Aonami Line

The Aonami Line (あおなみ線, Aonami-sen) is a third-sector railway line in the city of Nagoya operated by the Nagoya Rinkai Rapid Transit (名古屋臨海高速鉄道, Nagoya Rinkai Kōsoku Tetsudō). Officially called the Nishi-Nagoyakō Line (西名古屋港線, Nishi-Nagoyakō-sen, West Nagoya Port Line), it connects Nagoya Station with Kinjō-futō Station, and was a freight branch line of Tokaido Main Line, converted for passenger usage in October 2004.[1]

Aonami Line
A 1000 series EMU
Overview
Native nameあおなみ線
TypeCommuter rail
LocaleNagoya
TerminiNagoya
Kinjō-futō
Stations11
Operation
Opened1 June 1950 (as Nishi-Nagoyakō Line)
6 October 2004 (as Aonami Line)
OwnerNagoya Rinkai Rapid Transit
Depot(s)Shionagi (between Inaei and Noseki Stations)
Rolling stock1000 series
Technical
Line length15.2 km (9.4 mi)
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Minimum radius191 m
Electrification1,500 V DC, overhead catenary
Operating speed110 km/h (70 mph)[1]

This line is still operated as a freight line by Japan Freight Railway Company (JR Freight) between Nagoya and Nagoya Freight Terminal, and so the section between Nagoya and Arako Station is used for both passenger and freight traffic.

Stations

There are two services on the line: Local and Non-stop. Non-stop services only stop at Nagoya and Kinjō-futō.

Number Station name Japanese Distance (km) Location
AN01 Nagoya 名古屋 0.0 Nakamura-ku, Nagoya
AN02 Sasashima-raibu ささしまライブ 0.8
AN03 Komoto 小本 3.3 Nakagawa-ku, Nagoya
AN04 Arako 荒子 4.3
AN05 Minami-arako 南荒子 5.2
AN06 Nakajima 中島 5.9
AN07 Nagoya keibajō-mae 名古屋競馬場前 7.1 Minato-ku, Nagoya
AN08 Arakogawa-kōen 荒子川公園 8.2
AN09 Inaei 稲永 9.8
AN10 Noseki 野跡 12.1
AN11 Kinjō-futō 金城ふ頭 15.2

Rolling stock

Services on the line are operated by a fleet of eight four-car 1000 series electric multiple unit (EMU) trains.[2]

History
A JNR Class C56 locomotive hauling 12 series coaches on the Aonami Line, February 2013

The Nishi-Nagoyakō Line opened on 1 June 1950 as a freight branch of the Tokaido Main Line between Sasashima Freight Terminal (笹島貨物) and Nishi-Nagoyakō (西名古屋港) operated by Japanese National Railways (JNR).[1] Nagoya Freight Terminal opened on 1 October 1980, and with the closure of Sasashima Freight Terminal on 1 November 1986, Nagoya Freight Terminal became the starting point of the line.[1] With the privatization and division of JNR on 1 April 1987, the line was transferred to Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) as a "Class 1 railway operator" and JR Freight as a "Class 2 railway operator".[1]

Plans to operate passenger services on the line were formalized in the 1990s, and Nagoya Rinkai Rapid Transit company was established in 1997 as a third-sector company funded by the city of Nagoya.[1] The passenger Aonami Line utilized approximately 12 km of existing freight line with a new approximately 4 km extension to Kinjō-futō Station.[1] Construction started in 2000, with improvement to the line and new stations added between Nagoya and Nakajima stations. The tracks between Nakajima and Kinjō-futō stations were raised to remove level crossings and alleviate road congestion.[3] Construction cost around 93 billion yen.[4] The line opened on 6 October 2004, and at the same time, the section of track between Nagoya Station and Nagoya Freight Terminal was closed.[1]

Despite serving attractions such as the Nagoya International Exhibition Hall and Nagoya Race Course, passenger ridership figures fell short of targets, and in July 2010, the operating company declared debts of approximately 46 billion yen, applying for alternative dispute resolution (ADR) to avoid bankruptcy.[1]

A special "SL Aonami-go" steam train service operated on the Aonami Line on 16 and 17 February 2013, using JNR Class C56 locomotive number 160 as well as three 12 series passenger coaches.

On 27 March 2017, a special Legoland-themed train started operating on the line to commemorate the opening of Legoland Japan.[5] The park is located by Kinjō-futō station.

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See also

References
  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. 114. ISBN 978-4-7770-1336-4.
  2. 私鉄車両編成表 2013 [Private Railway Rolling Stock Formations - 2013]. Japan: Kotsu Shimbunsha. 30 July 2013. p. 102. ISBN 978-4-330-39313-1.
  3. "Overview of Aonami Line" (PDF).
  4. "「あおなみ線」来月６日１０周年、近藤社長に聞く、レゴランド開業で集客策、ＩＣ乗車券の全国対応も。". Nikkei Messe.
  5. "LEGOLAND train begins service on Nagoya's Aonami line". Japan Today. 29 March 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
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