Nishitetsu Tenjin Ōmuta Line

Nishitetsu Tenjin Ōmuta Line
An 8000 series EMU on a Limited Express service crossing the Yabe River
Overview
Type	Heavy rail
Locale	Fukuoka Prefecture
Termini	Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) Station Ōmuta Station
Stations	49
Operation
Opened	April 12, 1924
Owner	Nishi-Nippon Railroad
Technical
Line length	74.8 km (46.5 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in)
Route map Legend ← Fukuoka City Subway：■Kūkō Line → km Tenjin Station 0.0 Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) Station Tenjin-Minami Station ↓ Fukuoka City Subway：■Nanakuma Line Yakuin New River Watanabe-dōri Station → 0.8 Yakuin Station ← Fukuoka City Subway： ■Kūkō Line ↑ 1.8 Nishitetsu Hirao Station Chikuzen-Takamiya Station → ← JNR：Chikuhi Line → 2.9 Takamiya Station Wakahisa River 4.3 Ōhashi Station Naka River ← JR Kyūshū：Kyūshū Shinkansen → ← JR West：Hakata Minami Line → ↓ JR Kyūshū：Kagoshima Main Line → 6.1 Ijiri Station／ Sasabaru Station → Morōka River 8.0 Zasshonokuma Station／← Minamifukuoka Station 9.5 Kasugabaru Station／← Kasuga Station Ushikubi River 10.8 Shirakibaru Station／← Ōnojō Station 11.6 Shimoōri Station／← Mizuki Station Hirata River Mikasa River Mikasa River 13.8 Tofurōmae Station Tofurō-Minami Station Dazaifu Station Futsukaichi Workshop Dazaifu Line → 15.2 Nishitetsu Futsukaichi Station Futsukaichi Station 16.1 Murasaki Station Takao River ↑ Asakura Tram：Mainline → 17.6 Asakuragaidō Station Yamaguchi River Tempaizan Station 19.4 Sakuradai Station ← JR Kyūshū：Chikuhō Main Line → 20.8 Chikushi Station↑↓ JR Kyūshū：Kagoshima Main Line Chikushi Rail Yard 23.0 Tsuko Station Hōju River 24.1 Mikunagaoka Station 25.6 Mitsusawa Station 27.0 Ōho Station Takahara River Ōitai River Bank Tsukichi River ← Amagi Railway : Amagi Line → 28.7 Nishitetsu Ogōri Station／ ← Ogōri Station ← Asakura Tram: Tashiro Line → 30.7 Hatama Station Hōman River 33.7 Ajisaka Station Amagi Station Amagi Line → 36.5 Miyanojin Station Amagi Line ↓ Chikugo River 37.7 Kushiwara Station ← Mii Line ↑ ← Chikugo Tram → 38.6 Nishitetsu Kurume Station ← Fukushima Line → 39.5 Hanabatake Station Kanamaru River 40.1 Shikenjōmae Station ← JR Kyūshū：Kyūdai Main Line → ↑ JR Kyūshū：Kyushu Shinkansen→ ↑ JR Kyūshū：Kagoshima Main Line → ← Ōkawa Line 41.4 Tsubuku Station 42.8 Yasutake Station Ontsuka StationService stopped - Date unknown Hiro River 45.1 Daizenji Station ← Ōkawa Line 46.9 Mizuma Station 48.0 Inuzuka Station Yamanoi River 50.6 Ōmizo Station 52.9 Hacchomuta Station Hanamune River 55.5 Kamachi Station 57.3 Yakabe Station ← JNR：Saga Line → Okinohata River 58.4 Nishitetsu Yanagawa Station Yanagawa Rail Yard Shiotsuka River 59.7 Tokumasu Station 61.1 Shiotsuka Station (63.1) Nakashima Signal Station 63.5 Nishitetsu Nakashima Station Yabe River 65.1 Enoura Station Kusuda River / JR Kyūshū：Kagoshima Main Line ↑↓ 66.6 Hiraki Station／ Wataze Station → Kuma River 67.9 Nishitetsu-Wataze Station Yoshino Station 69.6 Kuranaga Station 70.8 Higashi-Amagi Station Shirogin River Ginsui River Ginsui Station 72.1 Nishitetsu Ginsui Station Dōmen River 73.7 Shin-Sakaemachi Station ← Mīgetetsu Line → Sakaemachi Station1970 removed Ōmuta River 74.8 Ōmuta Station ↑↓ JR Kyūshū：Kagoshima Main Line

The Nishitetsu Tenjin Ōmuta Line (西鉄天神大牟田線 Nishitetsu Tenjin Ōmuta sen) is a railway line in Fukuoka Prefecture in Kyushu, Japan. It is the main line of the private railway company Nishi-Nippon Railroad (Nishitetsu). The line connects Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) Station^{[Note 1]} in Chūō-ku, Fukuoka with Ōmuta Station in Ōmuta. Until 2000, the line was called the Nishitetsu Ōmuta Line (西鉄大牟田線 Ōmuta sen).

Overview

The Fukuoka Tenjin terminal

• Track
  • Double: Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) - Shikenjōmae, Daizenji - Kamachi, Hiraki - Ōmuta
  • Single: the rest

The line runs approximately parallel with to the JR Kyushu Kagoshima Main Line, but connection between the lines are poor.

Operations

Rapid services

The operator Nishitetsu offers two types of limited-stop "Rapid" train services in addition to all-stations "Local" trains.

Local (普通 Futsū)

Stops all stations. Between Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) and Chikushi or Daizenji inside the line, Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) and Dazaifu of Dazaifu Line, Amagi of Amagi Line and Ōmuta. Trains inside the line and Dazaifu Line with 4-7 car EMUs, through trains to Amagi Line with 2-car 7000 and 7050 series EMUs

Express (急行 Kyūkō) (Ex)

Operated all day. Some Expresses are operated as Locals in southern part (Ōmuta side). In day hours, 2 per hour per direction between Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) and Nishitetsu Ogōri, and 2 between Nishitetsu Fukuoka and Hanabatake. Five-car 3000 series EMUs, 6-car 2000 and 5000 series EMUs

Limited Express (特急 Tokkyū) (LE)

Between Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) and Ōmuta, 2 service per direction per hour. Seven-car 8000 series in day hours, 5000, 6000 and 6050 series EMUs in the morning and evening hours

Service pattern

During the daytime between 10:00 and 16:00, the numbers of trains per direction per hour are as follows.

Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) - Nishitetsu Futsukaichi

2 LE, 4 Ex, 6 Lo

Nishitetsu Futsukaichi - Chikushi

2 LE, 4 Ex, 4 Lo

Chikushi - Nishitetsu Ogōri

2 LE, 2 Ex, 2 Lo (north of Chikushi as Ex), 2 Lo

Nishitetsu Ogōri - Miyanojin

2 LE, 2 Ex, 2 Lo

Miyanojin - Hanabatake

2 LE, 2 Ex, 2 Lo, 2 Lo through to Amagi Line

Hanabatake - Daizenji

2 Lo, 4 Lo

Daizenji - Ōmuta

2 LE, 2 Lo

Stations

• lower case shows some trains stop
• e1: Expresses only for Chikushi stop
• e2: Expresses only down for Nishitetsu Ogōri, some ups from Hanabatake, Shikenjōmae, Tsubuku, Nishitetsu Yanagawa stop

Station		Distance (km)	Stop	Connections	Location
Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin)	西鉄福岡 (天神)	0.0	Ex LE	Fukuoka City Subway Kūkō (Airport) Line (Tenjin Station) Nanakuma Line (Tenjin Minami Station)	Chūō-ku, Fukuoka	Fukuoka Prefecture
Yakuin	薬院	0.8	Ex LE	Fukuoka City Subway Nanakuma Line
Nishitetsu Hirao	西鉄平尾	1.8
Takamiya	高宮	2.9			Minami-ku, Fukuoka
Ōhashi	大橋	4.3	Ex
Ijiri	井尻	6.1
Zasshonokuma	雑餉隈	8.0			Hakata-ku, Fukuoka
Kasugabaru	春日原	9.5	Ex		Kasuga
Shirakibaru	白木原	10.8			Ōnojō
Shimoōri	下大利	11.6	Ex
Tofurōmae	都府楼前	13.8			Dazaifu
Nishitetsu Futsukaichi	西鉄二日市	15.2	Ex LE	Nishitetsu Dazaifu Line	Chikushino
Murasaki	紫	16.1	e1
Asakuragaidō	朝倉街道	17.6	Ex
Sakuradai	桜台	19.4	e1
Chikushi	筑紫	20.8	Ex
Tsuko	津古	23.0	e2		Ogōri
Mikunigaoka	三国が丘	24.1	Ex
Mitsusawa	三沢	25.6	e2
Ōho	大保	27.0	e2
Nishitetsu Ogōri	西鉄小郡	28.7	Ex	Amagi Railroad
Hatama	端間	30.7	e2
Ajisaka	味坂	33.7	e2
Miyanojin	宮の陣	36.5	Ex	Nishitetsu Amagi Line	Kurume
Kushiwara	櫛原	37.7	e2
Nishitetsu Kurume	西鉄久留米	38.6	Ex LE
Hanabatake	花畑	39.5	Ex LE
Shikenjōmae	試験場前	40.1	ex
Tsubuku	津福	41.4	ex
Yasutake	安武	42.8	ex
Daizenji	大善寺	45.1	Ex LE
Mizuma	三潴	46.9	ex
Inuzuka	犬塚	48.0	ex
Ōmizo	大溝	50.6	ex		Ōki
Hatchōmuta	八丁牟田	52.9	ex
Kamachi	蒲池	55.5	ex		Yanagawa
Yakabe	矢加部	57.3	ex
Nishitetsu Yanagawa	西鉄柳川	58.4	Ex LE
Tokumasu	徳益	59.7
Shiotsuka	塩塚	61.1
Nishitetsu Nakashima	西鉄中島	63.5
Enoura	江の浦	65.1			Miyama
Hiraki	開	66.6
Nishitetsu Wataze	渡瀬	67.9			Ōmuta
Kuranaga	倉永	69.6
Higashi-Amagi	東甘木	70.8
Nishitetsu Ginsui	銀水	72.1
Shin-Sakaemachi	新栄町	73.7	Ex LE
Ōmuta	大牟田	74.8	Ex LE	Kagoshima Main Line

Rolling stock

A 3000 series EMU

New three- and two-car 9000 series electric multiple unit trains are scheduled to be introduced on the line from March 2017.^[1]

History

The Kyushu Railway (九州鉄道 Kyūshū Tetsudō)^{[Note 2]} built and operated the first Interurban railway line in Kyushu from Fukuoka, planned to extend to Kumamoto, but difficulty in securing a corridor south of Omuta resulted in that plan being abandoned.

• April 12, 1924: Fukuoka (presently Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin)) - Kurume (presently Nishitetsu Kurume) opened by the Kyushu Railway (II). 1,435mm gauge, electrified, double tracked
• December 28, 1932: Kurume - Tsubuku opened, single tracked
• June 22, 1937: The Ōkawa Railway was merged into the Kyushu Railway. Kamikurume - Tsubuku - Daizenji - Enokizu became a part of Kūshū Railway network, single tracked, 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge
• October 1, 1937: Tsubuku - Daizenji of ex-Ōkawa Railway regauged to 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) (the remainder abandoned later). Daizenji - Yanagawa (presently Nishitetsu Yanagawa) opened
• December 1, 1938: Fukuoka - Tsubuku from Tram Act to Local Railway Act
• September 1, 1938: Yanagawa - Nakashima (presently Nishitetsu Nakashima) opened
• October 1. 1938: Nakashima - Sakaemachi (presently Shin-Sakaemachi) opened
• July 1, 1939: Sakaemachi - Ōmuta opened, the line completed
• September 19, 1942: Kyushu Electric Tramway (九州電気軌道 Kyūshū Denki Kidō) merged, under wartime condition, Kyushu Railway and some other railway companies in Fukuoka Prefecture
• September 22, 1942: Kyushu Electric Tramway renamed Nishi-Nippon Railroad, the line became its Ōmuta Line
• November 11, 1951: Nishitetsu Kurume - Shikenjōmae track doubled
• March 20, 1960: Kuranaga - Nishitetsu Ginsui track doubled
• April, 1961: Nishitetsu Ginsui - Sakaemachi track doubled
• June 21, 1961: Sakaemachi - Ōmuta track doubled
• November 20, 1965: Hiraki - Kuranaga track doubled
• February, 1967: Daizenji - Mizuma, Ōmizo - Kamachi track doubled
• June 10 1974: CTC signalling is commissioned on the entire line
• January 15, 1997: Mizuma - Ōmizo track doubled
• January 1, 2001: Proper names changed to Tenjin-Ōmuta Line from Ōmuta Line, Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) Station (with Tenjin in parentheses) from Nishitetsu Fukuoka Station
• February 16 2008: The maximum speed on the line is increased from 100 km/h to 110 km/h
• March 27, 2010: Rapid Express (快速急行 Kaisoku Kyūkō) and Non-Stop (直行 Chokkō) services were discontinued

Footnotes

1. Until December 31, 2000, Nishitetsu Fukuoka was the official name. In order to clarify the station is in Tenjin district of the downtown Fukuoka, the proper name now carries the location in parentheses.
2. This company was the second. The first built and operated, in Meiji period, nearly all the railway lines in Kyushu, and was nationalized in 1907.

References

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

1. 西日本鉄道、天神大牟田線に新型車両「9000形」デビューへ [Nishi-Nippon Railroad to introduce new 9000 series on Tenjin Ōmuta Line] (in Japanese). Japan: Tetsudo Shimbun. 4 February 2016. Retrieved 5 February 2016.