Hokuhoku Line

The Hokuhoku Line (ほくほく線, Hokuhoku-sen) is a Japanese railway line in Niigata Prefecture, between Muikamachi in Minamiuonuma City and Saigata in Jōetsu City. This is the only railway line Hokuetsu Express (北越急行, Hokuetsu Kyūkō) operates. Construction was begun in 1968 by the Japanese National Railways (JNR), and it was finally completed as a third sector line in 1997, including the 10,472 m (6.5 mi) Akakura Tunnel, the longest on a non-JR line.

Hokuhoku Line
A HK100 Yumezora train, Kubiki - Saigata, September 2014
Overview
LocaleNiigata Prefecture
TerminiMuikamachi
Saigata
Stations12
Operation
OwnerHokuetsu Express
Technical
Line length59.5 km (37.0 mi)
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification1,500 V DC overhead catenary
Operating speed130 km/h (80 mph)
Route map
A 681 series Hakutaka limited express train at Mushigawa-Ōsugi Station, September 2014

Unlike most other third sector company lines, the line made steady profits. Until the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen in 2015, the shortest rail link between Kantō and Hokuriku was to take the Jōetsu Shinkansen to Echigo-Yuzawa and then transfer to the Hakutaka express service on the Hokuhoku Line. The previous maximum line speed of 160 km/h (100 mph) made the Hakutaka the fastest narrow gauge service in the country, matched only by the standard gauge Keisei Skyliner services to Narita Airport as the fastest non-Shinkansen service (also at 160 km/h), however this was reduced to 130 km/h (80 mph) on 14 March 2015 following the withdrawal of Hakutaka services on the line.[1]

Services
Some services operate through to Naoetsu or Echigo-Yuzawa.

Upon the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen on 14 March 2015, the limited express services Hakutaka[2][3] of the Hokuhoku Line, which had run from 1997 with an average daily ridership of 6,900 passengers, were withdrown.[4] Since then, a daily special rapid service Snow Rabbit was served, instead of Hakutaka. As of March 2020, the services are:[5]

  • Local services - 17 return trips each day
  • Rapid service - 1.5 return trips each day
  • Chō-Rapid service Snow Rabbit - 1.5 return trips each day
  • Some trains are served as Yumezora theater train on the weekends and public holidays

Passing loops

There are three passing loops on the Hokuhoku Line. Each has one bi-directional through track to allow full line speed.

Akakura

Between Uonumakyūryō and Misashima in Tōkamachi, Niigata. It is in the 10472m Akakura tunnel.

Yakushitōge

Between Tōkamachi and Matsudai in Tōkamachi, Niigata. It is in the 6199m Yakushitōge tunnel.

Gimyō

Between Matsudai and Hokuhoku-Ōshima in Tōkamachi, Niigata. It is in the 9130m Nabetachiyama tunnel(ja:鍋立山トンネル).

Rolling Stock
  • HK100 - For Local, Rapid, Chō-Rapid

Former
  • HK100 at Matsudai Station
  • Interior of HK100 Yumezora, dream sky train
  • Interior of HK100 Yumezora while going through a tunnel
    Videos are displayed on the ceiling on sundays[6].

Stations

The Hokuhoku line is entirely in Niigata Prefecture.

  • Service patterns:
    • ● All trains stop
    • ○ Some trains stop
    • ｜ All trains pass
    • ＊ Seasonal stop
  • Track:
    • ∥: Double-track section
    • ∧: Double-track section begins
    • ∨: Double-track section ends
    • ｜: Single-track section
    • ◇: Passing loop
Line Name Distance Local Rapid Chō-
Rapid		 Transfers Track Location
Jōetsu Line Echigo-Yuzawa 越後湯沢 17.6 ● ● ● Jōetsu Shinkansen
JR East: ■ Jōetsu Line (for Minakami)		 ∥ Yuzawa
Ishiuchi 石打 11.2 ｜ ｜ ｜   ∥ Minamiuonuma
Ōsawa 大沢 7.2 ｜ ｜ ｜   ∥
Jōetsu International Skiing Ground 上越国際スキー場前 6.2 ＊ ＊ ｜   ∥
Shiozawa 塩沢 3.9 ○ ○ ｜   ∥
Muikamachi 六日町 0.0 ● ● ○ JR East: ■ Jōetsu Line (for Urasa) ∨
Hokuhoku Line Uonuma-Kyūryō 魚沼丘陵 3.6 ● ｜ ｜   ｜
Misashima 美佐島駅 12.2 ● ｜ ｜   ｜ Tōkamachi
Shinza しんざ 14.4 ● ｜ ｜   ｜
Tōkamachi 十日町 15.9 ● ● ● JR East: ■ Iiyama Line ◇
Matsudai まつだい 29.2 ● ● ○   ◇
Hokuhoku-Ōshima ほくほく大島 38.6 ● ● ｜   ｜ Jōetsu
Mushigawa-Ōsugi 虫川大杉 44.8 ● ● ○   ◇
Uragawara うらがわら 46.8 ● ● ｜   ｜
Ōike-Ikoi-no-mori 大池いこいの森 51.7 ○ ｜ ｜   ｜
Kubiki くびき 53.6 ● ● ｜   ◇
Shin'etsu Main Line Saigata 犀潟 59.5 ● ● ｜ JR East: ■ Shin'etsu Main Line {for Niigata) ∧
Kuroi 黒井駅 63.9 ○ ○ ｜   ∥
Naoetsu 直江津 66.6 ● ● ● Echigo Tokimeki Railway: ■ Nihonkai Hisui Line, ■ Myōkō Haneuma Line ∥

See also

References
  1. Itō, Kumi. Transformation underwent at Hokuetsu Express, Railway Fan, Issue 670, Kōyūsha, February 2017, p. 68-73.
  2. https://web.archive.org/web/20130516162403/http://hokuhoku-line.jp/2_time/2013_kudari_en.pdf
  3. https://web.archive.org/web/20130516165425/http://hokuhoku-line.jp/2_time/2013_nobori_en.pdf
  4. https://web.archive.org/web/20140827091047/http://www.hokuhoku.co.jp/1osirase/press-release/2014_0827_press.pdf
  5. "Timetable". Hokuetsu Express Co.,Ltd. Retrieved 2020-07-18.
  6. "Trains". Hokuetsu Express Co.,Ltd. Retrieved 2020-07-18.

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

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