The is a Japanese railway line connecting
Okazaki Station
450px, Track layout
is an interchange railway station in the city of Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, jointly operated by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Tōkai) and the Aichi Kanjō Railway (Aikan).
Lines
Okazaki Station is served by the ...
in
Okazaki and
Kōzōji Station in
Kasugai, operated by the . The company or the line is abbreviated as . This is the only line the company operates. Despite its name, the line is not a true loop, but a north-south line situated east of
Nagoya
is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020. Located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, it is the capital and the most pop ...
, which can be considered as an unclosed loop (with the JR
Tokaido line and
Chuo Line serving as the portions of the circle).
The Aichi Loop Railway is a
third sector company, with shares held by public sector such as
Aichi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Aichi Prefecture has a population of 7,552,873 () and a geographic area of with a population density of . Aichi Prefecture borders Mie Prefecture to the west, Gifu Prefectur ...
, the city of
Toyota
is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
, and also by private companies. Unlike typical third-sector lines in Japan, the Aichi Loop Line makes a profit, since the line functions as a
commuter rail
Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter rail systems are con ...
line for nearby
Toyota Motor
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the Automotive industry#By ...
factories.
Basic data
*Operators, distances:
**
Aichi Loop Railway
The is a Japanese railway line connecting Okazaki Station in Okazaki and Kōzōji Station in Kasugai, operated by the . The company or the line is abbreviated as . This is the only line the company operates. Despite its name, the line is not ...
(Category 1)
***Okazaki - Kōzōji: 45.3 km (ca. 28.1 mi.)
**
Japan Freight Railway Company
, or , is one of the seven constituent companies of Japan Railways Group (JR Group). It provides transportation of cargo nationwide throughout Japan. Its headquarters are in Shibuya, Tokyo near Shinjuku Station.
The Japan Railways Group was foun ...
(Category 2)
***Okazaki — Kita-Okazaki: 5.3 km (ca. 3.3 mi.)
***
Freight
Cargo consists of bulk goods conveyed by water, air, or land. In economics, freight is cargo that is transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. ''Cargo'' was originally a shipload but now covers all types of freight, including transp ...
operation ceased in 1999.
*Track:
**Double: Naka-Okazaki - Kita-Okazaki, Kitano-Masuzuka - Mikawa-Kamigō, Mikawa-Toyota - Shin-Toyota, Setoshi - Kōzōji
**Single: the rest
*
Railway signalling
Railway signalling (), also called railroad signaling (), is a system used to control the movement of railway traffic. Trains move on fixed rails, making them uniquely susceptible to collision. This susceptibility is exacerbated by the enormou ...
: Automatic (
ATS-ST)
Services
There are no rapid services. All trains stop at every station. Three or four trains run per hour.
Station list
* All stations are located in
Aichi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Aichi Prefecture has a population of 7,552,873 () and a geographic area of with a population density of . Aichi Prefecture borders Mie Prefecture to the west, Gifu Prefectur ...
.
* Trains can pass each other at stations marked "◇", "^", and "v".
Rolling stock
Services are operated by a fleet of 2-car
2000 series EMUs.
History
The first section of the line between Okazaki and Kitano-Masuzuka opened in 1970 as the , a
freight rail
Rail freight transport is the use of railroads and trains to transport cargo as opposed to human passengers.
A freight train, cargo train, or goods train is a group of freight cars (US) or goods wagons (International Union of Railways) hauled ...
line of
Japanese National Railways
The abbreviated JNR or , was the business entity that operated Japan's national railway network from 1949 to 1987.
Network Railways
As of June 1, 1949, the date of establishment of JNR, it operated of narrow gauge () railways in all 46 pref ...
(JNR). The section between Kitano-Masuzuka and Shin-Toyota was extended and the whole line started a passenger service in 1976.
Another part of the line, between Setoshi and Kōzōji, was originally planned as the JNR
Seto Line, a (later cancelled) freight line. The Okata Line, merged with the planned Seto Line route and the link between two, was renamed the Aichi Loop Line in 1988.
The newly founded Aichi Loop Line Company took over the line from
Central Japan Railway Company
is the main railway company operating in the Chūbu (Nagoya) region of central Japan. It is officially abbreviated in English as JR Central and in Japanese as JR Tōkai ( ja, JR東海, links=no). ''Tōkai'' is a reference to the geographical ...
(JR Central), with services starting on 31 January 1988.
From 1 October 2005, through services began over the JR
Chuo Main Line to
Nagoya Station
is a major railway station in Nakamura-ku, Nagoya, Japan. It is one of the world's largest train stations by floor area (410,000 m2), and houses the headquarters of the Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central). Much of this space is located in ...
.
See also
*
List of railway lines in Japan
List of railway lines in Japan lists existing railway lines in Japan alphabetically.
The vast majority of Japanese railways are classified under two Japanese laws, one for and another for . The difference between the two is a legal, and not alwa ...
*
Tokai Transport Service Johoku Line
*
Musashino Line
The is a railway line operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It links Tsurumi Station in Yokohama with Nishi-Funabashi Station in Chiba Prefecture, forming a 100.6 km unclosed loop around central Tokyo. Passenger operations ...
, semi-closed outer loop around Tokyo
*
Osaka Higashi Line
The (Literally: Osaka East Line) is a railway line in Osaka, Japan, operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR-West). The line connects Shin-Osaka Station in northern Osaka with Kyūhōji Station in Yao, forming an arc around the norther ...
, Osaka counterpart
References
External links
*
{{Nagoya transit
Rail transport in Aichi Prefecture
Rail transport in Nagoya
1067 mm gauge railways in Japan
Japanese third-sector railway lines
Railway lines opened in 1988
1988 establishments in Japan