The , nicknamed Smile Rail (スマイルレール), is a Japanese railway line located in
Akita Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Provinces and prefectures" in ; "Tōhoku" in . Its population is estimated 915,691 as of 1 August 2023 and its geographi ...
in northern Japan. It operates between in the city of
Kitaakita
270px, Lake Shimiko
is a city located in Akita Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 29,201, and a population density of 120 persons per km2. and a population density of 25 persons per km2. The total area of the city is ...
and in the city of
Semboku. The Akita Nariku Line is the only railway line operated by the
third-sector .
Service outlines
Trains on the line are operated as "Local" (all-stations), "Rapid", "Special Rapid", and the ''Moriyoshi Express'' service.
Station list
All stations are in Akita Prefecture.
Transfers are available only at Takanosu (JR Ou Main Line) and Kakunodate (JR Tazawako Line and Akita Shinkansen).
* Local trains stop all stations.
** Rapid = You can ride on only fare.
** Express ''Moriyoshi'' - Express fare costs 160 yen up to 50 km, 320 yen for longer journeys
** ●：All trains stop
**◆・▲・▼：Partly trains stop（▲：Only inbound、▼：Only outbound）
**：Pass
History
Aniai Line
On December 10, 1934, the
Japanese Government Railway
The Japanese Government Railways (JGR) was the national railway system directly operated by the until 1949. It was a predecessor of Japanese National Railways and the later Japan Railways Group.
Name
The English name "Japanese Government Rail ...
s (JGR) opened the connecting Takanosu with over a length of 15.1 kilometers.
Following World War II, the JGR became 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 pre ...
(JNR), and the line was further extended to by October 15, 1963.
Kakunodate Line
On November 1, 1971, the JNR Kakunodate Line began operations from Kakunodate to ,
with construction continuing north towards Hitachinai to provide a connection to the Aniai Line. However construction was suspended in 1980 due to JNR funding constraints.
Closure
The Kakunodate Line was closed by JNR on 11 September 1981, and the Aniai Line on 22 June 1984.
Reopening
The
third-sector Akita Nairiku Jūkan Railway Company reopened both the Aniai Line (as the Akita Nairiku Kita Line) and the Kakunodate Line (as the Akita Nairiku Minami Line) on November 1, 1986.
It also recommenced construction of the suspended link (known as the New Line) which opened on April 1, 1989 creating the current through-route.
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 f ...
*
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
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Akita Nairiku Jukan Railway Akita Nairiku Line
Railway lines in Japan
Rail transport in Akita Prefecture
1067 mm gauge railways in Japan
Railway lines opened in 1989
Companies based in Akita Prefecture
Japanese third-sector railway lines