Uetsu Main Line

The Uetsu Main Line (羽越本線, Uetsu-hon-sen) is a railway line in the Tohoku and Chubu regions of Japan. Part of the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) system, it connects Niitsu Station in the city of Niigata and Akita Station in Akita. The name "Uetsu" refers to the ancient provinces of Dewa (出羽) and Echigo (越後), which the line connects.

Uetsu Main Line
Kirakira Uetsu (Joyful Train)
Overview
Native name羽越本線
TypeHeavy rail
SystemJR East
StatusOperating
LocaleNiigata, Yamagata, Akita Prefectures
TerminiNiitsu Station
Akita Station
Stations61
Operation
OpenedSeptember 2, 1912
OwnerJR East
Operator(s)JR East, JR Freight
Technical
Track length274.4 km
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Electrification1,500 V DC, 20 kV AC 50 Hz
Operating speed120 km/h (75 mph)
Route map
Uetsu Main Line runs along Sea of Japan. One of the tunnels on the right is Uetsu Main Line, and the other is Japan National Route 345.

Route data

Services
Limited express, Rapid

As of March 2020, the following services are operated.

Name Route Service frequency (daily)
Limited Express Inaho (Niigata) – Shibata – Sakata/Akita 7 return trips
Rapid Kairi (Niigata) – Shibata – Sakata 1 return trip (weekends only)
Rapid Rakuraku Train Murakami (Niigata) – Shibata – Murakami 1 down trip
Rapid Benibana (Niigata) – Shibata – Sakamachi – (Yonezawa) 1 return trip
Local
Niitsu – Shibata: every 60-180 minutes
Shibata – Murakami: every 60-120 minutes
Murakami – Sakata: every 60-180 minutes
Sakata – Akita: every 60-180 minutes

Between Shibata and Murakami, most of the local trains travel through to/from Niigata via Hakushin Line.

Stations
A: Limited Express Inaho
B: Rapid Kairi
C: Rapid Rakuraku Train Murakami, Benibana and other Rapid service trains
Trains stop at stations marked "O", skip at stations marked "|".
Station Japanese Distance (km) A B C Transfers   DC/AC Location
Between
stations		 Total
Niitsu 新津 - 0.0 Via
Hakushin Line
∨ 1,500 V
DC		 Akiha-ku, Niigata Niigata
Kyōgase 京ヶ瀬 6.1 6.1   ◇ Agano
Suibara 水原 4.1 10.2   ◇
Kamiyama 神山 3.7 13.9   ｜
Tsukioka 月岡 3.9 17.8   ◇ Shibata
Nakaura 中浦 3.7 21.5   ｜
Shibata 新発田 4.5 26.0 O O O ■Hakushin Line (some trains through to Murakami) ^
Kaji 加治 4.3 30.3 | | |[* 1]   ∥
Kanazuka 金塚 5.0 35.3 | | |   ∨
Nakajō 中条 3.8 39.1 O O O   ^ Tainai
Hirakida 平木田 5.6 44.7 | | |   ∥
Sakamachi 坂町 3.3 48.0 O O O ■Yonesaka Line ∥ Murakami
Hirabayashi 平林 3.6 51.6 | | |   ∨
Iwafunemachi 岩船町 3.6 55.2 | | |   ◇
Murakami 村上 4.2 59.4 O O O   ^
Majima 間島 7.1 66.5 | |     ∨ 20 kV
AC
50 Hz
Echigo-Hayakawa 越後早川 4.9 71.4 | |     ^
Kuwagawa 桑川 6.9 78.3 | O     ∨
Imagawa 今川 4.3 82.6 | |     ◇
Echigo-Kangawa 越後寒川 4.9 87.5 | |     ^
Gatsugi 勝木 5.3 92.8 | |     ∨
Fuya 府屋 3.1 95.9 O |     ^
Nezugaseki 鼠ヶ関 5.1 101.0 | |     ∥ Tsuruoka Yamagata
Koiwagawa 小岩川 4.4 105.4 | |     ∨
Atsumi Onsen あつみ温泉 4.4 109.8 O O     ^
Iragawa 五十川 5.9 115.7 | |     ∥
Kobato 小波渡 4.4 120.1 | |     ∥
Sanze 三瀬 3.1 123.2 | |     ∥
Uzen-Mizusawa 羽前水沢 5.7 128.9 | |     ∥
Uzen-Ōyama 羽前大山 4.5 133.4 | |     ∨
Tsuruoka 鶴岡 6.0 139.4 O O     ◇
Fujishima 藤島 6.6 146.0 | |     ^
Nishibukuro 西袋 5.1 151.1 | |     ∥ Shōnai, Higashitagawa
Amarume 余目 3.6 154.7 O O   ■Rikuu West Line[* 2] ∥
Kita-Amarume 北余目 2.7 157.4 | |     ∥
Sagoshi 砂越 3.0 160.4 | |     ∥ Sakata
Higashi-Sakata 東酒田 3.3 163.7 | |     ∥
Sakata 酒田 3.2 166.9 O O   JR Freight Uetsu Freight Branch Line
(to Sakata-Minato)		 ∥
Mototate 本楯 6.4 173.3 |       ∨
Minamichōkai 南鳥海 2.6 175.9 |       ◇
Yuza 遊佐 3.2 179.1 O       ^ Yuza, Akumi
Fukura 吹浦 7.0 186.1 |       ∨
Mega 女鹿 3.6 189.7 |       ◇
Kosagawa 小砂川 5.1 194.8 |       ◇ Nikaho Akita
Kamihama 上浜 3.7 198.5 |       ◇
Kisakata 象潟 4.9 203.4 O       ◇
Konoura 金浦 5.8 209.2 |       ^
Nikaho 仁賀保 5.5 214.7 O       ∨
Nishime 西目 8.4 223.1 |       ^ Yurihonjō
Ugo-Honjō 羽後本荘 5.8 228.9 O   O ■Yuri Kōgen Railway Chōkai Sanroku Line ∥
Ugo-Iwaya 羽後岩谷 7.1 236.0 |   O   ∥
Oriwatari 折渡 4.7 240.7 |   ↓   ∨
Ugo-Kameda 羽後亀田 3.0 243.7 |   O   ◇
Iwaki-Minato 岩城みなと 6.5 250.2 |   ↓   ｜
Michikawa 道川 1.6 251.8 |   ↓   ^
Shimohama 下浜 6.6 258.4 |   ↓   ∨ Akita
Katsurane 桂根 3.4 261.7 |   ↓   ◇
Araya 新屋 4.0 265.7 |   O   ◇
Ugo-Ushijima 羽後牛島 3.3 269.0 |   O   ◇
Akita 秋田 2.7 271.7 O   O
^
  1. Only 1 up rapid service in the morning stops
  2. Most trains from Rikuu West Line terminate at Sakata Station
  3. The official beginning of the Oga Line is at Oiwake Station, but all trains terminate at Akita Station.

Symbols:

  • | - Single-track
  • ◇ - Single-track; station where trains can pass
  • ^ - Double-track section starts from this point
  • ∥ - Double-track
  • ∨ - Single-track section starts from this point

Rolling stock

Present

Local
  • E129 series 2/4-car DC EMUs (Niitsu—Murakami, since December 2014)
  • 701 series 2/3-car AC EMUs (Sakata—Akita)
  • KiHa 110 series (Niitsu - Nezugaseki)
  • GV-E400 series (Niitsu-Sakata, since August 2019)

Inaho/Rakuraku Train Murakami

Kairi
  • 701 series passing Omonogawa Bridge
  • E653 series Inaho, near Higashi-Sakata Station
  • Kairi at Shibata Station, April 2020

Former
  • E127 series and 115 series at Murakami Station, March 2009
  • KiHa 40/47/48 series, Amarume - Nishibukuro, March 2017
  • KiHa 40/47/48 series at Sakata Station, December 2012
  • KiHa E120 and 110 at Sakamachi Station, July 2009
  • 485 series Hakucho limited espress, Akita Station, 1987
  • 485-3000 series Inaho limited express, Kosagawa - Kamihama, March 2014

History

The line was opened in sections between 1912 and 1924, and electrified in 1972, the same year CTC signalling was commissioned.

Work to double-track the line in sections commenced in 1957, and continued for 25 years until being suspended due to capital expenditure restrictions in 1983, at which time 51% of the route was double-tracked.

Accidents

On December 25, 2005, all six cars of a limited express train Inaho No.14 on the Uetsu Line derailed in Yamagata prefecture, about 350 kilometres (220 mi) north of Tokyo. The train was headed south towards Kita-Amarume Station. Three of the cars turned over, causing the deaths of five people and injuring 33 others. Three other persons were originally reported missing, but authorities later discovered that they had disembarked from the train before the accident.

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References
  • JR全線全駅ステーション倶楽部編(上) [Complete JR Line/Station Compendium (Vol. 1)] (in Japanese). Tokyo, Japan: Bunshun Bunko. September 1988. p. 236-248. ISBN 4-16-748701-2.
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