The is a Japanese railway line connecting

Okazaki Station 450px, Track layout is an interchange railway station in the city of Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, jointly operated by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Tōkai) and the Aichi Kanjō Railway (Aikan). Lines Okazaki Station is served by the ...

in Okazaki and Kōzōji Station in Kasugai, operated by the . The company or the line is abbreviated as . This is the only line the company operates. Despite its name, the line is not a true loop, but a north-south line situated east of

Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region, the fourth-most populous city and third most populous urban area in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020. Located on the Pacific coast in central Honshu, it is the capital and the most pop ...

, which can be considered as an unclosed loop (with the JR Tokaido line and Chuo Line serving as the portions of the circle). The Aichi Loop Railway is a third sector company, with shares held by public sector such as

Aichi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Aichi Prefecture has a population of 7,552,873 () and a geographic area of with a population density of . Aichi Prefecture borders Mie Prefecture to the west, Gifu Prefectur ...

, the city of

Toyota is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...

, and also by private companies. Unlike typical third-sector lines in Japan, the Aichi Loop Line makes a profit, since the line functions as a

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 ...

line for nearby

Toyota Motor is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the Automotive industry#By ...

factories.

Basic data

*Operators, distances: **

Aichi Loop Railway The is a Japanese railway line connecting Okazaki Station in Okazaki and Kōzōji Station in Kasugai, operated by the . The company or the line is abbreviated as . This is the only line the company operates. Despite its name, the line is not ...

(Category 1) ***Okazaki - Kōzōji: 45.3 km (ca. 28.1 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 foun ...

(Category 2) ***Okazaki — Kita-Okazaki: 5.3 km (ca. 3.3 mi.) ***

Freight Cargo consists of bulk goods conveyed by water, air, or land. In economics, freight is cargo that is transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. ''Cargo'' was originally a shipload but now covers all types of freight, including transp ...

operation ceased in 1999. *Track: **Double: Naka-Okazaki - Kita-Okazaki, Kitano-Masuzuka - Mikawa-Kamigō, Mikawa-Toyota - Shin-Toyota, Setoshi - Kōzōji **Single: the rest *

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 ...

: Automatic ( ATS-ST)

Services

There are no rapid services. All trains stop at every station. Three or four trains run per hour.

Station list

* All stations are located in

. * Trains can pass each other at stations marked "◇", "^", and "v".

Rolling stock

Services are operated by a fleet of 2-car 2000 series EMUs.

History

The first section of the line between Okazaki and Kitano-Masuzuka opened in 1970 as the , a

freight rail Rail freight transport is the use of railroads and trains to transport cargo as opposed to human passengers. A freight train, cargo train, or goods train is a group of freight cars (US) or goods wagons (International Union of Railways) hauled ...

line of

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). The section between Kitano-Masuzuka and Shin-Toyota was extended and the whole line started a passenger service in 1976. Another part of the line, between Setoshi and Kōzōji, was originally planned as the JNR Seto Line, a (later cancelled) freight line. The Okata Line, merged with the planned Seto Line route and the link between two, was renamed the Aichi Loop Line in 1988. The newly founded Aichi Loop Line Company took over the line from

Central Japan Railway Company is the main railway company operating in the Chūbu (Nagoya) region of central Japan. It is officially abbreviated in English as JR Central and in Japanese as JR Tōkai ( ja, JR東海, links=no). ''Tōkai'' is a reference to the geographical ...

(JR Central), with services starting on 31 January 1988. From 1 October 2005, through services began over the JR Chuo Main Line to

Nagoya Station is a major railway station in Nakamura-ku, Nagoya, Japan. It is one of the world's largest train stations by floor area (410,000 m2), and houses the headquarters of the Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central). Much of this space is located in ...

References

External links

* {{Nagoya transit Rail transport in Aichi Prefecture Rail transport in Nagoya 1067 mm gauge railways in Japan Japanese third-sector railway lines Railway lines opened in 1988 1988 establishments in Japan