![HK681 Hakutaka13 Mushikawaosugi 20140909](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/HK681_Hakutaka13_Mushikawaosugi_20140909.jpg)
The is a Japanese railway line in
Niigata Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture in the Chūbu region of Honshu of Japan. Niigata Prefecture has a population of 2,227,496 (1 July 2019) and is the List of Japanese prefectures by area, fifth-largest prefecture of Japan by geographic area ...
that runs from
Muikamachi in
Minamiuonuma City to
Saigata in
Jōetsu City. It is the sole railway line operated by . Construction of the line first began in 1968 by the
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), and was initially referred to as the . However, the construction of the line was plagued by numerous delays, and was finally completed as a
third sector line on 23 March 1997, including the Akakura Tunnel, the longest on a non-JR line.
Unlike most other third sector company lines, the Hokuhoku Line made steady profits after its opening, as the former ''
Hakutaka
The is a high-speed ''shinkansen'' train service jointly operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and West Japan Railway Company (JR West) between and on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line in Japan. The shinkansen service was introduced on ...
'' Limited Express train service, which travelled using the line, served as the principal link between the Tokyo metropolitan area and the Hokuriku region until the opening of the
Hokuriku Shinkansen
The is a high-speed Shinkansen railway line jointly operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and West Japan Railway Company (JR West), connecting Tokyo with in the Hokuriku region of Japan. The first section, between and in Nagano Pr ...
in 2015. The line's former maximum speed limit of allowed the ''Hakutaka'' to become the fastest narrow gauge train service in the country, matched only by the
standard gauge
A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of . The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson), International gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge and European gauge in Europe, and SGR in Ea ...
Keisei Keisei may refer to:
*Keisei (monk)
*Keisei Electric Railway
*Keisei Bus
The is a bus company within the Keisei Group which was established on 1 October 2003 to inherit all business of the Keisei Electric Railway bus department.
Local bus ser ...
''
Skyliner
The is an airport limited express train service between Tokyo and Narita Airport in Japan. It is operated by Keisei Electric Railway and runs on the Narita Sky Access route.
This article also covers the and services.
Service
The ''Skylin ...
'' services to
Narita International Airport
Narita International Airport ( ja, 成田国際空港, Narita Kokusai Kūkō) , also known as Tokyo-Narita, formerly and originally known as , is one of two international airports serving the Greater Tokyo Area, the other one being Haneda Airport ...
as the fastest non-Shinkansen service (also at 160 km/h); however, following the withdrawal of ''Hakutaka'' services on the line on 14 March 2015, the maximum speed limit of the line was reduced to .
Services
![Linemap of Hokuhoku Line with Stations](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Linemap_of_Hokuhoku_Line_with_Stations.svg)
Originally, the line acted as a connecting route to the
Jōetsu Shinkansen
The is a high-speed shinkansen railway line connecting Tokyo and Niigata, Japan, via the Tōhoku Shinkansen, operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). Despite its name, the line does not pass through the city of Joetsu or the hist ...
at Echigo-Yuzawa Station. Upon the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen on 14 March 2015, the limited express services ''Hakutaka'' of the line, which had run from 1997 with an average daily ridership of 6,900 passengers, were withdrawn. Since then, a daily special rapid service ''Snow Rabbit'' has been served, instead of ''Hakutaka''.
Trains from Muikamachi are described as down-bound, whereas those from Saigata are described as up-bound.
Local Service
16 return trips are operating each day, including one up-bound through service from
Arai
Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) is co-operative industrial research association by the automotive industry with the Ministry of Industries, Government Of India The objectives of the Association are Research and Development in auto ...
of the
Myōkōhaneuma Line. Some trains running on Sundays are designated as ''Yumezora,'' in which movies will be played when the trains are going through a tunnel. Since the discontinuation of ''Hakutaka'' in 2015, required trip time is reduced by 10 minutes. Through-trains to and from JR Lines do not stop at some stations of the
Jōetsu Line
The is a major railway line in Japan, owned by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It connects Takasaki Station in Gunma Prefecture with Miyauchi Station in Niigata Prefecture, linking the northwestern Kanto region and the Sea of Japan ...
and
Shin'etsu Main Line
The Shinetsu Main Line ( ja, 信越本線, ) is a railway line, consisting of three geographically separated sections, operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) in Japan. It was originally one continuous line connecting and via . S ...
.
Rapid Service
Two down-bound and three up-bound trains are operating each day between Echigo-Yuzawa and Naoetsu.
Chō-Rapid Service - ''Snow Rabbit (スノーラビット)''
Two down-bound and one up-bound trains are operating each day, and one of the down-bound train runs through to Arai of the Myōkōhaneuma Line. The fastest service, which stops only at
Tōkamachi
is a city located in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 28,728 in 19,823 households, and a population density of 86.3 persons per km². The total area of the city was , although some borders of the city are ...
, only takes 57 minutes travelling from Echigo-Yuzawa to Naoetsu.
Chō-Slow Service - ''Snow Turtle (スノータートル)''
''Snow Turtle'' is a special service with irregular schedules and available for rental by organizations. Being a comical counterpart of ''Snow Rabbit,'' the trains run at a very low speed, as slow as 10 km/h, to give passengers a chance to experience winds while opening the side doors of the trains. Meals are also provided during the four-hour journey.
Passing loops
There are three
passing loop
A passing loop (UK usage) or passing siding (North America) (also called a crossing loop, crossing place, refuge loop or, colloquially, a hole) is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at or near a station, where trains or ...
s on the Hokuhoku Line. Each has one bi-directional through track to allow full line speed.
Akakura
Between Uonumakyūryō and Misashima in
Tōkamachi, Niigata. It is in the 10472m Akakura tunnel.
Yakushitōge
Between Tōkamachi and Matsudai in Tōkamachi, Niigata. It is in the 6199m Yakushitōge tunnel.
Gimyō
Between Matsudai and Hokuhoku-Ōshima in Tōkamachi, Niigata. It is in the 9130m Nabetachiyama tunnel(
:ja:鍋立山トンネル).
Gallery
File:Open-floor viaduct.jpg, Open-floor viaduct
A viaduct is a specific type of bridge that consists of a series of arches, piers or columns supporting a long elevated railway or road. Typically a viaduct connects two points of roughly equal elevation, allowing direct overpass across a wide v ...
near Kubiki Station
is a railway station on the Hokuetsu Express Hokuhoku Line in the city of Jōetsu, Niigata, Japan.
Lines
Kubiki Station is served by the Hokuetsu Express Hokuhoku Line and is 53.6 kilometers from the starting point of the line at .
Station layo ...
File:HK100 Yumezora2 and Nabetachiyama tunnel Hokuhoku-Oshima 20140908.jpg, Nabetachiyama Tunnel
File:Tokamachi-Station-Hokuetsu-Express-Platform.JPG, Tokamachi station
File:Akakura-signal-1.JPG, Akakura passing loops
Rolling Stock
*12 HK100 series - For Local, Rapid and Chō-Rapid
9 HK100-0 series train sets were built by Niigata Transys for use on local, rapid and Chō-Rapid ''Snow Rabbit'' trains between Echigo-Yuzawa and Naoetsu, and started operation since its opening in 1997. Having a maximum speed of 110 km/h operating on the 160 km/h lines, this trains feature a fast acceleration of 3.0 km/h/s to minimize disruptions of ''Hakutaka'' train services. 1 permanent 2-car sets known as HK100-100 series entered service in 2003, and 4 cars were refurbished for the ''Yumezora'' video projection train.
File:HK100-1 r 2015.JPG, HK100-0 train
File:HK100 syanai.JPG, Regular HK-100-0 series interior
File:HK100-8 9 Yumezora2 Matsudai 20131228.jpg, Modified HK100-0 series ''Yumezora''
File:HK100yumezora.JPG, Permanent 2-car HK-100-100 train set ''Yumezora''
File:HK100 100 yumezora inside.jpg, Interior of HK100 ''Yumezora'', dream sky train
File:HK100 100 yumezora roof.jpg, Interior of HK100 ''Yumezora'' while going through a tunnel.
Video projections are displayed on the ceiling on Sundays and holidays.
Former
*
681-2000 series - ''Hakutaka''
*
683-8000 series - ''Hakutaka''
18 cars of 681-2000 series and 9 cars of 683-8000 series trains, nicknamed ''Snow Rabbit Express (SRE)'' were built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, with final assembly at Niigata Transys for operation on the ''Hakutaka'' limited express trains between Echigo-Yuzawa and Kanazawa stations. At a operating speed of 160 km/h, this was the fastest train in the country to run on narrow gauge. Following the retirement of the ''Hakutaka'' services, the trains were transferred to JR West for operation on ''Shirasagi'' limited express services.
File:Hakuraka-sr681.jpeg, Hokuetsu Express 681-2000 series
File:Hokuetsu Express 683-8000 series on Hakutaka service.jpg, Hokuetsu Express 683-8000 series
Stations
The Hokuhoku line is entirely in
Niigata Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture in the Chūbu region of Honshu of Japan. Niigata Prefecture has a population of 2,227,496 (1 July 2019) and is the List of Japanese prefectures by area, fifth-largest prefecture of Japan by geographic area ...
.
* Service patterns:
**● All trains stop
**○ Some trains stop
**| All trains pass
*** Seasonal stop
* Track:
**∥: Double-track section
**∧: Double-track section begins
**∨: Double-track section ends
**|: Single-track section
**◇:
Passing loop
A passing loop (UK usage) or passing siding (North America) (also called a crossing loop, crossing place, refuge loop or, colloquially, a hole) is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at or near a station, where trains or ...
See also
*
List of railway companies in Japan
List of railway companies in Japan lists Japanese railway operators.
Those in ''italics'' are the third-sector operators; being half-public, half-private.
Japan Railways Group
The Japan Railways Group consists of the seven companies that were fo ...
*
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 ...
*''
Densha de Go!
is a Japanese train simulation game series originally produced by Taito and more recently by Square Enix (who purchased Taito) and Railfan Holdings Co., Ltd. The series started with a 1996 arcade version and was first released in a home versi ...
'' - a Japanese series of train simulation games, some of which featured the line
*Shareholders
**
Niigata Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture in the Chūbu region of Honshu of Japan. Niigata Prefecture has a population of 2,227,496 (1 July 2019) and is the List of Japanese prefectures by area, fifth-largest prefecture of Japan by geographic area ...
- 54.8%
**
Joetsu, Niigata - 13.2%
**
Tokamachi, Niigata - 11.9%
**
Echigo Kotsu
is a public transportation company which operates local and long-distance buses in Niigata prefecture, Japan.
Bus lines Regular buses
, Echigo Kotsu and its subsidiary (Minami Echigo Kanko Bus) operate regular buses mainly in the cities of N ...
- 2.2%
About making an investment in Hokuetsu Express
/ref>
References
This article also incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia
External links
*
*
{{Niigata transit
Railway lines in Japan
Rail transport in Niigata Prefecture
1067 mm gauge railways in Japan
Railway lines opened in 1997
Japanese third-sector railway lines
1997 establishments in Japan