History
The oldest station on the line is Sakuragichō, which was opened by the Japanese Government Railways on June 12, 1872 as the first railway terminal in Yokohama of the first railway line in Japan. The line was extended to Kōzu on July 11, 1887; trains had to reverse direction at Yokohama via a switchback to continue their journeys. This was alleviated by a bypass line between Kanagawa and Hodogaya which opened on August 1, 1898. The branch was named the Tōkaidō Main Line Branch Line on October 12, 1909.
Takashimachō Station opened between Kanagawa and Yokohama on December 20, 1914 as the terminus of an electrified Keihin Line (the predecessor of today's Keihin-Tōhoku Line). On August 15, 1915, a new Yokohama Station opened, absorbing nearby Takashimachō and becoming the new terminus of the line. The old Yokohama station was renamed Sakuragichō and the Sakuragichō – Hodogaya bypass closed. Keihin Line service was extended to Sakuragichō on December 30, 1915 when freight service was abolished on the branch.
Yokohama Station moved on October 15, 1928; between then and January 26, 1930, temporary platforms for the Keihin Line were provided on either side of the station.
The Sakuragichō train fire occurred on April 24, 1951.
On May 19, 1964, the line was extended for the first time to Isogo. The line was renamed the Negishi Line after one of the new stations. The Takashima freight line opened on June 1 that year and freight service returned to the line after a nearly 50-year absence. 103 series trains were introduced to the line in October 1965.
The line was extended from Isogo to Yōkōdai on March 17, 1970. On May 20 that year, a 103 series train derailed between Shin-Sugita and Yōkōdai, seriously injuring two people. The final section between Yōkōdai and Ōfuna opened on April 9, 1973; On October 1 that year, freight service commenced between Ōfuna and Isogo.
Freight services between Ōfuna and Isogo ceased on February 1, 1984; three days prior to this, the line adopted Automatic Train Control. On April 1, 1987 the Japanese National Railways were privatized, with ownership of the Negishi Line passing to JR East; JR Freight took over freight services on the line.
Some trains began operating through onto the Yokosuka Line on March 15, 2008.
Read more about this topic: Negishi Line
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