Nagasaki Main Line

Railway line in Saga and Nagasaki prefectures, Japan

Nagasaki Main Line

Kiha 47, which became the mainstay of the non-electrified section of the Nagasaki Main Line
(Kōhoku Station on September 24, 2022)

Overview
Owner| JR Kyushu
Locale| Saga, Nagasaki prefectures
Termini|

* Tosu
* Nagasaki

Stations| 41
Service
Type| Heavy rail
Operator(s)| JR Kyushu, JR Freight
History
Opened| 1891
Technical
Line length| 148.8 km (92.5 mi)
Track gauge| 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification| 20 kV AC, 60 Hz Overhead catenary (Tosu-Hizen-Hama)

Route map

Nagasaki Main Line route

Legend

|  |  |

|  | ↑ Kagoshima Main Line for Hakata

|
|
|
|

|  |

0.0

| Tosu |

17 m

|  |

|  | → Kagoshima Main Line for Kurume
|  |

|  | Route 34
|  |

2.0

| Shin-Tosu
|  |

2.4

| Asahi River

52 m

|  |

4.2

| Hizen-Fumoto |

28 m

|  |

8.2

| Kansui River

59 m

|  |

8.5

| Nakabaru |

30 m

|  |

|  | old Metabaru Station

until 1943

|  |

10.0

| Kiridōshi River

30 m

|  |

13.1

| Yoshinogari-kōen |

11 m

|  |

14.3

| Tade River

66 m

|  |

|  |
|  |

15.7

| Kanzaki |

9 m

|  |

|  |
|  |

16.4

| Jōbaru River

117 m

|  |

17.4

| Ane River No. 1

51 m

|  |

19.3

| Ane River No. 2

38 m

|  |

20.2

| Igaya |

5 m

|  |

21.0

|  |

22.0

|  |

|  | Route 34
|  |

|  | → old Saga Line
|  |

|  |
|  |

25.0

| Saga

→ old Saga Station until 1976

|  |

|  |
|  |

26.3

|  |

27.7

| Uekari River

119 m

|  |

28.0

| Nabeshima |

5 m

|  |

28.3

| Shin River

61 m

|  |

29.0

| Higashi-Ō River

147 m

|  |

29.8

| Balloon Saga

temporary

|  |

30.0

| Kase River

503 m

|  |

30.3

| Moat

123 m

|  |

30.4

| Moat

61 m

|  |

31.4

| Kubota |

5 m

|  |

|  | ← Karatsu Line for Karatsu
|  |

32.5

|  |

33.8

| Moat

35 m

|  |

35.0

| Ushizu River

159 m

|  |

|  | Route 34
|  |

39.6

| Kōhoku |

5 m

|  |

|  | Route 34
|  |

|  | ← Sasebo Line for Sasebo
|  |

42.5

| Rokkaku River

152 m

|  |

44.7

| Hizen-Shiroishi |

4 m

|  |

48.8

|  |

49.9

| Hizen-Ryūō |

4 m

|  |

|  | Route 207
|  |

52.2

| Shiota River

241 m

|  |

54.6

| Hizen-Kashima |

7 m

|  |

55.4

|  |

57.6

| Hizen-Hama |

6 m

|  |

58.0

|  |

61.0

| Nishiura Tunnel

180 m

|  |

61.5

| Hizen-Nanaura |

6 m

|  |

61.9

| Tunnel

90 m

|  |

63.6

| Hizen-Iida |

8 m

|  |

63.8

|  |

65.6

|  |

67.7

| Tara |

7 m

|  |

69.7

| Kamezaki Tunnel

175 m

|  |

70.7

| Tunnel

175 m

|  |

71.7

| Sato Tunnel

173 m

|  |

72.7

| Sato Signal Station  |

9 m

|  |

|  | Route 207
|  |

75.6

| Hizen-Ōura |

17 m

|  |

76.9

| Route 207

254 m

|  |

|  | Saga ↔ Nagasaki
|  |

78.9

| Doizaki Signal Station  |

11 m

|  |

81.6

| Tunnel

215 m

|  |

|  | Route 207
|  |

82.3

| Konagai |

7 m

|  |

82.7

| Route 207

219 m

|  |

84.4

| Tunnel

140 m

|  |

84.7

| Nagasato |

6 m

|  |

84.9

| Nagasato River

81 m

|  |

87.3

| Sakai River

65 m

|  |

87.6

| Yue |

14 m

|  |

90.9

| Oe |

10 m

|  |

91.6

| Shinkai Tunnel

210 m

|  |

92.0

| Shinkai River

91 m

|  |

95.6

| Hizen-Nagata |

5 m

|  |

95.9

| Nishinagata River

51 m

|  |

97.5

| old Higashi-Isahaya Station

until 1990

|  |

97.8

| Higashi-Isahaya |

8 m

|  |

98.8

| Honmyō Tunnel

390 m

|  |

99.5

| Honmyō River

66 m

|  |

|  | ← Ōmura Line for Haiki
|  |

100.4

| Isahaya |

16 m

|  |

100.6

| Route 207

93 m

|  |

|  | → Shimabara Railway Line for Kazusa
|  |

|  |
|  |

100.8

| Tunnel ↓

52 m

|  |

100.9

| Route 207

↑ 183 m / ↓ 337 m

|  |

101.4

| Isahaya Tunnel No.2 ↓

138 m

|  |

|  |
|  |

|  |
|  |

|  | Route 34
|  |

103.2

| Nishi-Isahaya |

6 m

|  |

103.4

| Higashi-Ō River

128 m

|  |

105.2

|  |

105.8

| Hisa Mountain Tunnel

56 m

|  |

106.9

| Kikitsu |

3 m

|  |

107.2

|  |

|  | ← Old Line via Nagayo
|  |

107.5

| Tunnel

765 m

|  |

108.7

| Kajiki Tunnel

374 m

|  |

109.4

| Ichinuno |

28 m

|  |

110.0

| Tunnel

1249 m

|  |

3.5

← Higashi-Sono

7 m

|  |

111.4

| Koga Tunnel

558 m

|  |

112.1

|  |

112.3

| Hizen-Koga |

45 m

|  |

112.6

|  |

112.8

| Enoki Tunnel

1515 m

|  |

7.2

← Ōkusa

7 m

|  |

114.8

| Utsutsugawa |

67 m

|  |

115.1

| Nagasaki Tunnel

6173 m

|  |

10.5

|  |

118.5

| Hizenmigawa Signal Station  |

30 m

|  |

12.3

← Honkawachi

69 m

|  |

15.4

← Nagayo

15 m

|  |

16.4

← Kōda

21 m

|  |

18.9

← Michinō

52 m

|  |

20.6

← Nishi-Urakami : Sumijoshi →

23 m

|  |

|  | ↔ Nagasaki Tramway
|  |

|  |
|  |

122.2

| Ō River

79 m

|  |

123.7

| Urakami |

3 m

|  |

|  |

→ Urakami-eki-mae

|  |

125.3

| Nagasaki |

3 m

|  |

131.3

→ Nagasaki-eki-mae

|  |

|  |
|  |  |  |  |  |
Sources:[1]

The Nagasaki Main Line (長崎本線, Nagasaki-honsen), or simply known as the Nagasaki Line, is a railway line owned by the Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu) connecting Tosu Station in Saga Prefecture to Nagasaki Station in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. There is a separate branch of this line from Kikitsu Station to Urakami Station by way of Nagayo Station and the Nagasaki Tunnel, avoiding a long detour.[2]

## Route data

[edit]

* Operators and route length:
* JR Kyushu (services and tracks)
* Tosu - Nagasaki: 125.3 km (77.9 mi)
* Kikitsu - Nagayo - Urakami: 23.5 km (14.6 mi)
* JR Freight (services)
* Tosu - Nagasaki: 125.3 km (77.9 mi)
* Stations: 41 (including seasonal stations)
* Double-tracking:
* Tosu - Kōhoku
* Isahaya - Kikitsu
* Urakami - Nagasaki
* Electrification: Tosu - Hizen-Hama (20kV AC 60 Hz)
* Railway signalling: Automatic
* CTC center: Hakata Integrated Operations Center

## Route description

[edit]

The line is single-tracked between Kōhoku and Isahaya stations due to the coastal geography of the area making double-tracking prohibitively expensive. The "old route" (旧線) is the branch of the Nagasaki Main Line between Kikitsu and Urakami via Nagayo that existed before the opening of the new route. Prior to the opening of the new route, express and limited express trains ran on this section. Vestiges of this can be seen at Michinoo and other stations along the route. The "new line" (新線) is the branch of the Nagasaki Main Line between Isahaya and Urakami via Ichinuno through the Nagasaki Tunnel. The line was electrified in 1976, however due to the lack of freight trains running beyond Nabeshima and low population along the line, the section between Hizen-Hama and Nagasaki was de-electrified after the opening of the Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen.

## Services

[edit]

### Limited express

[edit]

As of 23 September 2022, the Relay Kamome limited express operates on the Nagasaki Main Line until Kōhoku before splitting off to Takeo-Onsen where passengers can board the Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen to Nagasaki. The merged Midori/Huis Ten Bosch limited express operates east of Kōhoku Station with some services operating additionally as a Relay Kamome until Takeo-Onsen. Prior to the opening of the new Shinkansen line, limited express trains travelled over the new route between Isahaya and Urakami stations. Limited Express Relay Kamome trains are operated by JR Kyushu using the 6-car 885 series and 8-car 787 series. [3] A new limited express service Kasasagi was introduced between Hizen-Kashima and Hakata with through services to Mojiko to make up for the loss of the Kamome along the line using the 6-car 885 series, 8-car 787 series, and 8-car 783 series EMU's. [4]

Overnight sleeper trains, such as the Sakura (between Tokyo and Nagasaki) and Akatsuki (between Kyoto and Nagasaki), were discontinued in 2008.

### Regional trains

[edit]

Other than trains that are operated on the entire Nagasaki Line, there are trains which operate in specific sections, such as from Tosu to Hizen-Kashima, and trains which continue on to other lines. From of 23 September, all electric trains are slated to be replaced by DMUs and hybrid diesel-electric trains between Hizen-Hama and Nagasaki.

* In the morning, from Hizen-Nanaura Station, there is a direct train to Mojikō Station (on the Kagoshima Main Line).
* The new line from Isahaya to Nagasaki uses EMUs, but the old line, including direct trains to the Omura Line, uses DMUs. However, the rapid service train Seaside Liner, despite being a DMU, uses the new line.
* Between Hizen-Nanaura Station and Yue Station, because it is a relatively inactive part of the line, local trains only run for about five hours into the daytime after the morning rush.
* Wanman Driver-only operation trains are operated on the entire Nagasaki Line. On the new line, the 817 series EMU is used, and on the old line, the KiHa 66, 67, and 200 DMUs are used.

### Freight

[edit]

Freight trains are operated between Tosu and Nabeshima. High-speed freight trains make three round trips a day from Tosu Freight Terminal to Nabeshima. The electric locomotive used is the Class ED76. Freight trains only arrive and depart from Nabeshima station.

## Stations

[edit]

Legend

* All trains stop at stations marked "●", some stop at stations marked "▲". All trains pass stations marked "｜".
* Double-tracked sections are marked "∥", single-tracked sections where trains may pass are marked "◇", and single-tracked sections where trains cannot pass are marked "｜".
"^" and "∨" indicate a boundary between single- and double-track sections.

### New route (via Ichinuno)

[edit]

* "Rapid" refers to the Seaside Liner rapid service.
* Local trains make all stops. For information on the Relay Kamome, Midori and Huis Ten Bosch limited express services consult their respective articles.

Numbering  | Station  | Japanese  | Distance (km)  | 36 plus 3 | Futatsuboshi 4047 | Rapid  | Transfers  |   | Location
(Town | Prefecture)

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Between
Stations  | Total
JH  01  | Tosu | 鳥栖  | \-  | 0.0  | Through train from Hakata | Through train from Takeo-Onsen  |   | Kagoshima Main Line | ∥  | Tosu | Saga
JH  02  | Shin-Tosu | 新鳥栖  | 2.0  | 2.0  |   | Kyushu Shinkansen | ∥
JH  03  | Hizen-Fumoto | 肥前麓  | 2.2  | 4.2  |   |   | ∥
JH  04  | Nakabaru | 中原  | 4.3  | 8.5  |   |   | ∥  | Miyaki, Miyaki District
JH  05  | Yoshinogari-Kōen | 吉野ヶ里公園  | 4.6  | 13.1  |   |   | ∥  | Yoshinogari, Kanzaki District
JH  06  | Kanzaki | 神埼  | 2.6  | 15.7  |   |   | ∥  | Kanzaki
JH  07  | Igaya | 伊賀屋  | 4.5  | 20.2  |   |   | ∥  | Saga
JH  08  | Saga | 佐賀  | 4.8  | 25.0  | ●  |   |   | ∥
| Nabeshima | 鍋島  | 3.0  | 28.0  | |  |   |   | ∥
| Balloon Saga (seasonal) | バルーンさが  | 1.8  | 29.8  | |  |   |   | ∥
| Kubota | 久保田  | 1.6  | 31.4  | |  |   | Karatsu Line[* 1] | ∥
| Ushizu | 牛津  | 2.8  | 34.2  | |  |   |   | ∥  | Ogi
| Kōhoku | 江北  | 5.4  | 39.6  | | (through train to Takeo-Onsen)  | ▲  |   | Sasebo Line (some trains through to/from Tosu)  | ∨  | Kōhoku, Kishima District
| Hizen-Shiroishi | 肥前白石  | 5.1  | 44.7  | |  | |  |   |   | ◇  | Shiroishi, Kishima District
| Hizen-Ryūō | 肥前竜王  | 4.7  | 49.4  | |  | |  |   |   | ◇
| Hizen-Kashima | 肥前鹿島  | 5.2  | 54.6  | |  | |  |   |   | ◇  | Kashima
| Hizen-Hama | 肥前浜  | 3.0  | 57.6  | ● (switch-back operation)  | ▲  |   |   | ◇
| Hizen-Nanaura | 肥前七浦  | 3.9  | 61.5  |  | |  |   |   | ◇
| Hizen-Iida | 肥前飯田  | 2.1  | 63.6  |  | |  |   |   | ◇
| Tara | 多良  | 4.1  | 67.7  |  | ▲  |   |   | ◇  | Tara, Fujitsu District
| Hizen-Ōura | 肥前大浦  | 7.9  | 75.6  |  | |  |   |   | ◇
| Konagai | 小長井  | 6.7  | 82.3  |  | ▲  |   |   | ◇  | Isahaya | Nagasaki
| Nagasato | 長里  | 2.4  | 84.7  |  | |  | To/from Ōmura Line |   | ◇
| Yue | 湯江  | 2.9  | 87.6  |  | |  |   | ◇
| Oe | 小江  | 3.3  | 90.9  |  | |  |   | ◇
| Hizen-Nagata | 肥前長田  | 4.7  | 95.6  |  | |  |   | ◇
| Higashi-Isahaya | 東諫早  | 2.2  | 97.8  |  | |  |   | ◇
| Isahaya | 諫早  | 2.6  | 100.4  |  | ● (through train to Takeo-Onsen via Ōmura Line)  | ●  | Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen
Ōmura Line (through to/from Nagasaki)
Shimabara Railway Line | ^
| Nishi-Isahaya | 西諫早  | 2.8  | 103.2  |  | |  | ▲  |   | ∥
| Kikitsu | 喜々津  | 3.7  | 106.9  |  | |  | ●  | Nagasaki Main Line (old route) (through to/from Isahaya)  | ∨
| Ichinuno | 市布  | 2.5  | 109.4  |  | |  | ▲  |   | ◇
| Hizen-Koga | 肥前古賀  | 2.9  | 112.3  |  | |  | ▲  |   | ｜  | Nagasaki
| Utsutsugawa | 現川  | 2.5  | 114.8  |  | |  | ▲  |   | ◇
| Urakami | 浦上  | 8.9  | 123.7  |  | |  | ●  | Nagasaki Main Line (old route) (through to/from Nagasaki)
Nagasaki Electric Tramway: Main Line (Urakami-Ekimae)  | ^
| Nagasaki | 長崎  | 1.6  | 125.3  |  | ●  | ●  | Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen
Nagasaki Electric Tramway Main Line
Sakuramachi Branch (Nagasaki-Ekimae)  | ∥

1. ^ Karatsu Line trains run through to Saga Station

### Old route (via Nagayo)

[edit]

* All stations located within Nagasaki Prefecture.
* All trains make all stops.

Station  | Japanese  | Distance (km)  | Transfers  |   | Location

|
|
|
|
|

Between
Stations  | Total
Kikitsu  | 喜々津  | \-  | 0.0  | Nagasaki Main Line (new route) (through to/from Isahaya)  | ◇  | Isahaya
Higashisono | 東園  | 3.5  | 3.5  |   | ｜
Ōkusa | 大草  | 3.7  | 7.2  |   | ◇
Honkawachi | 本川内  | 5.1  | 12.3  |   | ｜  | Nagayo, Nishisonogi District
Nagayo | 長与  | 3.1  | 15.4  |   | ◇
Kōda | 高田  | 1.0  | 16.4  |   | ｜
Michinoo | 道ノ尾  | 2.5  | 18.9  |   | ｜
Nishi-Urakami | 西浦上  | 1.7  | 20.6  |   | ｜  | Nagasaki
Urakami  | 浦上  | 2.9  | 23.5  | Nagasaki Main Line (new route) (through to/from Nagasaki)
Nagasaki Electric Tramway Main Line (Urakami-Ekimae)  | ◇

## Rolling stock

[edit]

* 885 series (Relay Kamome, Kasasagi,Midori)
* 783 series (Midori, Huis ten Bosch)
* 787 series (Relay Kamome, Midori)
* 811 series (Between Tosu and Hizen-Ōura)
* 813 series (Between Tosu and Hizen-Ōura)
* 817 series
* 415 series
* Kiha 47
* KiHa 66/67 DMUs (Seaside Liner)
* KiHa 200 DMUs (Seaside Liner)
* YC1 series

## History

[edit]

The Kyushu Railway Co. opened the Tosu - Saga section in 1891, extending it to Nagasaki via Haiki in 1898.

In 1907, the Railway Nationalization Act was passed in Japan, nationalising all major railways. The Hizen-Yamaguchi - Isahaya direct line was opened in 1934, with the Hizen-Yamaguchi - Haiki section being renamed the Sasebo Line and the Haiki - Isahaya section the Omura Line.

The Saga - Nabeshima section was the first to be duplicated in 1966, and by 1969 the Tosu - Hizen-Yamaguchi and Isahaya - Kikitsu sections were duplicated. The Urakami-Nagasaki section was duplicated in 1990.

The 6173m Shin-Nagasaki tunnel and associated Kititsu - Urakami deviation opened in 1972, and the entire line was electrified in 1976. Freight services beyond Nabeshima ceased in 1999.

### Former connecting lines

[edit]

* Saga station - The 24 km line to Setaka (on the Kagoshima Main Line) opened 1931-35, and closed in 1987. This line crossed three major watercourses by substantial bridges.

### Future plans

[edit]

In January 2022, it was announced that the Nagasaki Main Line would be split into two sections and upper and lower management separation is to be introduced. JR Kyushu will continue to operate trains in the two section as a Type 2 Railway Business while the infrastructure of the 60.8 km (37.8 mi) section between Hizen-Yamaguchi Station and Isahaya Station is to be maintained by Saga-Nagasaki Railway Management Centre as a Type 3 Railway Business.[5] JR Kyushu is to maintain train operations in this section for the next 23 years after the opening of the Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen.

On 10 June 2022, JR Kyushu announced further details regarding the section between Hizen-Yamaguchi station and Isahaya Station. The section between Hizen-Hama Station and Nagasaki Station is to be de-electrified with diesel trains replacing all electric trains running in this section. Hizen-Yamaguchi Station is to be renamed to Kohoku Station (江北). To make up for the loss of express trains running in this section, a new express train "Kasasagi" is to operate between Hizen-Kashima Station and Saga Station with services going onwards to Hakata Station. As de-electrification means the joyful train "36 plus 3" will no longer be able to reach Nagasaki Station, a new diesel joyful train "Futatsuboshi 4047" is to operate along the Nagasaki Main Line during the morning run and Omura Line in the afternoon return run.[6]

## References

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nagasaki Main Line.

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

1. ^ にっぽん列島 - 鉄道紀元 [Nippon Rettō - Tetsudō-kigen]. Vol. 27\. JTB Publishing Inc. May 10, 2007. pp. 12–15.
2. ^ "TrainReview's Guide to Limited Express Kamome Trains". Archived from the original on September 16, 2020.
3. ^ "TrainReview". trainreview.com. Archived from the original on September 16, 2020. Retrieved 2020-08-05.
4. ^ "新特急「かささぎ」「リレーかもめ」9月23日デビュー 西九州新幹線開業に合わせ誕生（乗りものニュース）". Yahoo!ニュース (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2022-09-23. Retrieved 2022-09-23.
5. ^ "ＪＲ長崎本線（肥前山口～諫早）の鉄道事業許可" [JR Nagasaki Main Line (Hizen Yamaguchi-Isahaya) railway business license] (PDF). mlit.co.jp (in Japanese). 31 January 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
6. ^ "西九州新幹線が開業します在来線各線区でダイヤを見直します" [The Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen will open. We will review the schedule for each conventional line section.] (PDF). jrkyushu.co.jp (in Japanese). 10 June 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 June 2022. Retrieved 23 June 2022.

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