The is a Japanese railway line formerly operated by

Hokkaido Railway Company The is one of the constituent companies of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group), and is often referred to using its official abbreviation of . It operates intercity and local rail services in Hokkaido, Japan. The company introduced Kitaca, a s ...

(JR Hokkaido). It connected (near Hakodate) and . The section between and closed in May 2014, and the remainder was transferred to third-sector operator

South Hokkaido Railway Company The is a third-sector railway company based in Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan. Ownership of the stock is shared in the following proportions: *Hokkaido Prefecture 80%; * Hokuto City 11.2%; *Hakodate City 4.4%; * Kikonai Town 4.4%. Dōnan Isarib ...

in March 2016 following the opening of the

Hokkaido Shinkansen The is a Japanese high-speed Shinkansen rail line that links up with the Tōhoku Shinkansen in northern Aomori Prefecture in Honshu and continues on into the interior of Hokkaido through the undersea Seikan Tunnel. Construction started in May ...

Stations

All stations are in

Hokkaido is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel. The lar ...

.
Track: ∥: Double track, ∨: Double track ends, ◇: Passing loop , : No passing loop

Hakodate – Kikonai section (until March 2016)

Former Kikonai – Esashi section (closed May 2014)

History

The Goryokaku to Kamiiso section opened on 15 September 1913, and was extended to Kikonai on 25 October 1930. The Kikonai to Yunotai section opened on 10 December 1935, and was extended to Esashi on 10 November 1936. The Goryokaku to Kikonai section was electrified on 13 March 1988 as part of the upgrading of the line associated with the opening of the Seikan Tunnel and associated Kaikyo Line linking Hokkaido to Honshu. On 7 August 2012, JR Hokkaido announced its intention to close the non-electrified section of the line between Kikonai and Esashi in spring 2014 due to a lack of financial viability. In fiscal 2011, the Kikonai to Esashi section was served by six return services daily, with an average patronage of 41 passengers per km daily, the lowest for any of JR Hokkaido's lines. The Kikonai – Esashi section was closed in 2014, with the last services operating on 11 May. Operations on the remaining section of the line between Goryōkaku and Kikonai was transferred from JR Hokkaido to the newly created

when the

opened on 26 March 2016.

Former connecting lines

* Kamiiso station: A 500 m spur line served the Japan Cement Co factory from 1915 to 1989. A private line transported limestone to the factory from 1921 to 1956, being electrified at 600 V DC from 1922. A second line to a limestone quarry operated from 1949 until replaced by a conveyor belt in 1973. * Kikonai station: In 1937, the section to Shiriuchi opened, the beginning of a line to serve a proposed manganese mine at Oshima. The line reached Matsumae () in 1953, and closed in 1988. The last to the manganese deposit was not constructed.

References

* This article incorporates material translated from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia. {{Hokkaidō transit Lines of Hokkaido Railway Company Rail transport in Hokkaido 1067 mm gauge railways in Japan