Hokusō Railway

Hokusō Line
A Hokusō Line 7500 series EMU
Overview
Native name	北総線
Type	Commuter rail
Locale	Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture
Termini	Keisei-Takasago Inba-Nihon-Idai
Stations	15
Operation
Opened	March 9, 1979
Owner	Hokusō Railway (between Keisei-Takasago and Komuro; Category 1) Chiba New Town Railway (between Komuro and Inba-Nihon-Idai; Category 3)
Operator(s)	Hokusō Railway
Character	Double track
Depot(s)	Inba
Technical
Line length	32.3 km (20.1 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	1,500 V DC overhead catenary
Operating speed	105 kilometres per hour (65 mph), upgrading to 130 kilometres per hour (81 mph) for Narita Rapid

The Hokusō Line (北総線, Hokusō-sen^?) is a commuter rail line operated by the third-sector Hokusō Railway in Japan. It runs between Keisei-Takasago Station in Katsushika, Tokyo and Inba-Nihon-Idai Station in Inzai, Chiba. It is part of the primary Keisei route between central Tokyo and Narita International Airport through the Narita Sky Access Line. It uses the ATS Type 1 system.

Most trains are all-station "Local" services, but some limited-stop "Rapid" express trains have operated in morning and evening hours.

Chiba New Town Railway 9000 series

Chiba New Town Railway 9100 series

Chiba New Town Railway 9200 series

7150 series, July 1995

7250 series, February 2006

Hokuso 7260 series

The first section of the line, from Komuro to Shin-Kamagaya, opened in March 1979, including a temporary connection to the Shin-Keisei Line at Kita-Hatsutomi. As other tracks were connected, it changed name to "Hokusō Kōdan Line" in April 1987. Over 17 years later, the railway properties of the HDC corporation transferred to Chiba New Town Railway (千葉ニュータウン鉄道, Chiba Nyūtaun Tetsudō^?), on July 1, 2004, and the whole line was renamed as the Hokusō Line.