between Kunohama and Hirono. 1 June 1947: Suetsugi signal box becomes Suetsugi Station. 10 August 1948: Momouchi signal box becomes Momouchi Station. 10 May 1949: Shimoyama Station opens. 1 June 1949: Matsudo — Toride tracks are electrified. 6 July 1949: In what is known as the Shimoyama incident, JNR president at the time, Shimoyama Sadanori, is mysteriously found dead between Kita-Senju and Ayase Stations. 10 May 1950: Sekimoto Station is renamed Ōtsukō Station. 1 May 1952: Kita-Matsudo Station opens. 10 July 1952: Komagamine Station opens. 1 October 1953: Minami-Kashiwa Station opens. 20 December 1956: Tsuzura Station is renamed Uchigō Station. 1 April 1957: Ishigami Station is renamed Tōkai Station. 1 June 1958: Semi-express Tokiwa begins operation. 10 October 1958: The Limited express Hatsukari begins operation (Ueno — Aomori). It stops at Ueno, Mito, Taira, and Sendai Stations when it runs on the Jōban Line tracks. 1 October 1959: Nagatsuka Station is renamed Futaba Station. 1 October 1960: Kanayama signal box is built between Tatsuta and Tomioka. Ōkuma signal box is built between Watari and Iwanuma. 20 March 1961: Nakamura Station is renamed Sōma Station. 1 June 1961: Toride — Katsuta tracks are electrified. 3 May 1962: The Rail Crash occurs between Mikawashima and Minami-Senju when an Iwaki-bound passenger train crashes into the wreckage of a crash between an Ueno-bound passenger train and an Ueno-bound freight train. 160 people die and 296 are injured in the incident. 1 October 1962: Katsuta — Takahagi tracks are electrified. 1 May 1963: Takahagi — Taira tracks are electrified. 20 April 1963: Takahira signal box is built between Haranomachi and Kashima. 30 September 1963: Taira — Kusano tracks are electrified. 5 March 1966: Tokiwa semi-express becomes an express. 1 February 1967: Kōen-Shimo Station is renamed Kairakuen Station. 20 August 1967: With the electrification of the Kusano — Iwanuma tracks, the entire Jōban Line becomes electrified. 1 October 1968: Hatsukari express is rerouted to the Tōhoku Main Line. 1 October 1969: Kairakuen Station becomes a temporary station. Seasonal Hitachi express begins operation. 10 April 1970: Freight line Kita-Kashiwa Station opens. 1 October 1970: Hitachi operates as a regular express. 20 April 1971: Construction of the Kita-Senju — Abiko Joban Local Line is finished and runs through service to the Eidan Subway Chiyoda Line (present-day Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line). (The Chiyoda Line only ran as far as Kasumigaseki at the time). Tennōdai Station opens and Kita-Kashiwa Station