Mikuni Awara Line

Echizen Railway
Mikuni Awara Line

Echizen Railway MC2201 series train at Mikuni-Minato Station
Overview
Type Heavy rail
Locale Fukui Prefecture
Termini Fukuiguchi
Mikuni-Minato
Stations 23
Operation
Opened 1928
Owner Echizen Railway
Technical
Line length 25.2 km
Track gauge 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification 600 V DC, overhead catenary

The Mikuni Awara Line (三国芦原線 Mikuni-awara-sen) is a railway line operated by Echizen Railway in Fukui Prefecture. The line extends 27.8 km from the city of Fukui to Mikuni-Minato station at Sakai with a total of 22 stations. It was operated by Keifuku Electric Railway until 2001; Echizen Railway took over the line in 2003.

Service

Although the line technically begins at Fukuiguchi Station, all trains run through and terminate at Fukui Station. Trains run twice per hour during the day in order to connect with Hokuriku Main Line limited express trains. During morning peak hours between 7:00 and 9:00, three trains run per hour. There is a single Fukui-bound rapid train each morning, as well as a local "Mezamashi Train" (lit. "wake-up train") departing Mikuni-Minato at 5:16 every Monday morning that connects with Osaka and Nagoya-bound JR West limited express trains departing from Fukui Station.[1]

All trains run under driver-only operation, but on-board female attendants sell and collect tickets, make station announcements, and assist passengers boarding and alighting. Doors are operated by the driver.

History

Mikuni Awara Electric Railway began operating the line in 1928 between Fukuiguchi Station and Awara Station (now Awara-Yunomachi Station). A year later the line was extended to Mikunichō (now Mikuni), and through service began on the Kyōto Dentō Echizen Main Line to Fukui Station.[2] The line became a part of Keifuku Electric Railway in 1942. Two accidents in 2000 and 2001 on the Echizen Main Line forced Keifuku to cease operation on both it and the Mikuni Awara Line in 2001. The line was eventually transferred to Echizen Railway in 2003.[2][3]

Chronology

Former connecting lines

Rolling stock

Echizen Railway uses twenty-five cars total in its entire railway. The main type active is the MC6101 with twelve cars, followed by MC2101 with eight cars, MC6001 with two cars, and three other types with one car each.[5]

Stations

Station Japanese Distance (km) Express Rapid Transfers Location
Katsuyama Eiheiji Line
Fukui 福井駅 1.5   JR West: Hokuriku Main Line
Fukui Railway: Fukubu Line (Fukui-eki)
Fukui
Shin-Fukui 新福井駅 1.0    
Mikuni Awara Line
Fukuiguchi 福井口駅 0.0   Echizen Railway: Katsuyama Eiheiji Line Fukui
Matsumoto Machiya まつもと町屋駅 1.0    
Nishi-Betsuin 西別院駅 1.6    
Tawaramachi 田原町駅 2.1 Fukui Railway: Fukubu Line (Some direct)
Fukudaimae-Nishi-Fukui 福大前西福井駅 2.8  
Nikkakagaku-Mae 日華化学前駅 3.6  
Yatsushima 八ツ島駅 4.2  
Nittazuka 新田塚駅 4.9  
Nakatsuno 中角駅 5.9  
Jin'ai-Ground-Mae (temporary) 仁愛グランド前駅 -  
Washizuka-Haribara 鷲塚針原駅 8.1  
Tarōmaru 太郎丸駅 9.2     Sakai
Nishi-Harue 西春江駅 10.1    
Nishi-Nagata 西長田駅 11.7    
Shimo-Hyōgo 下兵庫駅 13.6    
Ōzeki 大関駅 15.4    
Honjō 本荘駅 17.4     Awara
Banden 番田駅 18.3    
Awara-Yunomachi あわら湯のまち駅 20.0    
Mizui 水居駅 22.0     Sakai
Mikuni-Jinja 三国神社駅 23.4    
Mikuni 三国駅 24.2    
Mikuni-Minato 三国港駅 25.2    

See also

References

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

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Saturday, April 09, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.