Chikuhō Main Line

Chikuhō Main Line
Overview
Type Regional rail
Locale Kitakyushu
Termini Wakamatsu
Haruda
Stations 25
Operation
Opened 1891
Owner JR Kyushu
Technical
Line length 66.1 km (41.1 mi)
Number of tracks 2 (Wakamatsu–Orio, Orio–Iizuka)
Track gauge 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification 20 kV AC, 60 HZ (Orio–Keisen)
Route map

The Chikuhō Main Line (筑豊本線 Chikuhō-honsen) is a railway line in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, operated by Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu). It connects Wakamatsu Station in Kitakyushu with Haruda Station in Chikushino. Between Orio Station and Haruda Station, as well as from Keisen Station via the Sasaguri Line to Yoshizuka Station, the line functions as an alternate route to the Kagoshima Main Line.

Line data

Chikuhō Main Line in northern Kyushu
Chikuhō Main Line (red) and Fukuhoku Yutaka Line (yellow)

This is the shortest of all Japan Railways Group lines named Main (or trunk) Line (not counting the JR Shikoku main lines, which were stripped of their designation after JR Shikoku started operating). For comparison, the second shortest is Rumoi Main Line (66.8 km), although it once ran a longer distance.

The line is divided into three sections. Each section has an alias.

Wakamatsu Line
Wakamatsu–Orio, 10.8 km
Fukuhoku Yutaka Line
Orio–Keisen, 34.5 km
Haruda Line
Keisen–Haruda, 20.8 km

Stations

Wakamatsu–Orio (Wakamatsu Line)

Station Distance
(km)
Transfers Location
Wakamatsu 0.0   Wakamatsu-ku, Kitakyūshū Fukuoka Prefecture
Fujinoki 2.9  
Okudōkai 4.6  
Futajima 6.3  
Honjō 9.3   Yahata Nishi-ku, Kitakyūshū
Orio 10.8 Kagoshima Main Line

Orio–Keisen (Fukuhoku Yutaka Line)

Some rapid trains pass the stations marked "X".

Station Distance
(km)
Transfers Location
Orio 0.0 Kagoshima Main Line Yahata Nishi-ku, Kitakyūshū Fukuoka Prefecture
Higashi Mizumaki 2.7   Mizumaki, Onga District
Nakama 4.1   Nakama
Chikuzen Habu 5.6  
Kurate 7.9   Kurate, Kurate District
Chikuzen Ueki 10.4   Nōgata
Shinnyū 12.0  
Nōgata 14.0 Heisei Chikuho Railway Ita Line
Katsuno 16.7 X   Kotake, Kurate District
Kotake 20.5  
Namazuta 23.9 X   Iizuka
Urata 25.4 X  
Shin Iizuka 26.8 Gotōji Line
Iizuka 28.6  
Tentō 31.5  
Keisen 34.5 Sasaguri Line Keisen, Kaho District

Keisen–Haruda (Haruda Line)

Station Distance
(km)
Transfers Location
Keisen 0.0 Sasaguri Line Keisen,
Kaho District
Fukuoka
Prefecture
Kami Honami 2.8   Iizuka
Chikuzen Uchino 5.9  
Chikuzen Yamae 16.1   Chikushino
Haruda 20.8 Kagoshima Main Line

Rolling stock

The first BEC819 series BEMU set undergoing testing in June 2016

A pre-series two-car BEC819 series AC battery electric multiple unit (BEMU) was tested on the line from April 2016,[1] and entered revenue service on 19 October 2016.[2] This will be followed by six more trainsets, entering service in spring 2017.[1]

History

The 39 km Wakamatsu to Iizuka section was built by the Chikuho Kogyo Railway, opening between 1891 and 1893, with the 12 km extension to Chikuzen Uchino opening in 1895. The company was nationalised in 1907, with the 15 km Chikuzen Uchino to Harada section opening in 1929.

The 25 km section from Wakamatsu to Nogata was double-tracked between 1893 and 1896, with the 4 km Nogata to Kotake section double-tracked between 1904 and 1906. The 8 km Kotake to Iizuka section was double-tracked between 1942 and 1944.

The 35 km Orio to Keisen section was electrified in 2001.

Former connecting/transfer lines

Kumagahata tunnel on the Kamiyamada line, 2013

References

This article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia.

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/20/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.