Ibusuki Makurazaki Line

The Ibusuki Makurazaki Line (指宿枕崎線, Ibusuki Makurazaki-sen) is a railway line in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, operated by the Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu). It connects Kagoshima-Chūō Station in Kagoshima, to Makurazaki Station in Makurazaki, paralleling the eastern and southern coasts of Satsuma Peninsula. Excluding the Okinawa Urban Monorail in Okinawa, this is the southernmost JR railway line in Japan, with Nishi-Ōyama Station being the southernmost station overall.

Ibusuki Makurazaki Line
Nishi-Ōyama Station with Kaimondake volcano in the background, and a post marking it as the southernmost JR railway station in Japan
Overview
Native name指宿枕崎線
LocaleKagoshima Prefecture
TerminiKagoshima-Chūō
Makurazaki
Stations36
Operation
Opened1930
OwnerJR Kyushu
Rolling stockKiHa 40/47/140, KiHa 200 series
Technical
Line length87.8 km (54.6 mi)
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Operating speed85 km/h (55 mph)
(Kagoshima-Chūō–Yamakawa)
65 km/h (40 mph)
(Yamakawa–Makurazaki)
Route map
A Nanohana rapid service
A Ibusuki no Tamatebako limited express

Services

The line is operationally divided into two sections. The section between Kagoshima-Chūō and Yamakawa functions as a commuter rail of Kagoshima. As such, there are relatively many local trains. From Kagoshima-Chūō, there is roughly one train per 20 minutes to Goino, one per 20 to 40 minutes to Kiire, and one per one hour to Ibusuki or Yamakawa. The Ibusuki no Tamatebako limited express and Nanohana (なのはな) rapid services operate on this section. The limited express train runs three times a day, and the rapid train runs southward three times a day, northward four times a day.

The section between Yamakawa and Makurazaki is an extremely quiet local line. During the daytime, there is no train service for six hours. In this section, all but Nishi-Ei are unmanned stations, including Makurazaki, the terminus.

The Nanohana DX (なのはなDX) rapid service was discontinued from the start of the revised timetable on March 12, 2011.

Stations

The Ibusuki Makurazaki Line is entirely in Kagoshima Prefecture.

1 All trains stop at stations marked "+". Some trains stop at "*". No trains stop at "-".
Station Nanohana:1 Location
Kagoshima-Chūō鹿児島中央+ Kagoshima
Kōrimoto郡元+
Minami-Kagoshima南鹿児島+
Usuki宇宿+
Taniyama谷山+
Jigenji慈眼寺+
Sakanoue坂之上+
Goino五位野*
Hirakawa平川*
Sesekushi瀬々串*
Nakamyō中名-
Kiire喜入+
Maenohama前之浜-
Nukumi生見-
Satsuma-Imaizumi薩摩今和泉* Ibusuki
Miyagahama宮ヶ浜*
Nigatsuden二月田*
Ibusuki指宿+
Yamakawa山川+
Ōyama大山 
Nishi-Ōyama西大山
Satsuma-Kawashiri薩摩川尻
Higashi-Kaimon東開聞
Kaimon開聞
Irino入野
Ei頴娃 Minamikyūshū
Nishi-Ei西頴娃
Goryō御領
Ishikaki石垣
Mizunarikawa水成川
Ei-Ōkawa頴娃大川
Matsugaura松ヶ浦
Satsuma-Shioya薩摩塩屋
Shirasawa白沢 Makurazaki
Satsuma-Itashiki薩摩板敷
Makurazaki枕崎

History

The 14 km (8.7 mi) Nishi-Kagoshima (now Kagoshima-Chūō) to Goino section opened in 1930, and was extended 32 km (20 mi) to Ibusuki in 1934, and a further 4 km (2.5 mi) to Yamakawa in 1936. The next 18 km (11 mi) extension to Nishi-Ei opened in 1960 as a passenger only line, and Makurazaki (a further 20 km or 12 mi) was reached in 1963.

Steam locomotives were withdrawn in 1973, and freight services in 1980. CTC signalling was commissioned between Nishi-Kagoshima and Yamakawa in 1983.

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See also

References
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