Takayama Main Line

The Takayama Main Line (高山本線, Takayama Honsen) is a Japanese railway line between Gifu Station in Gifu and Toyama Station in Toyama, operated by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) and West Japan Railway Company (JR West). The line directly links the Chūkyō Metropolitan Area (metropolitan Nagoya) and Hokuriku region in a shorter distance, but with a longer travel time, than by using the combination of the Tōkaidō Shinkansen and Hokuriku Main Line. Now the line primarily functions as a way to access the scenic areas of Hida (ancient Hida Province), in the rugged mountains of northern Gifu Prefecture, such as Gero onsen (hot spring), Takayama, Shirakawa-gō, and the Kiso River. The first section of the line, between Gifu and Kagamigahara, opened in 1920 (1920). The whole line was completed in 1934.

Takayama Main Line
Hida limited express train
Overview
Native name高山本線
StatusOperational
LocaleJapan
TerminiGifu
Toyama
Stations45
Operation
Operator(s)JR Central, JR West
CharacterRural
Rolling stockKiHa 75 DMU, KiHa 85 DMU, KiHa 25 DMU, KiHa 120 DMU
Technical
Line length225.8 kilometres (140.3 mi)
Number of tracksSingle track
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
ElectrificationNot electrified
Operating speed68 mph (110 km/h)
Route map
Line map
Inotani Station covered in snow

Basic data

Services

The Hida limited express train operates between Nagoya and Takayama, Hida-Furukawa, and Toyama, with ten return services a day, and between Ōsaka and Takayama with one return service a day.

The line is generally divided to three parts for local services: between Gifu and Takayama; between Takayama and Inotani; and between Inotani and Toyama. There are roughly two trains per one hour between Gifu and Mino-Ōta, while there is no local train for four hours between Gero and Takayama.

Stations
No.
StationDistanceTransfersLocation
JR Central
CG00Gifu岐阜0.0
GifuGifu
CG01Nagamori長森4.2
CG02Naka那加7.2Kakamigahara
CG03Sohara蘇原10.4
CG04Kagamigahara各務ヶ原13.2
CG05Unuma鵜沼17.3
CG06Sakahogi坂祝22.5Sakahogi, Kamo
CG07Mino-Ōta美濃太田27.3
Minokamo
Kobi古井30.3
Nakakawabe中川辺34.1Kawabe, Kamo
Shimoasō下麻生37.9
Kamiasō上麻生43.2Hichisō, Kamo
Shirakawaguchi白川口53.1Shirakawa, Kamo
Shimoyui下油井61.7
Hida-Kanayama飛騨金山66.7Gero
Yakeishi焼石75.7
CG16Gero下呂88.3
Zenshōji禅昌寺93.5
Hida-Hagiwara飛騨萩原96.7
Jōro上呂100.8
Hida-Miyada飛騨宮田105.4
Hida-Osaka飛騨小坂108.8
Nagisa渚115.9Takayama
Kuguno久々野123.2
Hida-Ichinomiya飛騨一ノ宮129.5
CG25Takayama高山136.4
Hozue上枝141.0
Hida-Kokufu飛騨国府147.6
CG28Hida-Furukawa飛騨古川151.3Hida
Sugisaki杉崎153.6
Hida-Hosoe飛騨細江156.0
Tsunogawa角川161.7
Sakakami坂上166.6
Utsubo打保176.5
Sugihara杉原180.5
Inotani猪谷189.2ToyamaToyama
JR West
Inotani猪谷ToyamaToyama
Nirehara楡原196.2
Sasazu笹津200.5
Higashi-Yatsuo東八尾205.0
Etchū-Yatsuo越中八尾208.7
Chisato千里213.6
Hayahoshi速星217.9
Fuchū-Usaka婦中鵜坂219.6
Nishi-Toyama西富山222.2
Toyama富山225.8

Passing loops

Hisuikyō

In Hichisō, Gifu. (Coordinates: 35°32′43″N 137°08′39″E )

Washibara

In Shirakawa, Gifu. (Coordinates: 35°36′06″N 137°10′24″E )

Fukurai

In Gero, Gifu. (Coordinates: 35°40′51″N 137°10′00″E )

Shōgano

In Gero, Gifu. (Coordinates: 35°47′42″N 137°15′13″E )

  • Hisuikyō
    A: Kamiasō
    B: Shirakawaguchi
  • Washibara
    A: Shirakawaguchi
    B: Shimoyui
  • Fukurai.
    A: Yakeishi
    B: Hida-Kanayama
  • Shōgano
    A: Yakeishi
    B: Gero

Rolling stock

JR Central

JR West

Former rolling stock

From the start of the March 2015 timetable revision, JR Central KiHa 25 diesel multiple unit (DMU) trains displaced from the Taketoyo Line were phased in on Takayama Line services, with the last remaining KiHa 40 series DMU trains withdrawn from the line on 30 June 2015.[1]

  • A JR Central KiHa 40 DMU, May 2012
  • A KiHa 25 DMU
  • A KiHa 120-300 DMU

History

The Gifu to Mino-Ota section opened in 1920, and the line was then extended in sections, opening to Gero in 1930 and Hida-Osaka in 1933. At the northern end the first section from Toyama opened in 1927, reached Inotani in 1930 and Takayama and Hida-Osaka in 1934, completing the line.

CTC signalling was commissioned in 1968, and in 1980, a ground-breaking ceremony was held at Takayama for the proposed electrification of the line, but the program was cancelled later that year before any significant work was undertaken. Freight services ceased on the line in 2007.

Between 2004 and September 8, 2007, the section between Tsunogawa Station and Inotani Station was closed due to flood damage from Typhoon Tokage.[2]

Former connecting lines
  • Hida-Osaka Station: The 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) gauge Kosaka Forest railway commenced operation in 1933, and by 1953 consisted of seven lines with a total length of 65 km. Line closures commenced in 1954, and the system closed in 1971.
  • Inotani Station: The 610 mm (2 ft) 24 km line to Kamioka-Cho (which was opened in 1910 by the local government from Sasazu station) was acquired by the Mitsui Mining Co. in 1927. In 1931, a 2 km line to alter the connection to Inotani Station opened (with the 16 km section providing the Sasazu connection closing at the same time) and an 8 km branch opened in 1937, connecting to the 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) gauge Sugoroku-Kanakida Forest railway (which consisted of a 16 km main line and three branches between 3 and 6 km in length, and operated from 1930 to 1963). Passenger services ceased in 1962, and the mine and railway closed in 1967.
  • Sasazu Station: As mentioned above, the 610 mm gauge 24 km line to Kamioka-Cho operated from 1910 until altered to connect at Inotani station in 1931. The Toyama Railway operated a 12 km line to Minami-Toyama between 1914 and 1933. In 1943, the Toyama Electric Railway reopened the line, electrified at 600 V DC, and operated it until 1975. The 20 km Kamioka Line to Okuhida-Onsenguchi opened in 1966. Freight services ceased in 1981, and the line closed in 2006.
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See also

References
  1. 高山本線からキハ40系が引退 [KiHa 40 series withdrawn from Takayama Main Line]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 2 July 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  2. 高山線全線の運転再開について (About resuming the operation of the whole Takayama Line), news release by JR Central. Archived 23 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine
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