Uetsu Main Line

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Uetsu Main Line
Kirakira Uetsu (Joyful Train)
Overview
Native name羽越本線
StatusOperating
OwnerJR East
LocaleNiigata, Yamagata, Akita Prefectures
Termini
Stations61
Service
TypeHeavy rail
SystemJR East
Operator(s)JR East, JR Freight
History
Opened2 September 1912; 113 years ago (1912-09-02)
Technical
Track length274.4 km (170.5 mi)
Number of tracksSections of double track and single track
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Electrification1,500 V DC, 20 kV AC 50 Hz
Operating speed120 km/h (75 mph)
Route map
The Uetsu Main Line runs along the Sea of Japan. One of the tunnels on the right is for the Uetsu Main Line, and the other Japan National Route 345.

The Uetsu Main Line (羽越本線, Uetsu-hon-sen) is a railway line in the Tohoku and Chubu regions of Japan. Part of the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) system, it connects Niitsu Station in the city of Niigata and Akita Station in Akita. The name "Uetsu" refers to the ancient provinces of Dewa (出羽) and Echigo (越後), which the line connects.[1]

Route data

[edit]
  • Total length: 274.4 km (170.5 mi) (Fukushima–Aomori, Tsuchizaki–Akitakō)
  • Operators, distances:
  • Tracks:
  • Electrification:
    • Niitsu — Murakami: 1,500 V DC
    • Murakami — Akita: 20 kV AC, 50 Hz
  • Railway signalling:
  • Maximum speed:
    • Niitsu — Murakami: 120 km/h (75 mph)
    • Murakami — Imagawa: 100 km/h (62 mph)
    • Imagawa — Sanze: 95 km/h (59 mph)
    • Sanze — Sakata: 120 km/h (75 mph)
    • Sakata — Akita: 95 km/h (59 mph)

Services

[edit]
Limited express, Rapid

As of March 2020, the following services are operated.

NameRouteService frequency (daily)
Limited Express Inaho(Niigata) – Shibata – Sakata/Akita7 return trips
Rapid Kairi Archived 2020-07-19 at the Wayback Machine(Niigata) – Shibata – Sakata1 return trip (weekends only)
Rapid Rakuraku Train Murakami(Niigata) – Shibata – Murakami1 down trip
Rapid Benibana(Niigata) – Shibata – Sakamachi – (Yonezawa)1 return trip
Local
Niitsu – Shibata: every 60-180 minutes
Shibata – Murakami: every 60-120 minutes
Murakami – Sakata: every 60-180 minutes
Sakata – Akita: every 60-180 minutes

Between Shibata and Murakami, most of the local trains travel through to/from Niigata via Hakushin Line.

Stations

[edit]
A: Limited Express Inaho
B: Rapid Kairi
C: Rapid Rakuraku Train Murakami, Benibana and other Rapid service trains
Trains stop at stations marked "O", skip at stations marked "|".
StationJapaneseDistance (km)ABCTransfers DC/ACLocation
Between
stations		Total
Niitsu新津-0.0Via
Hakushin Line
∨1,500 V
DC		Akiha-ku, NiigataNiigata
Kyōgase京ヶ瀬6.16.1 ◇Agano
Suibara水原4.110.2 ◇
Kamiyama神山3.713.9 ｜
Tsukioka月岡3.917.8 ◇Shibata
Nakaura中浦3.721.5 ｜
Shibata新発田4.526.0OOO■Hakushin Line (some trains through to Murakami)^
Kaji加治4.330.3|||[* 1] ∥
Kanazuka金塚5.035.3||| ∨
Nakajō中条3.839.1OOO ^Tainai
Hirakida平木田5.644.7||| ∥
Sakamachi坂町3.348.0OOO■Yonesaka Line (Operation suspended due to rainstorm damage)∥Murakami
Hirabayashi平林3.651.6||| ∨
Iwafunemachi岩船町3.655.2||| ◇
Murakami村上4.259.4OOO ^
Majima間島7.166.5||  ∨20 kV
AC
50 Hz
Echigo-Hayakawa越後早川4.971.4||  ^
Kuwagawa桑川6.978.3|O  ∨
Imagawa今川4.382.6||  ◇
Echigo-Kangawa越後寒川4.987.5||  ^
Gatsugi勝木5.392.8||  ∨
Fuya府屋3.195.9O|  ^
Nezugaseki鼠ヶ関5.1101.0||  ∥TsuruokaYamagata
Koiwagawa小岩川4.4105.4||  ∨
Atsumi Onsenあつみ温泉4.4109.8OO  ^
Iragawa五十川5.9115.7||  ∥
Kobato小波渡4.4120.1||  ∥
Sanze三瀬3.1123.2||  ∥
Uzen-Mizusawa羽前水沢5.7128.9||  ∥
Uzen-Ōyama羽前大山4.5133.4||  ∨
Tsuruoka鶴岡6.0139.4OO  ◇
Fujishima藤島6.6146.0||  ^
Nishibukuro西袋5.1151.1||  ∥Shōnai, Higashitagawa
Amarume余目3.6154.7OO ■Rikuu West Line[* 2] (Operation suspended until 2024/2025)∥
Kita-Amarume北余目2.7157.4||  ∥
Sagoshi砂越3.0160.4||  ∥Sakata
Higashi-Sakata東酒田3.3163.7||  ∥
Sakata酒田3.2166.9OO JR Freight Uetsu Freight Branch Line
(to Sakata-Minato)		∥
Mototate本楯6.4173.3|   ∨
Minamichōkai南鳥海2.6175.9|   ◇
Yuza遊佐3.2179.1O   ^Yuza, Akumi
Fukura吹浦7.0186.1|   ∨
Mega女鹿3.6189.7|   ◇
Kosagawa小砂川5.1194.8|   ◇NikahoAkita
Kamihama上浜3.7198.5|   ◇
Kisakata象潟4.9203.4O   ◇
Konoura金浦5.8209.2|   ^
Nikaho仁賀保5.5214.7O   ∨
Nishime西目8.4223.1|   ^Yurihonjō
Ugo-Honjō羽後本荘5.8228.9O O■Yuri Kōgen Railway Chōkai Sanroku Line∥
Ugo-Iwaya羽後岩谷7.1236.0| O ∥
Oriwatari折渡4.7240.7| ↓ ∨
Ugo-Kameda羽後亀田3.0243.7| O ◇
Iwaki-Minato岩城みなと6.5250.2| ↓ ｜
Michikawa道川1.6251.8| ↓ ^
Shimohama下浜6.6258.4| ↓ ∨Akita
Katsurane桂根3.4261.7| ↓ ◇
Araya新屋4.0265.7| O ◇
Ugo-Ushijima羽後牛島3.3269.0| O ◇
Akita秋田2.7271.7O O
^
  1. ^ Only 1 up rapid service in the morning stops
  2. ^ Most trains from Rikuu West Line terminate at Sakata Station
  3. ^ The official beginning of the Oga Line is at Oiwake Station, but all trains terminate at Akita Station.

Symbols:

  • | - Single-track
  • ◇ - Single-track; station where trains can pass
  • ^ - Double-track section starts from this point
  • ∥ - Double-track
  • ∨ - Single-track section starts from this point

Rolling stock

[edit]

Present

[edit]

Local

[edit]

Inaho/Rakuraku Train Murakami

[edit]

Kairi

[edit]
  • 701 series passing Omonogawa Bridge
    701 series passing Omonogawa Bridge
  • E653 series Inaho, near Higashi-Sakata Station
    E653 series Inaho, near Higashi-Sakata Station
  • Kairi at Shibata Station, April 2020
    Kairi at Shibata Station, April 2020

Former

[edit]
  • E127 series and 115 series at Murakami Station, March 2009
    E127 series and 115 series at Murakami Station, March 2009
  • KiHa 40/47/48 series, Amarume - Nishibukuro, March 2017
    KiHa 40/47/48 series, Amarume - Nishibukuro, March 2017
  • KiHa 40/47/48 series, Tsuruoka - Fujishima, October 2016
    KiHa 40/47/48 series, Tsuruoka - Fujishima, October 2016
  • KiHa E120 and 110 at Sakamachi Station, July 2009
    KiHa E120 and 110 at Sakamachi Station, July 2009
  • 485 series Hakucho limited espress, Akita Station, 1987
    485 series Hakucho limited espress, Akita Station, 1987
  • 485-3000 series Inaho limited express, Kosagawa - Kamihama, March 2014
    485-3000 series Inaho limited express, Kosagawa - Kamihama, March 2014

History

[edit]

The line was opened in sections between 1912 and 1924, and electrified in 1972, the same year CTC signalling was commissioned.[citation needed]

Work to double-track the line in sections commenced in 1957, and continued for 25 years until being suspended due to capital expenditure restrictions in 1983, at which time 51% of the route was double-tracked.[citation needed]

On July 28, 2022, JR East announced that ridership in some sectors was less than 2000 persons/day, the deficit for the sector between Murakami Station to Tsuruoka Station being 4,990 billion yen, the largest deficit within the JR East system.[2][3]

Accidents

[edit]

On December 25, 2005, all six cars of a limited express train Inaho No.14 on the Uetsu Line derailed in Yamagata prefecture, about 350 kilometres (220 mi) north of Tokyo. The train was headed south towards Kita-Amarume Station. Three of the cars turned over, causing the deaths of five people and injuring 33 others. Three other persons were originally reported missing, but authorities later discovered that they had disembarked from the train before the accident. It is likely that the event was caused by a tornado although it is uncertain whether or not a tornado was involved with this accident.[4][citation needed]

References

[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Uetsu Main Line.
  • JR全線全駅ステーション倶楽部編(上) [Complete JR Line/Station Compendium (Vol. 1)] (in Japanese). Tokyo, Japan: Bunshun Bunko. September 1988. p. 236-248. ISBN 4-16-748701-2.
  1. ^ "Uetsu Main line (Rail Enthusiasts)". TS Japan Rail. Archived from the original on 2021-07-25. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
  2. ^ "ＪＲ東のローカル３５路線、全区間で赤字…バス転換など自治体と協議へ". 読売新聞 (in Japanese). 2022-07-28. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  3. ^ "66区間の赤字は計693億円 JR東日本「持続可能な交通議論を」". 毎日新聞 (in Japanese). 2022-07-28. Archived from the original on 2022-07-29. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  4. ^ "気象庁 | 竜巻等の突風データベース". www.data.jma.go.jp. Archived from the original on 2022-11-09. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Uetsu_Main_Line&oldid=1309675038"
    Uetsu Main Line
    Kirakira Uetsu (Joyful Train)
    Overview
    Native name羽越本線
    StatusOperating
    OwnerJR East
    LocaleNiigata, Yamagata, Akita Prefectures
    Termini
    Stations61
    Service
    TypeHeavy rail
    SystemJR East
    Operator(s)JR East, JR Freight
    History
    Opened2 September 1912; 113 years ago (1912-09-02)
    Technical
    Track length274.4 km (170.5 mi)
    Number of tracksSections of double track and single track
    Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
    1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
    Electrification1,500 V DC, 20 kV AC 50 Hz
    Operating speed120 km/h (75 mph)
    Route map
    The Uetsu Main Line runs along the Sea of Japan. One of the tunnels on the right is for the Uetsu Main Line, and the other Japan National Route 345.

    The Uetsu Main Line (羽越本線, Uetsu-hon-sen) is a railway line in the Tohoku and Chubu regions of Japan. Part of the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) system, it connects Niitsu Station in the city of Niigata and Akita Station in Akita. The name "Uetsu" refers to the ancient provinces of Dewa (出羽) and Echigo (越後), which the line connects.[1]

    Route data

    • Total length: 274.4 km (170.5 mi) (Fukushima–Aomori, Tsuchizaki–Akitakō)
    • Operators, distances:
    • Tracks:
      • See station list for details
    • Electrification:
      • Niitsu — Murakami: 1,500 V DC
      • Murakami — Akita: 20 kV AC, 50 Hz
    • Railway signalling:
    • Maximum speed:
      • Niitsu — Murakami: 120 km/h (75 mph)
      • Murakami — Imagawa: 100 km/h (62 mph)
      • Imagawa — Sanze: 95 km/h (59 mph)
      • Sanze — Sakata: 120 km/h (75 mph)
      • Sakata — Akita: 95 km/h (59 mph)

    Services

    Limited express, Rapid

    As of March 2020, the following services are operated.

    NameRouteService frequency (daily)
    Limited Express Inaho(Niigata) – Shibata – Sakata/Akita7 return trips
    Rapid Kairi Archived 2020-07-19 at the Wayback Machine(Niigata) – Shibata – Sakata1 return trip (weekends only)
    Rapid Rakuraku Train Murakami(Niigata) – Shibata – Murakami1 down trip
    Rapid Benibana(Niigata) – Shibata – Sakamachi – (Yonezawa)1 return trip
    Local
    Niitsu – Shibata: every 60-180 minutes
    Shibata – Murakami: every 60-120 minutes
    Murakami – Sakata: every 60-180 minutes
    Sakata – Akita: every 60-180 minutes

    Between Shibata and Murakami, most of the local trains travel through to/from Niigata via Hakushin Line.

    Stations

    A: Limited Express Inaho
    B: Rapid Kairi
    C: Rapid Rakuraku Train Murakami, Benibana and other Rapid service trains
    Trains stop at stations marked "O", skip at stations marked "|".
    StationJapaneseDistance (km)ABCTransfers DC/ACLocation
    Between
    stations    		Total
    Niitsu新津-0.0Via
    Hakushin Line
    		∨1,500 V
    DC    		Akiha-ku, NiigataNiigata
    Kyōgase京ヶ瀬6.16.1 ◇Agano
    Suibara水原4.110.2 ◇
    Kamiyama神山3.713.9 ｜
    Tsukioka月岡3.917.8 ◇Shibata
    Nakaura中浦3.721.5 ｜
    Shibata新発田4.526.0OOO■Hakushin Line (some trains through to Murakami)^
    Kaji加治4.330.3|||[* 1] ∥
    Kanazuka金塚5.035.3||| ∨
    Nakajō中条3.839.1OOO ^Tainai
    Hirakida平木田5.644.7||| ∥
    Sakamachi坂町3.348.0OOO■Yonesaka Line (Operation suspended due to rainstorm damage)∥Murakami
    Hirabayashi平林3.651.6||| ∨
    Iwafunemachi岩船町3.655.2||| ◇
    Murakami村上4.259.4OOO ^
    Majima間島7.166.5||  ∨20 kV
    AC
    50 Hz
    Echigo-Hayakawa越後早川4.971.4||  ^
    Kuwagawa桑川6.978.3|O  ∨
    Imagawa今川4.382.6||  ◇
    Echigo-Kangawa越後寒川4.987.5||  ^
    Gatsugi勝木5.392.8||  ∨
    Fuya府屋3.195.9O|  ^
    Nezugaseki鼠ヶ関5.1101.0||  ∥TsuruokaYamagata
    Koiwagawa小岩川4.4105.4||  ∨
    Atsumi Onsenあつみ温泉4.4109.8OO  ^
    Iragawa五十川5.9115.7||  ∥
    Kobato小波渡4.4120.1||  ∥
    Sanze三瀬3.1123.2||  ∥
    Uzen-Mizusawa羽前水沢5.7128.9||  ∥
    Uzen-Ōyama羽前大山4.5133.4||  ∨
    Tsuruoka鶴岡6.0139.4OO  ◇
    Fujishima藤島6.6146.0||  ^
    Nishibukuro西袋5.1151.1||  ∥Shōnai, Higashitagawa
    Amarume余目3.6154.7OO ■Rikuu West Line[* 2] (Operation suspended until 2024/2025)∥
    Kita-Amarume北余目2.7157.4||  ∥
    Sagoshi砂越3.0160.4||  ∥Sakata
    Higashi-Sakata東酒田3.3163.7||  ∥
    Sakata酒田3.2166.9OO JR Freight Uetsu Freight Branch Line
    (to Sakata-Minato)    		∥
    Mototate本楯6.4173.3|   ∨
    Minamichōkai南鳥海2.6175.9|   ◇
    Yuza遊佐3.2179.1O   ^Yuza, Akumi
    Fukura吹浦7.0186.1|   ∨
    Mega女鹿3.6189.7|   ◇
    Kosagawa小砂川5.1194.8|   ◇NikahoAkita
    Kamihama上浜3.7198.5|   ◇
    Kisakata象潟4.9203.4O   ◇
    Konoura金浦5.8209.2|   ^
    Nikaho仁賀保5.5214.7O   ∨
    Nishime西目8.4223.1|   ^Yurihonjō
    Ugo-Honjō羽後本荘5.8228.9O O■Yuri Kōgen Railway Chōkai Sanroku Line∥
    Ugo-Iwaya羽後岩谷7.1236.0| O ∥
    Oriwatari折渡4.7240.7| ↓ ∨
    Ugo-Kameda羽後亀田3.0243.7| O ◇
    Iwaki-Minato岩城みなと6.5250.2| ↓ ｜
    Michikawa道川1.6251.8| ↓ ^
    Shimohama下浜6.6258.4| ↓ ∨Akita
    Katsurane桂根3.4261.7| ↓ ◇
    Araya新屋4.0265.7| O ◇
    Ugo-Ushijima羽後牛島3.3269.0| O ◇
    Akita秋田2.7271.7O O
    		^
    1. ^ Only 1 up rapid service in the morning stops
    2. ^ Most trains from Rikuu West Line terminate at Sakata Station
    3. ^ The official beginning of the Oga Line is at Oiwake Station, but all trains terminate at Akita Station.

    Symbols:

    • | - Single-track
    • ◇ - Single-track; station where trains can pass
    • ^ - Double-track section starts from this point
    • ∥ - Double-track
    • ∨ - Single-track section starts from this point

    Rolling stock

    Present

    Local

    Inaho/Rakuraku Train Murakami

    Kairi

    • 701 series passing Omonogawa Bridge
      701 series passing Omonogawa Bridge
    • E653 series Inaho, near Higashi-Sakata Station
      E653 series Inaho, near Higashi-Sakata Station
    • Kairi at Shibata Station, April 2020
      Kairi at Shibata Station, April 2020

    Former

    • E127 series and 115 series at Murakami Station, March 2009
      E127 series and 115 series at Murakami Station, March 2009
    • KiHa 40/47/48 series, Amarume - Nishibukuro, March 2017
      KiHa 40/47/48 series, Amarume - Nishibukuro, March 2017
    • KiHa 40/47/48 series, Tsuruoka - Fujishima, October 2016
      KiHa 40/47/48 series, Tsuruoka - Fujishima, October 2016
    • KiHa E120 and 110 at Sakamachi Station, July 2009
      KiHa E120 and 110 at Sakamachi Station, July 2009
    • 485 series Hakucho limited espress, Akita Station, 1987
      485 series Hakucho limited espress, Akita Station, 1987
    • 485-3000 series Inaho limited express, Kosagawa - Kamihama, March 2014
      485-3000 series Inaho limited express, Kosagawa - Kamihama, March 2014

    History

    The line was opened in sections between 1912 and 1924, and electrified in 1972, the same year CTC signalling was commissioned.[citation needed]

    Work to double-track the line in sections commenced in 1957, and continued for 25 years until being suspended due to capital expenditure restrictions in 1983, at which time 51% of the route was double-tracked.[citation needed]

    On July 28, 2022, JR East announced that ridership in some sectors was less than 2000 persons/day, the deficit for the sector between Murakami Station to Tsuruoka Station being 4,990 billion yen, the largest deficit within the JR East system.[2][3]

    Accidents

    On December 25, 2005, all six cars of a limited express train Inaho No.14 on the Uetsu Line derailed in Yamagata prefecture, about 350 kilometres (220 mi) north of Tokyo. The train was headed south towards Kita-Amarume Station. Three of the cars turned over, causing the deaths of five people and injuring 33 others. Three other persons were originally reported missing, but authorities later discovered that they had disembarked from the train before the accident. It is likely that the event was caused by a tornado although it is uncertain whether or not a tornado was involved with this accident.[4][citation needed]

    References

    Wikimedia Commons has media related to Uetsu Main Line.
    • JR全線全駅ステーション倶楽部編(上) [Complete JR Line/Station Compendium (Vol. 1)] (in Japanese). Tokyo, Japan: Bunshun Bunko. September 1988. p. 236-248. ISBN 4-16-748701-2.
    1. ^ "Uetsu Main line (Rail Enthusiasts)". TS Japan Rail. Archived from the original on 2021-07-25. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
    2. ^ "ＪＲ東のローカル３５路線、全区間で赤字…バス転換など自治体と協議へ". 読売新聞 (in Japanese). 2022-07-28. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
    3. ^ "66区間の赤字は計693億円 JR東日本「持続可能な交通議論を」". 毎日新聞 (in Japanese). 2022-07-28. Archived from the original on 2022-07-29. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
    4. ^ "気象庁 | 竜巻等の突風データベース". www.data.jma.go.jp. Archived from the original on 2022-11-09. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
    • Inaho - JR East Archived 2018-11-25 at the Wayback Machine (in English)
    • Kairi - JR East Archived 2020-07-19 at the Wayback Machine (in English)
    • Discover Uetsu, tourist website Archived 2020-08-12 at the Wayback Machine (in English)
    Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Uetsu_Main_Line&oldid=1309675038"