Uetsu Main Line

Railway line in Japan

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Uetsu Main Line

Kirakira Uetsu (Joyful Train)

Overview
Native name| 羽越本線
Status| Operating
Owner| JR East
Locale| Niigata, Yamagata, Akita Prefectures
Termini|

* Niitsu Station
* Akita Station

Stations| 61
Service
Type| Heavy rail
System| JR East
Operator(s)| JR East, JR Freight
History
Opened| 2 September 1912; 112 years ago (1912-09-02)
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)

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:
* East Japan Railway Company (Services and tracks)
* Niitsu — Akita: 271.7 km (168.8 mi)
* Japan Freight Railway Company (Services and tracks)
* Sakata — Sakata-Minato: 2.7 km (1.7 mi)
* Japan Freight Railway Company (Services)
* Niitsu — Akita: 271.7 km (168.8 mi)
* 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

[edit]

Limited express, Rapid

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

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 "|".
Station  | Japanese  | Distance (km)  | A  | B  | C  | Transfers  |   | DC/AC  | Location

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Between
stations  | Total
Niitsu | 新津  | \-  | 0.0  | Via
Hakushin Line |

* ■Shin'etsu Main Line
* ■Ban'etsu West 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

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  |

* Akita Shinkansen
* ■Ōu Main Line
* ■Oga Line[* 3]

| ^

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]

* E129 series 2/4-car DC EMUs (Niitsu—Murakami, since December 2014)
* 701 series 2/3-car AC EMUs (Sakata—Akita)
* KiHa 110 series (Niitsu - Nezugaseki)
* GV-E400 series (Niitsu-Sakata, since August 2019)

#### Inaho/Rakuraku Train Murakami

[edit]

* E653-1000 series 7-car DC/AC EMUs (since September 2013)

#### Kairi

[edit]

* HB-E300 series

* 701 series passing Omonogawa Bridge

* E653 series Inaho, near Higashi-Sakata Station

* Kairi at Shibata Station, April 2020

### Former

[edit]

* 115 series DC EMUs (Niitsu—Murakami, until March 2018)
* E127-0 series 2-car DC EMUs (Shibata—Murakami, until March 2015)
* KiHa 40/47/48 series DMUs (Until March 2020)
* KiHa E120 DMUs (Niitsu—Sakata, until March 2018)
* KiHa 58 series DMUs
* KiHa 52 DMUs
* 485 series DC/AC EMUs (until July 2014) - Inaho, Hakucho, Rakuraku Train Murakami

* E127 series and 115 series at Murakami Station, March 2009

* KiHa 40/47/48 series, Amarume - Nishibukuro, March 2017

* KiHa 40/47/48 series, Tsuruoka - Fujishima, October 2016

* KiHa E120 and 110 at Sakamachi Station, July 2009

* 485 series Hakucho limited espress, Akita Station, 1987

* 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. 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. 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. Retrieved 2022-11-09.

## External links

[edit]

* Inaho - JR East (in English)
* Kairi - JR East (in English)
* Discover Uetsu, tourist website (in English)

* v
* t
* e

Transit in Akita

Shinkansen|

* Akita

JR East|

* Gonō
* Hanawa
* Kitakami
* Oga
* Ōu
* Tazawako
* Uetsu

Other railways|

* Akita Nairiku Jūkan Railway
* Akita Nairiku
* Yuri Kōgen Railway
* Chōkai Sanroku

Bus|

* Akita Chūō Kōtsū
* Shūhoku Bus
* Ugo Kōtsū

Public ferries|

* Shin Nihonkai Ferry

Terminals|

* Rail
* Akita
* Airports
* Akita
* Odate-Noshiro
* Ports
* Akita
* Funagawa
* Noshiro

* Japan transit: Tokyo
* Keihanshin
* Chūkyō
* Fukuoka–Kitakyushu
* Hakone–Fuji–Izu
* Hokkaido
* Aomori
* Sendai
* Akita
* Niigata
* Toyama
* Nagano
* Okayama
* Hiroshima
* Shikoku
* Metro systems
* Shinkansen
* trams (list)
* aerial lifts (list)

* v
* t
* e

Transit in Niigata

Shinkansen|

* Jōetsu
* Hokuriku

JR East|

* Banetsu West
* Echigo
* Hakushin
* Iiyama
* Jōetsu
* Shinetsu
* Tadami
* Uetsu
* Yahiko
* Yonesaka

JR West|

* Ōito

Other railways|

* Echigo Tokimeki Railway
* Myōkō Haneuma
* Nihonkai Hisui
* Hokuetsu Express
* Hokuhoku
* Aizu Tetsudo
* Aizu

Bus|

* Bandai-bashi Line
* Niigata Kotsu
* Echigo Kotsu
* Kubiki Motor

Public ferries|

* Sado Steam Ship
* Awashima-Line
* Shin Nihonkai Ferry

Miscellaneous|

* Niigata Station
* Cards
* Suica
* Ryuto
* Niigata Airport
* Rail transport in Japan

* Japan transit: Tokyo
* Keihanshin
* Chūkyō
* Fukuoka–Kitakyushu
* Hakone–Fuji–Izu
* Hokkaido
* Aomori
* Sendai
* Akita
* Niigata
* Toyama
* Nagano
* Okayama
* Hiroshima
* Shikoku
* Metro systems
* Shinkansen
* trams (list)
* aerial lifts (list)

* v
* t
* e

JR East lines

Shinkansen|

* Hokuriku
* Jōetsu
* Tōhoku
* Akita
* Yamagata

Main|

* Chūō
* Ōu
* Shin'etsu
* Sōbu
* Tōhoku
* Tōkaidō
* Uetsu

Local|

* Agatsuma
* Aterazawa
* Ban'etsu East
* Ban'etsu West
* Echigo
* Gonō
* Hachikō
* Hachinohe
* Hakushin
* Hanawa
* Iiyama
* Ishinomaki
* Itō
* Itsukaichi
* Jōban
* Jōetsu
* Kamaishi
* Karasuyama
* Kashima
* Kawagoe
* Keiyō
* Kesennuma
* Kitakami
* Koumi
* Kururi
* Mito
* Musashino
* Nambu
* Narita
* Negishi
* Nikkō
* Ōfunato
* Oga
* Ōito
* Ōme
* Ōminato
* Rikuu East
* Rikuu West (suspended)
* Ryōmō
* Sagami
* Senseki
* Senzan
* Shinonoi
* Sotobō
* Suigun
* Tadami
* Takasaki
* Tazawako
* Tōgane
* Tsugaru
* Tsurumi
* Uchibō
* Utsunomiya
* Yahiko
* Yamada
* Yamanote
* Yokohama
* Yokosuka
* Yonesaka

Others|

* Chūō Rapid
* Chūō-Sōbu
* Gala-Yuzawa
* Keihin-Tōhoku
* Saikyō (incl. Akabane)
* Senseki-Tōhoku
* Shōnan-Shinjuku
* Sōbu Rapid
* Ueno-Tōkyō

Past|

* Aizu
* Ashio
* Iwaizumi
* Kihara
* Marumori
* Mōka
* Nagai
* Shin'etsu Main (Shinano / Echigo Tokimeki)
* Tōhoku Main (Aoimori / Iwate Galaxy)

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