,160 Yen + 800 Yen (express ticket)
JR Tohoku line: 1,890 Yen + 950 Yen (green car)

 

JR is very expensive.  If you just add 1,450 Yen, you can take Shinkansen.
Even you pay for green car, it is not a reserved seat and doesn't guarantee a seat for you.

2. Time (assume weekday)
Tobu Shimotsuke
Leaving Tobu-Utsunomiya at 08:00 and arrives to Asakusa on 09:51

JR
Leaving Utsunomiya at 08:05 and arrives to Ueno on 09:55

There seems no much difference in time just for train ride but...

3. Location
Needs to consider location of stations at Utsunomiya city.  Tobu-Utsunomiya station is located for city center, which is close to city hall, shopping arcade, prefectual hall, etc.  On the other hand, JR Utsunomiya station is a bit apart from city center area and you need to take a bus.  If people living city center area or west part of Utsunomiya city, it will take more time to going to JR station rather than Tobu-Utsunomiya

So it still makes sense for some people to take Tobu rather than JR.

[Sacto1985]

nartak, that's why I said the Shimotsuke may still make sense, especially if the train has access to the parts of the northern Kantō Plain not close to any JR East Station. This especially true north of Kurihashi Station, where the Tobu Nikko Line and Tobu Utsunomiya Line covers the western half of the northern Kantō Plain.