Chitose Line

Chitose Line (千歳線, Chitose-sen) is a railway line in Hokkaido operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido), connecting Numanohata, Tomakomai and Shiroishi Station, Shiroishi Ward, Sapporo, linking the Muroran Main Line and Hakodate Main Line. There also is a branch line to New Chitose Airport.

Service outline

The line forms part of the trunk route between Sapporo and southern Hokkaido. As such, Super Hokuto and Hokuto limited express trains run between Sapporo and Hakodate once every 1 to 2 hours, as well as the Suzuran between Sapporo and Muroran.

There also are sleeper trains between Honshu and Hokkaido, such as the Hokutosei, Cassiopeia, Twilight Express, and Hamanasu.

The section between Sapporo and Minami-Chitose is also a part of the trunk route between Sapporo and eastern Hokkaido. The limited express trains Super Ōzora, Super Tokachi, and Marimo run through.

The rapid train Airport runs once every 15 minutes, functioning as the airport rail link between New Chitose Airport Station and Sapporo, Otaru, or Asahikawa. Since the Chitose Line goes through the most urbanized area in Hokkaido, there are roughly 3 to 4 local train services per hour.