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 | ||
| |||
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.
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
- Mukawa station - The Hokkaido Coal Co. opened a 70 km line from Numanohata (on the Muroran Main Line) to a coal mine near Hobetsu between 1922 and 1923. The line was nationalised in 1943, and a 3.6 km connecting line built from Mukawa to the line, with the Hidaka Line becoming the route to the Muroran Port, and the initial 24 km section to Numanohata closing. The line was extended 13 km to Furenai in 1958, and a further 24 km to Hidaka-cho in 1964, and closed in 1986.
- Tomikawa station - The Oji Paper Co. opened a 13 km branch line to Biratori in 1922. This branch was not nationalised, and remained 762 mm gauge when the Hidaka Line was converted to 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge. The line was initially horse drawn, with steam locomotives introduced in 1931 as a result of the Hidaka Line 762 mm gauge locomotives becoming available following the gauge conversion of that line. The line closed in 1951.
See also
References
This article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia
External links
- JR Hokkaido official website (Japanese)
- JR Hokkaido official website (English)
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