Kyūdai Main Line
The Kyūdai Main Line (久大本線, Kyūdai-honsen) is a railway line in Kyushu, Japan, operated by the Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu). It connects Kurume Station, Kurume in Fukuoka Prefecture and Ōita Station, Ōita in Ōita Prefecture. It is also known as the Yufu Kōgen Line.
| Kyūdai Main Line | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 KiHa 58 DMU between Yufuin and Minami-Yufu | |||
| Overview | |||
| Status | In operation | ||
| Owner | .svg.png.webp){kind=logo} JR Kyushu | ||
| Locale | Kyushu | ||
| Termini | |||
| Stations | 37 | ||
| Service | |||
| Type | Heavy rail | ||
| Operator(s) | JR Kyushu | ||
| Rolling stock | KiHa 71 series DMU, KiHa 72 series DMU, KiHa 185 series DMU, KiHa 40 series DMU, KiHa 200 series DMU, KiHa 125 series DMU, DF200 Diesel locomotive, DE10 Diesel locomotive, 77 series passenger cars | ||
| History | |||
| Opened | 30 October 1915 | ||
| Technical | |||
| Line length | 141.5 km (87.9 mi) | ||
| Number of tracks | Entire line single tracked | ||
| Character | Mostly rural with a few urban areas | ||
| Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | ||
| Electrification | None | ||
| Operating speed | 95 km/h (59 mph) | ||
| Signalling | Automatic block signaling | ||
| |||
The line crosses the whole of Kyushu, approximately paralleling the Chikugo River and its tributary the Kusu River near Kurume, and along the Ōita River close to Ōita. It also traverses popular tourist resorts such as Hita (known as Little Kyoto) and spa resorts around Yufu.
Stations
| Station | Distance (km) |
Transfers | Location | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kurume | 久留米 | 0.0 | Kagoshima Main Line, Kyushu Shinkansen | Kurume | Fukuoka |
| Kurume-Kōkōmae | 久留米高校前 | 3.4 | |||
| Minami-Kurume | 南久留米 | 4.9 | |||
| Kurume-Daigakumae | 久留米大学前 | 6.8 | |||
| Mii | 御井 | 8.0 | |||
| Zendōji | 善導寺 | 12.6 | |||
| Chikugo-Kusano | 筑後草野 | 15.7 | |||
| Tanushimaru | 田主丸 | 20.8 | |||
| Chikugo-Yoshii | 筑後吉井 | 26.4 | Ukiha | ||
| Ukiha | うきは | 30.0 | |||
| Chikugo-Ōishi | 筑後大石 | 33.0 | |||
| Yoake | 夜明 | 39.1 | Hitahikosan Line (No service since July 2017 due to rainstorm damage, to be replaced by bus rapid transit by 2023) | Hita | Ōita |
| Teruoka | 光岡 | 45.2 | |||
| Hita | 日田 | 47.6 | |||
| Bungo-Miyoshi | 豊後三芳 | 49.4 | |||
| Bungo-Nakagawa | 豊後中川 | 55.3 | |||
| Amagase | 天ケ瀬 | 59.5 | |||
| Sugikawachi | 杉河内 | 63.6 | Kusu | ||
| Kita-Yamada | 北山田 | 67.8 | |||
| Bungo-Mori | 豊後森 | 73.2 | |||
| Era | 恵良 | 77.3 | Kokonoe | ||
| Hikiji | 引治 | 80.7 | |||
| Bungo-Nakamura | 豊後中村 | 83.1 | |||
| Noya | 野矢 | 88.2 | |||
| Yufuin | 由布院 | 99.1 | Yufu | ||
| Minami-Yufu | 南由布 | 102.5 | |||
| Yunohira | 湯平 | 109.6 | |||
| Shōnai | 庄内 | 114.5 | |||
| Tenjinyama | 天神山 | 118.1 | |||
| Onoya | 小野屋 | 119.6 | |||
| Onigase | 鬼瀬 | 124.6 | |||
| Mukainoharu | 向之原 | 127.7 | |||
| Bungo-Kokubu | 豊後国分 | 131.7 | Ōita | ||
| Kaku | 賀来 | 133.9 | |||
| Minami-Ōita | 南大分 | 136.6 | |||
| Furugō | 古国府 | 138.9 | |||
| Ōita | 大分 | 141.5 | Nippō Main Line, Hōhi Main Line | ||
History
In 1915, the Daito Railway Co. opened the 22 km Oita - Onoya section. The company was nationalised in 1922, and westerly extensions were undertaken in stages from 1923 until Amagase was reached in 1933. The Kurume - Chikugoyoshi opened in 1928, and easterly extensions to Amagase opened between 1931 and 1934.
CTC signalling was commissioned over the entire line in 1984, and freight services ceased in 1987.
Typhoon damage
In 2012, a landslide disrupted services for 6 weeks.
On 5 July 2017, torrential rainfall washed out the bridge over the Oita River between Chikugo Oisha and Teruoka, resulting in the closure of the section. According to the Japanese language Wikipedia article, the line was fully re-opened on 14 July 2018.
Previous connecting/transfer lines
- Era Station: the 27 km Miyanoharu Line to Higo-oguni opened between 1937 and 1954. Freight services ceased in 1971, and the line closed on 1 December 1984.
- Kurume Station: the 46 km 3 ft (914 mm) gauge Chigoku Line to Mameda opened between 1904 and 1916, and was electrified at 600 V DC in 1919. It had three short branch lines (1 to 4 km long). The entire system closed in 1929.