Hisatsu Orange Railway

Hisatsu Orange Railway Co., Ltd. (肥薩おれんじ鉄道株式会社, Hisatsu Orenji Tetsudō Kabushiki-gaisha) is a third-sector railway company which operates Hisatsu Orange Railway Line in Kumamoto and Kagoshima prefectures. The line follows the former part of the JR Kyushu Kagoshima Main Line that connected Yatsushiro and Sendai in Kumamoto and Kagoshima Prefectures, known historically as Higo and Satsuma Provinces. The length of the line is 116.9 km.

Hisatsu Orange Railway Line
Hisatsu Orange Railway 100 series train
Route map

elev (M)
or length (m)
in metres
0.0
Yatsushiro
6 M
2.6
Kuma River
528 m
4.8
Higo-Kōda
6 M
10.1
Hinagu-Onsen
6 M
10.9
Hinagu tunnel
219 m
13.7
Higo-Futami
2 M
14.1
Futami River
58 m
18.0
Kami-Tanoura
4 M
18.4
Hatajiri tunnel
85 m
20.7
Tanoura tunnel
757 m
22.1
Tanoura-
Otachimisaki-Kōen
4 M
22.5
Tanoura River
51 m
23.6
Higo-Tanoura
2 M
25.8
Uminoura tunnel
307 m
26.7
Uminoura
27 M
26.8
Sashiki tunnel
1,501 m
29.2
Sashiki River
63 m
29.8
Sashiki
2 M
33.7
Yunoura
7 M
35.2
Yunoura River
41 m
37.1
Tsunagi tunnel
↑ 1,416 m
↓ 1,348 m
40.1
41.8
42.4
Tsunagi
9 M
42.7
45.8
Shin-Minamata
32 M
46.9
Minamata River
123 m
48.3
49.6
Minamata
2 M
54.0
Fukuro River
46 m
55.4
Fukuro
41 M
56.0
57.1
61.3
Komenotsu
4 M
65.6
Izumi
14 M
66.2
68.3
Nishi-Izumi
41 M
71.0
Takaono River
79 m
72.1
Takaono
46 M
74.2
Nodagō River
134 m
75.3
Nodagō
26 M
80.2
80.7
Origuchi
5 M
83.1
Akasegawa signal box
19 M
86.2
Akune
5 M
86.8
92.2
Ushinohama
13 M
93.9
Ōkawa tunnel
253 m
94.2
Ōkawa River
35 m
95.7
Satsuma-Ōkawa
9 M
original line
95.8
Shin-Shirinasi tunnel
413 m
99.6
Nishikata
7 M
100.4
Nishikata tunnel
129 m
101.6
102.3
Satsuma-Taki
9 M
102.4
103.0
Sayama tunnel
207 m
107.3
Kusamichi
3 M
111.4
113.7
Kami-Sendai
7 M
115.0
116.0
Sendai River
244 m
116.9
Sendai
9 M
km

 
elev (M)
or length (m)
in metres

Hisatsu Orange Railway went into service on March 13, 2004, when ownership was transferred from JR and the high speed Kyushu Shinkansen service began. The Hisatsu Orange Railway runs close to the Yatsushiro Sea and East China Sea and connects to the Kagoshima Main Line on both ends. The route is indirect and winding, but connects several cities along the coast.

Although the line is electrified and used by electric freight trains, due to budgetary limitations passenger service is provided by diesel railcars.

Shareholders in the railway include prefectures of Kumamoto and Kagoshima, cities of Yatsushiro, Minamata, Izumi, Akune and Satsumasendai, towns of Tsunagi and Ashikita, and the Japan Freight Railway Company.

History

The Sendai–Yatsushiro section was built by the (then) Japanese Imperial Railway and opened between 1922 and 1927, at which time this route replaced the Hisatsu Line to become the southern part of the Kagoshima Main Line.

The Yunoura–Tsunagi section was duplicated between 1966 and 1968. CTC signalling was commissioned from Yatsushiro–Sendai in 1969/70, and the line was electrified in 1970.

In 2004, following the opening of the Kagoshima–Shin Yatsushiro section of the Kyushu Shinkansen, operation of the section was transferred under the Third Sector arrangements.

Former connecting lines

Minamata Station: The first section of the Yamano line was opened from Kurino (on the Hisatsu Line) 24 km to Yamano in 1921. The 14 km Minamata–Kugino section opened in 1934, and the 10 km Yamato–Satsuma section the following year. In 1937 the 8 km Kugino–Satsuma section, including the Okawa spiral opened. Freight services ceased in 1986, and the line closed in 1988.

Hisatsu Orange Railway Line

JR Freight operates Hisatsu Orange Railway Line as a Category-2 operator.

Overview

  • Length: 116.9 km
  • Gauge: 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
  • Number of Stations: 28
  • Track
    • Double: between Yunoura and Tsunagi
    • Single: the rest of the line
  • Electrification: 20 kV AC, 60 Hz
Hisatsu Orange Railway Line, between Higo-Futami and Kami-Tanoura

Stations

  • ● = Trains stop
  • | = Trains pass
  • The stations are going to be stopped by all trains from 13 March 2021.[1]
No. Station Distance (km) Rapid Express
Super Orange
Rapid Express
Ocean Liner
Satsuma
Connections Location
Kagoshima Main Line Kumamoto
Prefecture
Yatsushiro
through to   Kumamoto    
Shin-Yatsushiro 新八代 2.8   Kyushu Shinkansen, Kagoshima Main Line
Hisatsu Orange Railway Line
OR01 Yatsushiro 八代 0.0   Kagoshima Main Line, Hisatsu Line (Ebi-no-kōgen Line)
OR02 Higo Kouda 肥後高田 4.8    
OR03 Hinagu Onsen 日奈久温泉 10.1    
OR04 Higo Futami 肥後二見 13.7    
OR05 Kami Tanoura 上田浦 18.0     Ashikita
OR06 Tanoura Otachimisaki Park たのうら御立岬公園 22.1    
OR07 Higo Tanoura 肥後田浦 23.6    
OR08 Uminoura 海浦 26.7    
OR09 Sashiki 佐敷 29.8    
OR10 Yunoura 湯浦 33.7    
OR11 Tsunagi 津奈木 42.4     Tsunagi
OR12 Shin-Minamata 新水俣 45.8   Kyushu Shinkansen Minamata
OR13 Minamata 水俣 49.6    
OR14 Fukuro 55.4    
OR15 Komenotsu 米ノ津 61.3     Kagoshima
Prefecture
Izumi
OR16 Izumi 出水 65.6 Kyushu Shinkansen
OR17 Nishi-Izumi 西出水 68.3    
OR18 Takaono 高尾野 72.1    
OR19 Nodagou 野田郷 75.3    
OR20 Origuchi 折口 80.7     Akune
OR21 Akune 阿久根 86.2    
OR22 Ushinohama 牛ノ浜 92.2    
OR23 Satsuma Ohkawa 薩摩大川 95.7    
OR24 Nishikata 西方 99.6     Satsumasendai
OR25 Satsuma Taki 薩摩高城 102.3    
OR26 Kusamichi 草道 107.3    
OR27 Kami Sendai 上川内 113.7    
OR28 Sendai 川内 116.9   Kyushu Shinkansen, Kagoshima Main Line
through to     Kagoshima-Chūō    

Free ticket

Selling Orange 18 Free Kippu at 2100 yen is timed coincide to release Seishun 18 Kippu. It releases for passengers who have vail ticket (Seishun 18 Kippu).

See also

References

  • Route diagram: Nippon Rettō – Tetsudō-kigen (にっぽん列島 – 鉄道紀元) p. 15–17, Vol. 14, October 25, 2006 – JTB Publishing Inc.
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