Hidaka Main Line

Hidaka Main Line

Hidaka Main Line local train at Samani Station
Overview
Type Heavy rail
Status Operational
Locale Hokkaido
Termini Tomakomai
Samani
Stations 29
Operation
Opened 1913
Owner JR Hokkaido
Technical
Line length 146.5 km (91.0 mi)
Number of tracks 1
Track gauge 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Old gauge 762 mm (2 ft 6 in)
Electrification Not electrified
Route map
Coastline near Hidaka-mombetsu

The Hidaka Main Line (日高本線 Hidaka-honsen) is a railway line in Hokkaido operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido), between Tomakomai Station in Tomakomai and Samani Station in Samani, running through the coast of Hidaka Subprefecture.

Following tidal wave damage to the line between Atsuga and Okaribe stations on 8 January 2015, rail services have been suspended beyond Mukawa station, with buses providing a substitute service. Further damage was caused to the line by Typhoon 17 on 12 September 2015, and a date for the resumption of rail services beyond Mukawa is not currently known.

On 19 November 2016, JR Hokkaido's President announced plans to rationalise the network by up to 1,237 km, or ~50% of the current network,[1] including the proposed conversion to Third Sector operation of the Mukawa - Samani section of the Line, but if local governments are not agreeable, that section will face closure.

Services

All regular trains stop at all stations.

Stations

Station Distance
(km) 		Transfers Location
Tomakomai 苫小牧 0.0 ■ Muroran Main Line Tomakomai
Yūfutsu 勇払 13.1  
Hama-atsuma 浜厚真 22.7   Atsuma, Yūfutsu District
Hama-taura 浜田浦 27.0   Mukawa, Yūfutsu District
Mukawa 鵡川 30.5  
Shiomi 汐見 34.5  
Tomikawa 富川 43.6   Hidaka, Saru District
Hidaka-mombetsu 日高門別 51.3  
Toyosato 豊郷 56.3  
Kiyohata 清畠 61.1  
Atsuga 厚賀 65.6  
Ōkaribe 大狩部 71.1   Niikappu, Niikappu District
Seppu 節婦 73.1  
Niikappu 新冠 77.2  
Shizunai 静内 82.1   Shinhidaka, Hidaka District
Higashi-shizunai 東静内 90.9  
Harutachi 春立 97.0  
Hidaka-tōbetsu 日高東別 99.4  
Hidaka-mitsuishi 日高三石 105.8  
Hōei 蓬栄 109.8  
Honkiri 本桐 113.0  
Ogifushi 荻伏 120.2   Urakawa, Urakawa District
Efue 絵笛 125.1  
Urakawa 浦河 130.3  
Higashichō 東町 132.4  
Hidaka-horobetsu 日高幌別 136.9  
Utoma 鵜苫 141.1   Samani, Samani District
Nishi-samani 西様似 143.6  
Samani 様似 146.5  

History

The first section was opened in 1913 by the Tomakomai Light Railway (苫小牧軽便鉄道 Tomakomai Keiben Tetsudō), operating between Tomakomai and Saruta (now Tomikawa), and the line between Saruta and Atsuga was opened in 1924 by the Hidaka Takushoku Railway (日高拓殖鉄道 Hidaka Takushoku Tetsudō), both funded by the Oji Paper Company in Tomakomai. The two lines were light railways with a track gauge of 762 mm (2 ft 6 in).

The lines were nationalized in 1927, and merged into one, becoming the Hidaka Line. The track gauge was widened in 1929 and 1931, and the line was extended to Samani in 1937. There was a plan to link the Hidaka Main Line with the Hiroo Line (広尾線), via Cape Erimo. The plan was not implemented and the Hiroo Line closed in 1987.

In 1962 the 14 km section between Tomakomai and Yufutsu was relocated in conjunction with the construction of the 10 km Tomakomai Port line, which opened in 1968 and closed in 2001.

Former connecting lines

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/11/19/business/jr-hokkaido-says-cant-maintain-half-railways/#.WDjkB9J96Ul

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

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/27/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.