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Uetsu Main Line | |||
---|---|---|---|
Overview | |||
Native name | 羽越本線 | ||
Status | Operating | ||
Owner | JR East | ||
Locale | Niigata, Yamagata, Akita Prefectures | ||
Termini | |||
Stations | 61 | ||
Service | |||
Type | Heavy rail | ||
System | JR East | ||
Operator(s) | JR East, JR Freight | ||
History | |||
Opened | September 2, 1912 | ||
Technical | |||
Track length | 274.4 km (170.5 mi) | ||
Number of tracks | Sections of double track and single track | ||
Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) | ||
Electrification | 1,500 V DC, 20 kV AC 50 Hz | ||
Operating speed | 120 km/h (75 mph) | ||
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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]
As of March 2020[update], the following services are operated.
Name | Route | Service frequency (daily) |
---|---|---|
Limited Express Inaho | (Niigata) – Shibata – Sakata/Akita | 7 return trips |
Rapid Kairi | (Niigata) – Shibata – Sakata | 1 return trip (weekends only) |
Rapid Rakuraku Train Murakami | (Niigata) – Shibata – Murakami | 1 down trip |
Rapid Benibana | (Niigata) – Shibata – Sakamachi – (Yonezawa) | 1 return trip |
Between Shibata and Murakami, most of the local trains travel through to/from Niigata via Hakushin Line.
Station | Japanese | Distance (km) | A | B | C | Transfers | DC/AC | Location | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Between stations |
Total | ||||||||||
Niitsu | 新津 | - | 0.0 | Via Hakushin Line |
∨ | 1,500 V DC |
Akiha-ku, Niigata | Niigata | |||
Kyōgase | 京ヶ瀬 | 6.1 | 6.1 | ◇ | Agano | ||||||
Suibara | 水原 | 4.1 | 10.2 | ◇ | |||||||
Kamiyama | 神山 | 3.7 | 13.9 | | | |||||||
Tsukioka | 月岡 | 3.9 | 17.8 | ◇ | Shibata | ||||||
Nakaura | 中浦 | 3.7 | 21.5 | | | |||||||
Shibata | 新発田 | 4.5 | 26.0 | O | O | O | ■Hakushin Line (some trains through to Murakami) | ^ | |||
Kaji | 加治 | 4.3 | 30.3 | | | | | |[* 1] | ∥ | ||||
Kanazuka | 金塚 | 5.0 | 35.3 | | | | | | | ∨ | ||||
Nakajō | 中条 | 3.8 | 39.1 | O | O | O | ^ | Tainai | |||
Hirakida | 平木田 | 5.6 | 44.7 | | | | | | | ∥ | ||||
Sakamachi | 坂町 | 3.3 | 48.0 | O | O | O | ■Yonesaka Line (Operation suspended due to rainstorm damage) | ∥ | Murakami | ||
Hirabayashi | 平林 | 3.6 | 51.6 | | | | | | | ∨ | ||||
Iwafunemachi | 岩船町 | 3.6 | 55.2 | | | | | | | ◇ | ||||
Murakami | 村上 | 4.2 | 59.4 | O | O | O | ^ | ||||
Majima | 間島 | 7.1 | 66.5 | | | | | ∨ | 20 kV AC 50 Hz | ||||
Echigo-Hayakawa | 越後早川 | 4.9 | 71.4 | | | | | ^ | |||||
Kuwagawa | 桑川 | 6.9 | 78.3 | | | O | ∨ | |||||
Imagawa | 今川 | 4.3 | 82.6 | | | | | ◇ | |||||
Echigo-Kangawa | 越後寒川 | 4.9 | 87.5 | | | | | ^ | |||||
Gatsugi | 勝木 | 5.3 | 92.8 | | | | | ∨ | |||||
Fuya | 府屋 | 3.1 | 95.9 | O | | | ^ | |||||
Nezugaseki | 鼠ヶ関 | 5.1 | 101.0 | | | | | ∥ | Tsuruoka | Yamagata | |||
Koiwagawa | 小岩川 | 4.4 | 105.4 | | | | | ∨ | |||||
Atsumi Onsen | あつみ温泉 | 4.4 | 109.8 | O | O | ^ | |||||
Iragawa | 五十川 | 5.9 | 115.7 | | | | | ∥ | |||||
Kobato | 小波渡 | 4.4 | 120.1 | | | | | ∥ | |||||
Sanze | 三瀬 | 3.1 | 123.2 | | | | | ∥ | |||||
Uzen-Mizusawa | 羽前水沢 | 5.7 | 128.9 | | | | | ∥ | |||||
Uzen-Ōyama | 羽前大山 | 4.5 | 133.4 | | | | | ∨ | |||||
Tsuruoka | 鶴岡 | 6.0 | 139.4 | O | O | ◇ | |||||
Fujishima | 藤島 | 6.6 | 146.0 | | | | | ^ | |||||
Nishibukuro | 西袋 | 5.1 | 151.1 | | | | | ∥ | Shōnai, Higashitagawa | ||||
Amarume | 余目 | 3.6 | 154.7 | O | O | ■Rikuu West Line[* 2] (Operation suspended until 2024/2025) | ∥ | ||||
Kita-Amarume | 北余目 | 2.7 | 157.4 | | | | | ∥ | |||||
Sagoshi | 砂越 | 3.0 | 160.4 | | | | | ∥ | Sakata | ||||
Higashi-Sakata | 東酒田 | 3.3 | 163.7 | | | | | ∥ | |||||
Sakata | 酒田 | 3.2 | 166.9 | O | O | JR Freight Uetsu Freight Branch Line (to Sakata-Minato) |
∥ | ||||
Mototate | 本楯 | 6.4 | 173.3 | | | ∨ | ||||||
Minamichōkai | 南鳥海 | 2.6 | 175.9 | | | ◇ | ||||||
Yuza | 遊佐 | 3.2 | 179.1 | O | ^ | Yuza, Akumi | |||||
Fukura | 吹浦 | 7.0 | 186.1 | | | ∨ | ||||||
Mega | 女鹿 | 3.6 | 189.7 | | | ◇ | ||||||
Kosagawa | 小砂川 | 5.1 | 194.8 | | | ◇ | Nikaho | Akita | ||||
Kamihama | 上浜 | 3.7 | 198.5 | | | ◇ | ||||||
Kisakata | 象潟 | 4.9 | 203.4 | O | ◇ | ||||||
Konoura | 金浦 | 5.8 | 209.2 | | | ^ | ||||||
Nikaho | 仁賀保 | 5.5 | 214.7 | O | ∨ | ||||||
Nishime | 西目 | 8.4 | 223.1 | | | ^ | Yurihonjō | |||||
Ugo-Honjō | 羽後本荘 | 5.8 | 228.9 | O | O | ■Yuri Kōgen Railway Chōkai Sanroku Line | ∥ | ||||
Ugo-Iwaya | 羽後岩谷 | 7.1 | 236.0 | | | O | ∥ | |||||
Oriwatari | 折渡 | 4.7 | 240.7 | | | ↓ | ∨ | |||||
Ugo-Kameda | 羽後亀田 | 3.0 | 243.7 | | | O | ◇ | |||||
Iwaki-Minato | 岩城みなと | 6.5 | 250.2 | | | ↓ | | | |||||
Michikawa | 道川 | 1.6 | 251.8 | | | ↓ | ^ | |||||
Shimohama | 下浜 | 6.6 | 258.4 | | | ↓ | ∨ | Akita | ||||
Katsurane | 桂根 | 3.4 | 261.7 | | | ↓ | ◇ | |||||
Araya | 新屋 | 4.0 | 265.7 | | | O | ◇ | |||||
Ugo-Ushijima | 羽後牛島 | 3.3 | 269.0 | | | O | ◇ | |||||
Akita | 秋田 | 2.7 | 271.7 | O | O | ^ |
Symbols:
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]
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]