The is a Japanese railway line operated by the private railway operator
Matsuura Railway
is a third-sector railway company in Nagasaki Prefecture, Nagasaki and Saga Prefecture in Japan.
Lines
The railway company operates the 93.8 km Nishi-Kyushu Line from in Saga Prefecture to in Nagasaki Prefecture, with 57 stations.
Princ ...
, which connects
Arita in
Saga Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. Saga Prefecture has a population of roughly 780,000 and has a geographic area of . Saga Prefecture borders Fukuoka Prefecture to the northeast and Nagasaki Prefect ...
with
Sasebo in
Nagasaki Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan, mainly located on the island of Kyūshū, although it also includes a number of islands off Kyūshū's northwest coast - including Tsushima and Iki. Nagasaki Prefecture has a population of 1,246,4 ...
.
This is the westernmost railway line in Japan, with
Tabira-Hiradoguchi Station being the westernmost station.
History
The Kansai Coal Mining Co. opened a , gauge line from Saza to Sechibaru via Yoshii in 1896.
The Arita - Imari section of the line was opened on 7 August 1898 by the , which merged with the
Kyushu Railway
was a company that built and operated railways in Kyushu, one of four main islands of Japan. Most of its lines came under the control of Japanese Government Railways following nationalization in 1907, and many are now operated by Kyushu Railway ...
in December of the same year.
In 1907, the line was nationalised, becoming the .
The line was extended to Imabuku in 1930, Matsuura in 1933, Tabira-Hiradoguchi in 1935, and Senryūgataki in 1939.
The then isolated Hidariishi - Ainoura section was opened as a gauge line by the for coal transportation on 27 March 1920,
and extended to Kami-Sasebo the following year. In 1931, it was extended to Saza, with the company acquiring the Kansai Coal line to Sechibaru in 1933 and passenger services to Yoshii commencing in 1934. A connection to Sasebo opened in 1935, and the company was nationalised in October 1936.
Between 1943 and 1944, the line was regauged to ,
with a new alignment opened in March 1945, linking the two sections.
From 1 April 1988, the line between Arita and Sasebo was transferred from
JNR operation to the privately owned Matsuura Railway.
Former connecting lines
* Yoshii Station: The Sechibaru line to Sechibaru, opened by the Kansai Coal Mining Co. as a gauge line in 1896, was nationalised and regauged at the same time as the main line, and closed in 1971.
* Saza Station: The line to Usunoura was opened by the Sasebo Light Railway for coal transportation in 1931. It was also nationalised and regauged at the same time as the main line, and closed in 1971.
* Hidariishi Station: The Yunoki line to 'Upper' Sasebo opened in 1921 as a gauge line, became a branch with the opening of the direct line to Sasebo in 1935, was regauged in 1943 and remained in service until flood damage closed it in 1967.
* Sasebo station - A line to a
US Forces Japan oil storage facility operated between 1950 and 1978.
Stations
:●: Stops
, : Does not stop
Rapid Service: Down trains (to Sasebo) operate between Saza and Sasebo. Up trains (from Sasebo) operate between Sasebo and Tabira-Hiradoguchi.
See also
*
List of railway lines in Japan
List of railway lines in Japan lists existing Rail transport, 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 leg ...
References
This article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nishi-Kyushu Line
Rail transport in Saga Prefecture
Rail transport in Nagasaki Prefecture
1067 mm gauge railways in Japan
Railway lines opened in 1898
Japanese third-sector railway lines