Chikuhō Main Line
Overview
OwnerJR Kyushu
LocaleKitakyushu
Termini
Stations25
Service
TypeRegional rail
History
Opened1891
Technical
Line length66.1 km (41.1 mi)
Number of tracks2 (Wakamatsu–Orio, Orio–Iizuka)
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification20 kV AC, 60 HZ (Orio–Keisen)
Route map

The Chikuhō Main Line (筑豊本線, Chikuhō-honsen) is a railway line in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, operated by Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu). It connects Wakamatsu Station in Kitakyushu with Haruda Station in Chikushino. Between Orio Station and Haruda Station, as well as from Keisen Station via the Sasaguri Line to Yoshizuka Station, the line functions as an alternate route to the Kagoshima Main Line.

Line data

Chikuhō Main Line in northern Kyushu
Chikuhō Main Line (red) and Fukuhoku Yutaka Line (yellow)

As of 2021, the Chikuho Main Line is the third shortest of all Japan Railways Group lines named Main (or trunk) Line (not counting the JR Shikoku main lines, which were stripped of their designation after JR Shikoku started operating). For comparison, the shortest is Hidaka Main Line (30.5 km), after the closure of 116.0 km due to storm damage in 2015.

The line is divided into three sections. Each section has an alias.

Wakamatsu Line
Wakamatsu–Orio, 10.8 km
Fukuhoku Yutaka Line
Orio–Keisen, 34.5 km
Haruda Line
Keisen–Haruda, 20.8 km

Stations

Wakamatsu–Orio (Wakamatsu Line)

No. Station Distance
(km)		 Transfers Location
JE  06  Wakamatsu 若松 0.0   Wakamatsu-ku, Kitakyūshū Fukuoka Prefecture
JE  05  Fujinoki 藤ノ木 2.9  
JE  04  Oku-Dōkai 奥洞海 4.6  
JE  03  Futajima 二島 6.3  
JE  02  Honjō 本城 9.3   Yahata Nishi-ku, Kitakyūshū
JE  01  Orio 折尾 10.8 Kagoshima Main Line

Orio–Keisen (Fukuhoku Yutaka Line)

Some rapid trains pass the stations marked "X".

No. Station Distance
(km)		 Transfers Location
JC  26  Orio 折尾 0.0 Kagoshima Main Line Yahata Nishi-ku, Kitakyūshū Fukuoka Prefecture
JC  25  Higashi Mizumaki 東水巻 2.7   Mizumaki, Onga District
JC  24  Nakama 中間 4.1   Nakama
JC  23  Chikuzen Habu 筑前垣生 5.6  
JC  22  Kurate 鞍手 7.9   Kurate, Kurate District
JC  21  Chikuzen Ueki 筑前植木 10.4   Nōgata
JC  20  Shinnyū 新入 12.0  
JC  19  Nōgata 直方 14.0 Heisei Chikuho Railway Ita Line
JC  18  Katsuno 勝野 16.7 X   Kotake, Kurate District
JC  17  Kotake 小竹 20.5  
JC  16  Namazuta 鯰田 23.9 X   Iizuka
JC  15  Urata 浦田 25.4 X  
JC  14  Shin Iizuka 新飯塚 26.8 Gotōji Line
JC  13  Iizuka 飯塚 28.6  
JC  12  Tentō 天道 31.5  
JC  11  Keisen 桂川 34.5 Sasaguri Line Keisen, Kaho District

Keisen–Haruda (Haruda Line)

No. Station Distance
(km)		 Transfers Location
JG  01  Keisen 桂川 0.0 Sasaguri Line Keisen,
Kaho District		 Fukuoka
Prefecture
JG  02  Kami Honami 上穂波 2.8   Iizuka
JG  03  Chikuzen Uchino 筑前内野 5.9  
JG  04  Chikuzen Yamae 筑前山家 16.1   Chikushino
JG  05  Haruda 原田 20.8 Kagoshima Main Line

Rolling stock

The first BEC819 series BEMU set undergoing testing in June 2016

A pre-series two-car BEC819 series AC battery electric multiple unit (BEMU) was tested on the line from April 2016,[1] and entered revenue service on 19 October 2016.[2] This will be followed by six more trainsets, entering service in spring 2017.[1]

History

The 39 km Wakamatsu to Iizuka section was built by the Chikuho Kogyo Railway, opening between 1891 and 1893, with the 12 km extension to Chikuzen Uchino opening in 1895. The company was nationalised in 1907, with the 15 km Chikuzen Uchino to Harada section opening in 1929.

The 25 km section from Wakamatsu to Nogata was double-tracked between 1893 and 1896, with the 4 km Nogata to Kotake section double-tracked between 1904 and 1906. The 8 km Kotake to Iizuka section was double-tracked between 1942 and 1944.

The 35 km Orio to Keisen section was electrified in 2001.

Former connecting/transfer lines

  • Orio Station: the Nishitetsu Kitakyushu Line, a 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) gauge line electrified at 600 V DC was opened from Orio - Moji (29 km) between 1911 and 1914. It connected to a 10 km loop line opened between 1912 and 1929, and closed in 1985. The Moji - Sunatsu section closed in 1985, the Sunatsu - Kurosaki section closed in 1992, and the remainder (except for the 1 km Kurosaki - Kumanishi section, which is part of the Chikuho Electric Railway line) closed in 2000.
  • Nakama Station: the 3.5 km Katsuki Line opened in 1908, with passenger services being introduced in 1912. Freight services ceased in 1974, and the line closed in 1985. A 3.8 km line from Katsuki hauled coal from 1915 until the mine closed in 1954.
  • Nogata Station: A 14 km 3 ft (914 mm) gauge line to Fukumaru operated from 1914 until 1938.
  • Katsuno Station: the 5 km Miyata Line opened in 1902. Freight services ceased in 1982, and the line closed in 1989. A 2 km branch to Sugamuta served the Kajima coal mine from 1904 until 1977.
  • Kotake Station: the 8 km Kōbukuro Line to Futase opened in 1894 as a horse-drawn line servicing the Tetsuji mine. Steam locomotion was introduced in 1912, and passenger services in 1913. The line closed in 1969.
Kumagahata tunnel on the Kamiyamada line, 2013
  • Iizuka Station: the 26 km Kamiyamada Line opened to Shimoyamada in 1898, extended to Kamiyamada in 1929, and to Buzenkawasaki (as a passenger-only section) in 1966. Freight services ceased in 1980, and the line closed in 1988. A 2 km 3 ft (914 mm) gauge line from Okuma - Okumamachi operated from 1924 until 1933.

References

  1. 1 2 JR九州、819系「DENCHA」デビューへ エコでスマートな“蓄電池電車” [JR Kyushu to introduce 819 series "DENCHA" - an economical and smart battery train] (in Japanese). Japan: Tetsudo Shimbun. 29 January 2016. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  2. ↑ 地球にやさしい“蓄電池電車”「ＤＥＮＣＨＡ」運行開始 ＪＲ筑豊線 [Environmentally friendly "Dencha" battery train enters service on JR Chikuho Line]. Sankei West (in Japanese). Japan: The Sankei Shimbun & Sankei Digital. 19 October 2016. Archived from the original on 19 October 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
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