Nishi-Kyūshū Line

The Nishi-Kyushu Line (西九州線, Nishi-Kyūshū-sen) is a Japanese railway line operated by the private railway operator Matsuura Railway, which connects Arita in Saga Prefecture with Sasebo in Nagasaki Prefecture.[1] This is the westernmost railway line in Japan, with Tabira-Hiradoguchi Station being the westernmost station.

Nishi-Kyushu Line
MR-600 series diesel railcar
Overview
StatusIn operation
OwnerMatsuura Railway
LocaleKyushu (Saga and Nagasaki Prefectures)
Termini
Stations57
Service
TypeRegional rail
Operator(s)Matsuura Railway
Rolling stockMR-400 series DMU, MR-500 series DMU, MR-600 series DMU
History
Opened1 March 1945 (fully)
Technical
Line length93.9 km (58.3 mi)
Number of tracksEntire line single tracked
CharacterUrban and rural
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
ElectrificationNone
Operating speed85 km/h (53 mph)

History

The Kansai Coal Mining Co. opened a 12 km (7.5 mi), 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge line from Saza to Sechibaru via Yoshii in 1896.

The 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) Arita - Imari section of the line was opened on 7 August 1898 by the Imari Railway (伊万里鉄道, Imari Tetsudō), which merged with the Kyushu Railway in December of the same year.[1] In 1907, the line was nationalised, becoming the Imari Line (伊万里線, Imari-sen).[1] The line was extended to Imabuku in 1930, Matsuura in 1933, Tabira-Hiradoguchi in 1935, and Senryūgataki in 1939.

The then isolated Hidariishi - Ainoura section was opened as a 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge line by the Sasebo Light Railway (佐世保軽便鉄道, Sasebo Keibin Tetsudō) for coal transportation on 27 March 1920,[1] and extended to Kami-Sasebo the following year. In 1931, it was extended to Saza, with the company acquiring the Kansai Coal line to Sechibaru in 1933 and passenger services to Yoshii commencing in 1934. A connection to Sasebo opened in 1935, and the company was nationalised in October 1936.[1] Between 1943 and 1944, the line was regauged to 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in),[1] with a new alignment opened in March 1945, linking the two sections.[1]

From 1 April 1988, the line between Arita and Sasebo was transferred from JNR operation to the privately owned Matsuura Railway.[1]

Former connecting lines
  • Yoshii Station: The 7 km (4.3 mi) Sechibaru line to Sechibaru, opened by the Kansai Coal Mining Co. as a 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge line in 1896, was nationalised and regauged at the same time as the main line, and closed in 1971.
  • Saza Station: The 4 km (2.5 mi) line to Usunoura was opened by the Sasebo Light Railway for coal transportation in 1931. It was also nationalised and regauged at the same time as the main line, and closed in 1971.
  • Hidariishi Station: The 4 km (2.5 mi) Yunoki line to 'Upper' Sasebo opened in 1921 as a 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge line, became a branch with the opening of the direct line to Sasebo in 1935, was regauged in 1943 and remained in service until flood damage closed it in 1967.
  • Sasebo station - A 5 km (3.1 mi) line to a US Forces Japan oil storage facility operated between 1950 and 1978.

Stations
●: Stops   |: Does not stop

Rapid Service: Down trains (to Sasebo) operate between Saza and Sasebo. Up trains (from Sasebo) operate between Sasebo and Tabira-Hiradoguchi.

Station Japanese Distance (km) Rapid
service		 Transfers Location
Arita 有田 0.0   Sasebo Line Arita Saga
Midaibashi 三代橋 1.7    
Kurogō 黒川 2.8    
Zōshuku 蔵宿 3.8    
Nishi-Arita 西有田 4.8    
Ōgi 大木 6.1    
Yamadani 山谷 7.0    
Meotoishi 夫婦石 7.9    
Kanatake 金武 9.8     Imari
Kawahigashi 川東 11.6    
Imari 伊万里 13.0   Chikuhi Line
Higashi-Yamashiro 東山代 16.3    
Sato 里 17.5    
Kusuku 楠久 18.6    
Naruishi 鳴石 20.0    
Kubara 久原 21.7    
Haze 波瀬 22.8    
Uranosaki 浦ノ崎 24.8    
Fukushimaguchi 福島口 25.3    
Imabuku 今福 27.5     Matsuura Nagasaki
Takashimaguchi 鷹島口 28.7    
Maehama 前浜 32.4    
Tsukinokawa 調川 33.5    
Matsuura 松浦 35.6    
Matsuura Hatsudensho-mae 松浦発電所前 38.2    
Mikuriya 御厨 41.6    
Nishikoba 西木場 44.4    
Higashi-Tabira 東田平 46.3     Hirado
Naka-Tabira 中田平 48.1    
Tabira-Hiradoguchi たびら平戸口 51.2 ●  
Nishi-Tabira 西田平 53.8 |  
Suetachibana すえたちばな 58.1 |   Sasebo
Emukae-Shikamachi 江迎鹿町 60.0 ●  
Takaiwa 高岩 61.4 |  
Inotsuki いのつき 64.9 |  
Senryūgataki 潜竜ヶ滝 66.5 |  
Yoshii 吉井 68.8 ●  
Kōda 神田 70.3 |   Saza
Seihō-Koukou-Mae 清峰高校前 72.4 |  
Saza 佐々 74.0 ●  
Koura 小浦 75.8 ●  
Masaru 真申 77.7 |   Sasebo
Tanagata 棚方 78.3 ●  
Ainoura 相浦 79.7 ●  
Daigaku 大学 80.9 ●  
Kami-Ainoura 上相浦 81.7 ●  
Motoyama 本山 83.5 ●  
Nakazato 中里 84.0 |  
Kaize 皆瀬 85.5 |  
Nonaka 野中 86.2 |  
Hidariishi 左石 87.4 ●  
Senpukuji 泉福寺 88.4 ●  
Yamanota 山の田 89.5 |  
Kita-Sasebo 北佐世保 90.6 ●  
Naka-Sasebo 中佐世保 92.6 |  
Sasebo-Chūō 佐世保中央 92.8 ●  
Sasebo 佐世保 93.8 ● Sasebo Line

See also

References

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

  1. Terada, Hirokazu (19 January 2013). データブック日本の私鉄 [Databook: Japan's Private Railways]. Japan: Neko Publishing. p. 183. ISBN 978-4-7770-1336-4.
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