Ban'etsu West Line

The Banetsu West Line (磐越西線, Ban'etsu-sai-sen) is a railway line in Japan operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It connects Kōriyama Station in Kōriyama, Fukushima Prefecture, and Niitsu Station in Akiha Ward, Niigata, Niigata Prefecture. The name "Banetsu" is taken from the first characters of the names of the ancient provinces of Iwaki (磐城) and Echigo (越後), which the Banetsu East and Banetsu West lines connect. "Sai" (西) means "west" in Japanese.

Ban'etsu West Line
Joyful Train SL Ban'etsu Monogatari hauled by C57 crossing the Ichinotogawa River bridge in 2009
Overview
Native name磐越西線
StatusIn operation
Owner JR East
LocaleFukushima, Niigata prefectures
Termini
Stations43
Service
TypeRegional rail
Operator(s) JR East
Rolling stock719 series EMU, E721 series EMU, KiHa 100 series DMU, GV-E400 series DMU, AT-700 series DMU
History
Opened1898
Technical
Line length175.6 km (109.1 mi)
Number of tracksEntire line single tracked
CharacterRural
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification20 kV AC, 50 Hz overhead catenary (Kōriyama – Kitakata)
None (Kitakata - Niitsu)
Operating speed100 km/h (62 mph)
Route map
Mount Bandai and Joyful Train FruiTea Fukushima in 2015

The line's nickname is the Mori to Mizu to Roman no Tetsudō (森と水とロマンの鉄道, lit. "the water, forest, and nostalgia railway").

Station list
  • Local trains generally stop at all stations, but some trains skip stations marked "▽".
  • The column marked "*" refers to the unnamed rapid service between Kōriyama and Aizu-Wakamatsu/Kitakata using 719 series EMUs.
  • Trains can pass one another at stations marked "◇", "∨", or "∧"; stations marked "◆" are switchback stations. Trains cannot pass at stations marked "｜".
Station Japanese Distance (km) Rapid Transfers/Other Notes   Location
Between
stations		 Total * Agano
Kōriyama 郡山 - 0.0 ●  
∨ Kōriyama Fukushima
Kōriyamatomita 郡山富田 3.4 3.4 ●     ｜
Kikuta 喜久田 4.5 7.9 ▲     ◇
Akogashima 安子ケ島 3.9 11.8 ｜     ◇
Bandai-Atami 磐梯熱海 3.6 15.4 ●     ◇
Nakayamajuku 中山宿 5.4 20.8 ｜     ｜
Jōko 上戸 6.5 27.3 ｜     ｜ Inawashiro, Yama District
Inawashirokohan (closed) 猪苗代湖畔 2.0 29.3     Closed in 2007 ｜
Sekito 関都 1.7 31.0 ｜     ◇
Kawageta 川桁 2.4 33.4 ▲     ◇
Inawashiro 猪苗代 3.3 36.7 ●     ◇
Okinashima 翁島 4.4 41.1 ▲     ◇
Bandaimachi 磐梯町 10.1 51.2 ●     ◇ Bandai, Yama District
Higashi-Nagahara 東長原 6.0 57.2 ▲     ◇ Aizuwakamatsu
Hirota 広田 2.8 60.0 ▲     ◇
Aizu-Wakamatsu 会津若松 4.6 64.6 ● ● ■Tadami Line
■Aizu Line[* 2]		 ◆
Dōjima▽ 堂島 5.5 70.1 ｜ ｜   ｜
Oikawa▽ 笈川 3.1 73.2 ｜ ｜   ｜ Yugawa, Kawanuma District
Shiokawa 塩川 1.9 75.1 ● ●   ◇ Kitakata
Ubadō▽ 姥堂 2.4 77.5 ｜ ｜   ｜
Aizu-Toyokawa▽ 会津豊川 2.0 79.5 ｜ ｜   ｜
Kitakata 喜多方 1.7 81.2 ● ● Terminus of electrification ◇
Yamato 山都 9.9 91.1   ●   ◇
Ogino 荻野 6.1 97.2   ●   ｜
Onobori 尾登 3.8 101.0   ｜   ｜ Nishiaizu, Yama District
Nozawa 野沢 5.2 106.2   ●   ◇
Kami-Nojiri 上野尻 5.1 111.3   ｜   ｜
Tokusawa 徳沢 6.7 118.0   ｜   ◇
Toyomi 豊実 3.3 121.3   ｜   ｜ Aga, Higashikanbara District Niigata
Hideya 日出谷 7.1 128.4   ｜   ｜
Kanose 鹿瀬 5.2 133.6   ●   ｜
Tsugawa 津川 3.4 137.0   ●   ◇
Mikawa 三川 7.4 144.4   ●   ｜
Igashima 五十島 4.2 148.6   ｜   ◇
Higashi-Gejō 東下条 3.9 152.5   ｜   ｜
Sakihana 咲花 3.1 155.6   ●   ｜ Gosen
Maoroshi 馬下 2.8 158.4   ▲   ◇
Saruwada 猿和田 3.5 161.9   ｜   ｜
Gosen 五泉 3.8 165.7   ●   ◇
Kita-Gosen 北五泉 1.8 167.5   ｜   ｜
Shinseki 新関 2.5 170.0   ｜   ◇ Akiha-ku, Niigata
Higashi-Niitsu 東新津 2.8 172.8   ｜   ｜
Niitsu 新津 2.8 175.6   ●
∧
  1. Although the official start of the Suigun Line is Asakanagamori, all trains run through to/from Kōriyama.
  2. Although the official start of the Aizu Line is Nishi-Wakamatsu, all trains run through to/from Aizu-Wakamatsu.
  3. Most Banetsu West Line trains travel through to/from Niigata.

Rolling stock

As of April 2020, the following rolling stock is used on the Banetsu West Line.

Kōriyama—Kitakata

From 25 April 2015, a two-car 719 series set entered service on FruiTea (フルーティア) services on the line between Koriyama and Aizu-Wakamatsu. The train accommodates 36 passengers.[2]

  • A Banetsu West Line 719 series EMU in January 2008
    A Banetsu West Line 719 series EMU in January 2008
  • The 719-700 series FruiTea trainset in April 2015
    The 719-700 series FruiTea trainset in April 2015

Aizu-Wakamatsu—Niitsu

Past
  • A Banetsu West Line 455 series EMU in December 2006
    A Banetsu West Line 455 series EMU in December 2006
  • 485 series Aizu Liner rapid service at Koriyama Station in March 2012
    485 series Aizu Liner rapid service at Koriyama Station in March 2012
  • KiHa 40/47/48 series at Tokusawa Station in June 2013
    KiHa 40/47/48 series at Tokusawa Station in June 2013
  • KiHa E120 and 110 at Gosen Station in December 2009
    KiHa E120 and 110 at Gosen Station in December 2009

History
Agano River Taima Bridge

The private Ganetsu Railway opened the initial section from Kōriyama to Nakayamajuku on July 26, 1898, and extended the line to Aizu-Wakamatsu the following year.

Japanese National Railways (JNR) started to modernize the line in the 1960s, introducing the line's first limited express service (as a part of the Yamagata-bound Yamabata) in 1965 between Ueno Station in Tokyo and Aizu-Wakamatsu via the Tōhoku Main Line. In 1968 the train was renamed Aizu Yamabata, but from 1993 onward it was renamed Viva Aizu and ran only between Koriyama and Aizu-Wakamatsu. The train was finally discontinued as a limited express service in 2003.

In 1967, JNR electrified the section between Kōriyama and Kitakata at 20 kV AC.

In 2011 the line was closed for 15 days in March following the Tohoku earthquake, two days in April as a result of aftershocks, and for 10 weeks following torrential rain at the end of July.

A new station, called Kōriyamatomita, opened on 1 April 2017 between and Kōriyama and Kikuta stations.[4]

The railway bridge connecting Kitakata and Yamato collapsed due to heavy rain on 4 August 2022. All services are suspended between Kitakata and Nozawa.[5]

See also

References
  1. 磐越西線でE721系の運転開始 [E721 series enter service on the Banetsu West Line]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 9 March 2017. Archived from the original on 9 March 2017. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  2. http://www.jreast.co.jp/press/2014/20150303.pdf
  3. "「SLばんえつ物語」号運行開始!祝・20 周年! 7月27日(土) 新津駅でお祝いのイベントを開催します!" (PDF) (Press release) (in Japanese). JR East Niigata Branch. 2019-06-27. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-06-27. Retrieved 2020-07-19.
  4. ＪＲ郡山富田駅開業 県内の新駅３０年ぶり [JR Koriyamatomita Station opens - First new station in prefecture for 30 years]. Fukushima Minpo (in Japanese). Japan. 2 April 2017. Archived from the original on 3 April 2017. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
  5. "福島・喜多方 橋りょう崩落、線路宙づり 通勤・通学に打撃". 河北新報オンラインニュース (in Japanese). 2022-08-05. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
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