Chikuhi Line

Map of Japan with the Chikuhi Line highlighted in red

A 103 series EMU on the Chikuhi Line, December 2005

The Chikuhi Line (筑肥線 Chikuhi-sen) is a railway line in Kyushu, Japan, connecting Meinohama Station in Fukuoka, Fukuoka (and via a subway through service, Fukuoka itself) to Karatsu Station in Karatsu, Saga, and from Yamamoto Station in Karatsu to Imari Station in Imari, Saga. Trains from Karatsu to Imari use the Karatsu Line to Yamamoto.

Route data

• Operators and distances
  • JR Kyushu
    • From Meinohama to Karatsu: 42.6 km (26.5 mi)
    • From Yamamoto to Imari: 25.7 km (16.0 mi)
• Track gauge: 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
• Stations: 29
• Double-track: From Meinohama to Chikuzen-Maebaru
• Electrified track: Meinohama to Nishi-Karatsu only; Yamamoto to Imari is unelectrified

Stations

Meinohama to Karatsu/Nishi-Karatsu

●: Stops, ｜: Does not stop

Rapid Service: Stops at every station on the Kūkō Line

Station	Japanese	Distance (km)	Rapid service stops		Transfers	Location
			Weekdays	Weekends
Chikuhi Line
Continues to Fukuokakūkō Station on the Kūkō Line
Meinohama	姪浜	0.0	●	●	Fukuoka City Subway: Kūkō Line (through service)	Nishi-ku, Fukuoka	Fukuoka
Shimoyamato	下山門	1.6	●	｜
Imajuku	今宿	5.2	●	｜
Kyūdai-Gakkentoshi	九大学研都市	6.8	●	●
Susenji	周船寺	8.1	●	｜
Hatae	波多江	10.1	●	｜		Itoshima
Chikuzen-Maebaru	筑前前原	12.7	●	●
Misakigaoka	美咲が丘	14.3	｜	｜
Kafuri	加布里	15.4	｜	｜
Ikisan	一貴山	16.7	｜	｜
Chikuzen-Fukae	筑前深江	20.1	●	●
Dainyū	大入	23.3	｜	｜
Fukuyoshi	福吉	26.1	｜	｜
Shikaka	鹿家	30.2	｜	｜
Hamasaki	浜崎	35.4	●	●		Karatsu	Saga
Nijinomatsubara	虹ノ松原	37.5	｜	｜
Higashi-Karatsu	東唐津	39.3	●	●
Watada	和多田	40.9	●	●
Karatsu	唐津	42.6	●	●	Karatsu Line (to Yamamoto/Saga)
Karatsu Line
Nishi-Karatsu	西唐津	44.8	●	●

Yamamoto to Imari

Station	Japanese	Distance (km)	Connecting lines	Location
Yamamoto	山本	0.0	Karatsu Line	Karatsu	Saga
Hizen-Kubo	肥前久保	5.1
Nishi-Ōchi	西相知	6.6
Sari	佐里	8.2
Komanaki	駒鳴	11.0		Imari
Ōkawano	大川野	12.9
Hizen-Nagano	肥前長野	14.3
Momonokawa	桃川	17.4
Kanaishihara	金石原	19.7
Kami-Imari	上伊万里	24.1
Imari	伊万里	25.7	Matsuura Railway: Nishi-Kyūshū Line

Rolling stock

• 103-1500 series^[1]
• 303 series (since 22 January 2000)^[1]

A fleet of six new 305 series 6-car electric multiple unit (EMU) commuter trains was introduced on the Chikuhi Line from February 2015.^[2]

• 

  103-1500 series set E17 in August 2008

• 

  303 series set K02 in November 2009

• 

  A 305 series set on the Chikuhi Line in January 2016

History

The Kita-Kyushu Railway Co. opened the Fukuyoshi - Hamasaki section in 1923, extending it west to Higashi-Karatsu (situated on the east bank of the Matsuura River, opposite the Karatsu Line on the west bank) in 1924 and east to Hakata in 1924 and 1925. The line was again extended west to Yamamoto where it junctioned with the Karatsu line (establishing Higashi-Karatsu as a reversing station in the process) in 1929, and to Imari in 1935. Diesel locomotives were introduced in 1933, and the company was nationalised in 1937.

In 1983, the Hakata - Meinohama section was closed and replaced by a link to the Fukuoka City Subway Airport Line, a new line from Nijinomatsubara to Karatsu opened (including a new station called Higashi-Karatsu, situated about 1.5 km southeast of the original station of that name) and the entire section was electrified at 1,500 V DC to allow through running to Fukuoka via the subway. At the same time, the original Nijinomatsubara - Yamamoto section closed. The Meinohama - Shimoyamato section was double-tracked in 1986, with double-tracking extended to Chikuzen-Maebaru in 1999 and 2000.

References

1. JR電車編成表 2014夏 [JR EMU Formations - Summer 2014]. Japan: Kotsu Shimbunsha. 30 May 2014. p. 220-221. ISBN 978-4-330-46614-9.
2. "JR九州 筑肥線に305系通勤型直流電車投入" [JR Kyushu to introduce 305 series DC commuter trains on Chikuhi Line]. Tetsudo Hobidas (in Japanese). Japan: Neko Publishing. 1 August 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2014.