The is a Japanese railway line connecting

Toyohashi Station is an interchange railway station in Toyohashi, Aichi, Japan, operated by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Tōkai) and the private railway operator Nagoya Railroad (Meitetsu). Lines Toyohashi Station is served by the high-speed Tokaido Shi ...

Toyohashi, Aichi is a city in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 377,453 in 160,516 households and a population density of 1,400 persons per km2. The total area of the city was . By area, Toyohashi was Aichi Prefecture's second-lar ...

with Tatsuno Station in

Tatsuno, Nagano is a Towns of Japan, town located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 18,951 in 7917 households, and a population density of 112 persons per km2. The total area of the town is . Geography Tatsuno is located in ...

, operated by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central). The line links eastern Aichi Prefecture and southern Nagano Prefecture through northwestern Shizuoka Prefecture. It goes through steep mountains as well as cities such as Iida and Ina. The line was originally four different private railway lines, the first of which opened in 1897. The line has an unusually high number of so-called

Hikyō station A , or "secluded station," is the Japanese language name for railway stations that are little used and isolated. Photographers and rail fans visit the stations to take photos of historical stations and trains or photos of nature. The Japanes ...

s, or ''hikyo-eki'', which have since lost their nearby communities due to depopulation. There are 94 such stations along the route. The line has been described as the "holy land for those who love touring hikyo-eki". The phrase was coined in 1999 by Takanobu Ushiyama and friends, for

railroad stations A train station, railway station, railroad station or depot is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track and a station building providing such ...

that are isolated and little used. Traveling the entire length of the 195.7 km (121.6 mi) line by local trains takes six hours.

Basic data

*Operators, distances: ** Central Japan Railway Company (Services and tracks) ***Toyohashi – Tatsuno: 195.7 km (121.6 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 fou ...

(Services) ***Toyohashi – Toyokawa: 8.7 km (5.4 mi) ***Motozenkōji – Tatsuno: 61.9 km (38.5 mi) *Double-tracked section: Toyohashi – Toyokawa *

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 ...

: **Toyokawa – Tatsuno: Special Automatic, a simplified automatic system. * CTC center: Iida Operation Control Center

Services

The limited express runs between

Toyohashi is a city in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 377,453 in 160,516 households and a population density of 1,400 persons per km2. The total area of the city was . By area, Toyohashi was Aichi Prefecture's second-la ...

and Iida twice a day. The rapid runs between Iida and Okaya. Local service is generally divided into three parts by Hon-Nagashino and Tenryūkyō stations. The section near Toyohashi functions as

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 ...

for the city, while the section between Hon-Nagashino and Tenryūkyō is a mountain railway with fewer passengers.

Stations

From Toyohashi to Iida

:L: :R: :I: All trains stop at stations marked "●" and pass stations marked "-", "↓", or "↑". Arrows indicate the direction of rapid trains. Some trains stop at stops marked "▲".

From Iida to Okaya

:L: :R: :M: All trains stop at stations marked "●" and pass stations marked "-", "↓", or "↑". Arrows also indicate the directions the rapid trains run.

Rolling stock

* 211 series 3-car EMUs (from 15 March 2015, on JR East inter-running services) * 213-5000 series 2-car EMUs * 313-3000 series EMUs * 373 series 3-car EMUs (on ''

Inaji The is a limited express train service operated in Japan by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central), which runs between Toyohashi and Iida on the Iida line. It began operation as an express service in 1992, and as a limited express service i ...

'' limited express and some all-stations "Local" services) File:Iida-Line JRE-Series211-3000.jpg, A Nagano-based JR East 211 series File:Series213-5000 H13.jpg, A JR Central 2-car 213-5000 series EMU, April 2021 File:Series313-3000 R107.jpg, 313-3000 series EMU, April 2021 File:Limited express inaji iida line.JPG, A JR Central 373 series EMU on an ''Inaji'' limited express, February 2012

Past rolling stock

* 115 series EMUs (until 14 March 2014, on JR East inter-running services) *

119 series The was a DC electric multiple unit (EMU) train type which was operated on local services in Japan by Japanese National Railways (JNR) and later by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) between 1983 and March 2012. Design The 119 series ...

EMUs (1983 – 31 March 2012) File:Model 115-1000 of JR East.JPG, A Nagano-based JR East 115 series, March 2006 File:JR-central-119-5300.JPG, A JR Central 2-car 119 series EMU, March 2008

History

The Toyokawa Railway opened the section from Toyohashi to Toyokawa in 1897, extending the line to Omi in 1900. At the northern end, the Ina Electric Railway opened the Tatsuno to Ina-Matsushima section (electrified at 1,200 V DC) in 1909, extending the line to Tenryukyo in sections between 1911 and 1927. The Horaitera Railway opened the Omi to Mikawa-Kawai section in 1923, and electrified it at 1,500 V DC in 1925 in conjunction with the electrification of the Toyohashi to Omi section the same year. The Toyohashi to Toyokawa section was double-tracked the following year. The Sanshin Railway opened the Tenryukyo to Kadoshima section as an electrified (1,500 V DC) line in 1932, the Mikawa-Kawai to Toei section (and all subsequent stages) as an electrified line in 1933, and connected the two sections (completing the line) in 1936. All four companies were nationalised in 1943. In 1955, the overhead line voltage of the Tatsuno to Tenryukyo section was increased to 1,500 V DC. CTC signalling was commissioned on the line between 1983 and 1984, and freight services ceased in 1996.

Former connecting lines

* Hon-Nagashino Station: A 23 km line to Mikawa-Taguchi, electrified at 1,500 V DC, opened between 1930 and 1932. Two 762mm gauge forest railways connected to this line: the Damine forest railway, which connected at the station of the same name, consisted of a 19 km 'main line' (including a tunnel) and a 7 km branch, operated between 1932 and 1960; the Taguchi forest railway connected at the terminus station, consisted of a 10 km 'main line' and a 6 km branch, operated between 1934 and 1963. Both forest railways were notable for initially employing people and "large dogs" to haul the empty wagons upgrade, which then rolled downhill when loaded. The Mikawa-Taguchi line closed following flood damage in 1968.

Proposed connecting line

* Chubu-Tenryu Station: Construction started on a 35 km line to Tenryu-Futamata on the Hamanako Line in 1967. Proposed to involve 20 bridges and 14 tunnels, about 13 km of roadbed, and about 50% of the overall work had been completed when construction was abandoned in 1980.

References

External links

JR Central official website

JR Central official website
{{Authority control 1067 mm gauge railways in Japan Railway lines opened in 1897