Etsumi-Nan Line

Etsumi-Nan Line
A Nagaragawa Railway Nagara 3 series train
Overview
Native name	越美南線
Locale	Gifu Prefecture, Japan
Termini	Mino-Ōta Hokunō
Stations	38
Operation
Opened	5 October 1923
Owner	Nagaragawa Railway
Technical
Line length	72.1 km (44.80 mi)
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	Not electrified

The Etsumi-Nan Line (越美南線 Etsumi Nansen, "Etsumi South Line") is a railway line in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, operated by the third-sector operator Nagaragawa Railway (長良川鉄道 Nagaragawa Tetsudō). The line connects Mino-Ōta Station in Minokamo with Hokunō Station in Gujō. It is the only railway line operated by the Nagaragawa Railway. The line was originally operated by Japanese National Railways (JNR). JNR planned to connect the Etsumi-Nan Line and Etsumi-Hoku Line ("Etsumi North Line"), but the plan was never realized. The north line was later succeeded by West Japan Railway Company (JR West), while the south line was taken by Nagaragawa Railway, a newly founded third-sector company, in 1986. As the company name suggests, the line runs along Nagara River. As a consequence of Japan's declining population and frequent natural disasters (such as typhoons and heavy snowfall), the company is facing financial difficulties.

Stations

Station	Japanese	Distance (km)		Transfers	Location
		Between stations	Total
Mino-Ōta	美濃太田	-	0.0	Taita Line Takayama Main Line	Minokamo	Gifu
Maehira-Kōen	前平公園	1.7	1.7
Kamono	加茂野	2.0	3.7
Tomika	富加	2.2	5.9		Tomika, Kamo District
Seki-Tomioka	関富岡	2.3	8.2		Seki
Seki-guchi	関口	1.5	9.7
Hamonokaikan-mae	刃物会館前	1.5	11.2
Seki	関	0.8	12.0
Seki-Shiyakusho-mae	関市役所前	1.0	13.0
Seki-Shimouchi	関下有知	1.6	14.6
Matsumori	松森	1.5	16.1		Mino
Minoshi	美濃市	1.6	17.7
Umeyama	梅山	1.1	18.8
Yunohora-Onsen-guchi	湯の洞温泉口	3.5	22.3
Suhara	洲原	2.4	24.7
Hanno	母野	1.4	26.1		Gujō
Konno	木尾	1.2	27.3
Yasaka	八坂	2.1	29.4
Minami-Kodakara-Onsen	みなみ子宝温泉	1.2	30.6
Ōya	大矢	1.2	31.8
Fukuno	福野	1.1	32.9
Minami-Kariyasu	美並苅安	1.9	34.8
Akaike	赤池	1.5	36.3
Fukado	深戸	2.2	38.5
Aioi	相生	4.5	43.0
Gujō-Hachiman	郡上八幡	3.9	46.9
Shizen'en-mae	自然園前	4.0	50.9
Yamada	山田	3.1	54.0
Tokunaga	:徳永	1.9	55.9
Gujō-Yamato	郡上大和	1.4	57.3
Mamba	万場	2.4	59.7
Kami-Mamba	上万場	1.4	61.1
Ōnaka	大中	1.3	62.4
Ōshima	大島	1.9	64.3
Mino-Shirotori	美濃白鳥	1.8	66.1
Shirotori-Kōgen	白鳥高原	3.5	69.6
Hakusan-Nagataki	白山長滝	1.3	70.9
Hokunō	北濃	1.2	72.1

Rolling stock

From spring 2016, two of the line's Nagara 300 series diesel cars are scheduled to be rebuilt as a Nagara sightseeing train. The rebuilding work on the two cars will be overseen by Don Design Associates, headed by industrial designer Eiji Mitooka.^[1]

History

The Mino-Ota to Mino-Shi section opened on 5 October 1923, and the line was then progressively extended, reaching Hokuno in 1934. Freight services ceased in 1974.

See also

• List of railway companies in Japan
• List of railway lines in Japan

References

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

1. 長良川鉄道，観光列車「ながら」を導入 [Nagaragawa Railway to introduced "Nagara" sightseeing train]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 27 November 2015. Retrieved 28 November 2015.

External links

• Nagaragawa Railway official website(Japanese)