Japan Freight Railway Company
Encyclopedia
, or , is one of the constituent companies of Japan Railways Group (JR Group). It provides transportation of cargo nationwide. Its headquarters are in Shibuya, Tokyo
near Shinjuku Station
.
The Japan Railways Group was founded on April 1, 1987, when Japanese National Railways
(JNR) was privatized, and then divided into six regional companies and Japan Freight Railway Company. Although the passenger operation of JNR was split into six companies, fares and regulations are standard for all companies and every region of Japan except Okinawa is covered by the railway network spanning approximately 19800 kilometres (12,303.2 mi).
Formerly part of JNR, the freight operation was not divided and became a single separate company when JNR was privatized and split. Although it has only about fifty kilometers of track
of its own, it also operates on track owned by the JR passenger railways and other companies. The company uses the initials JRF as an abbreviated name for identification.
, including
locomotives on shunting work. The prototype 60-tonne Bo-Bo locomotive will be delivered in late fiscal 2009 and will offer a maximum power output of 500 kW.
Shibuya, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 2008, it has an estimated population of 208,371 and a population density of 13,540 persons per km². The total area is 15.11 km²....
near Shinjuku Station
Shinjuku Station
is a train station located in Shinjuku and Shibuya wards in Tokyo, Japan.Serving as the main connecting hub for rail traffic between central Tokyo and its western suburbs on inter-city rail, commuter rail and metro lines, the station was used by an average of 3.64 million people per day in 2007,...
.
The Japan Railways Group was founded on April 1, 1987, when Japanese National Railways
Japanese National Railways
, abbreviated or "JNR", was the national railway network of Japan from 1949 to 1987.-History:The term Kokuyū Tetsudō "state-owned railway" originally referred to a network of railway lines operated by nationalized companies under the control of the Railway Institute following the nationalization...
(JNR) was privatized, and then divided into six regional companies and Japan Freight Railway Company. Although the passenger operation of JNR was split into six companies, fares and regulations are standard for all companies and every region of Japan except Okinawa is covered by the railway network spanning approximately 19800 kilometres (12,303.2 mi).
Formerly part of JNR, the freight operation was not divided and became a single separate company when JNR was privatized and split. Although it has only about fifty kilometers of track
Rail tracks
The track on a railway or railroad, also known as the permanent way, is the structure consisting of the rails, fasteners, sleepers and ballast , plus the underlying subgrade...
of its own, it also operates on track owned by the JR passenger railways and other companies. The company uses the initials JRF as an abbreviated name for identification.
Lines
While major part of the operation of JR Freight is on the tracks owned and maintained by other JR companies, JR Freight owns the railway lines (as Category-1 railway business) as follows:| Line | Endpoints | Locale (Prefecture) | Distance (km) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hokuriku Main Line Hokuriku Main Line The is a 358.3 kilometer line of the West Japan Railway Company from Maibara Station in Maibara, Shiga to Naoetsu Station in Jōetsu, Niigata. It serves the Hokuriku region on the northern central coast of Honshū, the largest island of Japan, as well as offering connections to the regions of... |
Tsuruga Station Tsuruga Station is a JR West railway station in Tsuruga, Fukui, Japan. It is located on the Hokuriku Main Line, Obama Line. The station is operating normally, but the platforms and station entrance are currently under construction... - Tsuruga-Minato Freight Terminal |
Fukui Fukui Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Fukui.- Prehistory :The Kitadani Dinosaur Quarry, on the Sugiyama River within the city limits of Katsuyama, has yielded the Fukuiraptor kitadaniensis and Fukuisaurus tetoriensis as well as an unnamed... |
2.7 |
| Kagoshima Main Line Kagoshima Main Line The is a major railway line operated by the Kyushu Railway Company between Mojikō in Kitakyūshū, and Kagoshima Station in Kagoshima City, at the southern end of Kyushu... |
Mojikō Station Mojiko Station in Moji ward, Kitakyūshū, Japan is the oldest station on the Kagoshima Main Line in Kyūshū and the terminus for those going to and from Honshū by boat... - Sotohama Freight Terminal |
Fukuoka Fukuoka Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyūshū Island. The capital is the city of Fukuoka.- History :Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen.... |
0.9 |
| Chihaya Yard Chihaya Yard is a classification yard on the Kagoshima Main Line operated by Japan Freight Railway Company in Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, Japan.... - Fukuoka Freight Terminal |
Fukuoka | 2.2 | |
| Kansai Main Line Kansai Main Line The is a Japanese railway line which connects Nagoya Station with JR Namba Station in Osaka. It is jointly run by the Central Japan Railway Company and the West Japan Railway Company with the boundary between both companies being located at Kameyama Station in Kameyama, Mie Prefecture.The section... |
Yokkaichi Station Yokkaichi Station Yokkaichi Station is a railway station on the Kansai Main Line , Ise Railway and Japan Freight Railway Company in Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, Japan.... - Shiohama Station Shiohama Station is a train station in Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, Japan.-Lines:*Kintetsu**Nagoya Line*Japan Freight Railway Company**Kansai Main Line -Adjacent stations:... |
Mie Mie Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan which is part of the Kansai regions on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Tsu.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, Mie prefecture was known as Ise Province and Iga Province.... |
3.3 |
| Hirano Station Hirano Station (JR West) is a train station on the West Japan Railway Company Kansai Main Line in Hirano-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan.-Layout:*The station on the Yamatoji Line has a side platform with a track, an island platform with 2 tracks and a passing track for Tennoji.-Surroundings:*Japan National Route... - Kudara Freight Terminal |
Osaka Osaka Prefecture is a prefecture located in the Kansai region on Honshū, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Osaka. It is the center of Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto area.- History :... |
1.4 | |
| Nippō Main Line Nippo Main Line frame|Nippō Main LineThe is a railway line in Kyūshū, in southern Japan. Part of the Kyushu Railway Company system, it follows the east coast of the island. The line originates at Kokura Station in Kokura, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka... |
Obase Nishikōdaimae Station - Kandakō Freight Terminal | Fukuoka | 4.6 |
| Ōu Main Line Ou Main Line The is a railway line in Japan, operated by the East Japan Railway Company . It runs from Fukushima Station in Fukushima, Fukushima through Akita Station in Akita, Akita to Aomori Station in Aomori, Aomori Prefecture... |
Tsuchizaki Station Tsuchizaki Station is a railway station on the JR East Ōu Main Line. It is located in Akita, Akita, Japan.-History:War devastated this area on August 14, 1945. An air raid of 134 B-29s attacked a Nippon Oil Company refinery here, from midnight to the early dawn of August 15... - Akitakō Freight Terminal |
Akita Akita Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku Region of northern Honshu, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Akita.- History :The area of Akita has been created from the ancient provinces of Dewa and Mutsu.... |
1.8 |
| Senseki Line Senseki Line The is a rail line in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Part of the East Japan Railway Company system, it runs from Aoba-dōri Station in Sendai to Ishinomaki Station in Ishinomaki, and provides access to the central coast areas of Miyagi Prefecture, significantly the Matsushima area... |
Rikuzen-Yamashita Station Rikuzen-Yamashita Station is a JR East railway station located in Ishinomaki, Miyagi, Japan.-History:*February 1, 1939: Station begins operation as Miyaden-Yamashita Station*May 1, 1944: Station is renamed Rikuzen-Yamashita Station-Adjacent stations:... - Ishinomakikō Freight Terminal |
Miyagi Miyagi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku Region on Honshu island. The capital is Sendai.- History :Miyagi Prefecture was formerly part of the province of Mutsu. Mutsu Province, on northern Honshu, was one of the last provinces to be formed as land was taken from the indigenous Emishi, and became the... |
1.8 |
| Shin'etsu Main Line Shin'etsu Main Line The is a set of lines operated by the East Japan Railway Company in Japan. The bulk of the line runs from Shinonoi Station in Nagano Prefecture to Niigata Station in Niigata Prefecture, with several connections to other lines including Hokuriku Main Line at Naoetsu Station in Niigata Prefecture... |
Kami-Nuttari Junction - Nuttari Freight Terminal | Niigata Niigata Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Honshū on the coast of the Sea of Japan. The capital is the city of Niigata. The name "Niigata" literally means "new lagoon".- History :... |
1.8 |
| Kami-Nuttari Junction - Higashi-Niigatakō Freight Terminal | Niigata | 3.8 | |
| Shinminato Line Shinminato Line is a rail line in Takaoka, Toyama, Japan. It is operated by Japan Freight Railway Company . It runs from Nōmachi Station to Takaoka Freight Terminal.- Route data :*Company: Japan Freight Railway Company... |
Nōmachi Station Nomachi Station is a train station in Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture, Japan.- Lines :*West Japan Railway Company**Himi Line*Japan Freight Railway Company**Shinminato Line- Adjacent stations :... - Takaoka Freight Terminal |
Toyama Toyama Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Hokuriku region on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Toyama.Toyama is the leading industrial prefecture on the Japan Sea coast, and has the industrial advantage of cheap electricity due to abundant water resources.... |
1.9 |
| Tōhoku Main Line | Tabata Freight Terminal - Kita-Ōji Freight Terminal | Tokyo Tokyo , ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family... |
4.0 |
| Tōkaidō Main Line Tokaido Main Line The is the busiest trunk line of the Japan Railways Group , connecting Tōkyō and Kōbe stations. It is long, not counting its many freight feeder lines around the major cities... |
Sannō Junction - Nagoya-Minato Freight Terminal | Aichi Aichi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region. The region of Aichi is also known as the Tōkai region. The capital is Nagoya. It is the focus of the Chūkyō Metropolitan Area.- History :... |
6.2 |
| Suita Junction - Osaka Freight Terminal | Osaka | 8.7 | |
| Uetsu Main Line Uetsu Main Line The is a railway in the Tōhoku and Chūbu regions of Japan. Part of the East Japan Railway Company system, it connects Niitsu Station in the city of Niigata and Akita Station in Akita... |
Sakata Station Sakata Station (Yamagata) is a East Japan Railway Company railway station located in Sakata, Yamagata, Japan.-Limited express trains:* Inaho * Akebono * Nihonkai -Adjacent stations:... - Sakatakō Freight Terminal |
Yamagata Yamagata Prefecture -Fruit:Yamagata Prefecture is the largest producer of cherries and pears in Japan. A large quantity of other kinds of fruits such as grapes, apples, peaches, melons, persimmons and watermelons are also produced.- Demographics :... |
2.7 |
Rolling stock
JR Freight owns a variety of rolling stockRailroad car
A railroad car or railway vehicle , also known as a bogie in Indian English, is a vehicle on a rail transport system that is used for the carrying of cargo or passengers. Cars can be coupled together into a train and hauled by one or more locomotives...
, including
- Diesel locomotiveDiesel locomotiveA diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
s- JNR design: DD51JNR Class DD51The DD51 is a class of Japanese B-2-B wheel arrangement diesel-hydraulic locomotives. 649 locomotives were built between 1962 and 1978 by Kawasaki Sharyō, Hitachi, and Mitsubishi. The class was designed for mainline passenger and freight use with more power than the D51 and a higher maximum speed...
, DE10JNR Class DE10The DE10 is a class of Japanese C-B wheel arrangement diesel-hydraulic locomotives. 708 locomotives were built between 1966 and 1978.-DE10-0 subclass:158 DE10-0 locomotives were built with steam heating boilers for passenger use....
, DE11 - JR design: DF200JR Freight Class DF200The DF200 class of diesel-electric locomotives are Bo-Bo-Bo wheel arrangement freight locomotives operated by JR Freight in Hokkaidō, Japan.As of 1 April 2009, 40 DF200s were operated by JR Freight, all based at Washibetsu Depot...
- JNR design: DD51
- DCDirect currentDirect current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...
electric locomotiveElectric locomotiveAn electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device...
s- JNR design: EF64JNR Class EF64-History:The class was designed to replace the ageing EF16 class locomotives used on the steeply-graded Ōu and Chūō mainlines in the early 1960s.Two prototype locomotives, EF64 1 and 2, were delivered in 1964, built by Tōshiba and Kawasaki Sharyō respectively. The basic body design was based on...
, EF65JNR Class EF65The EF65 is a 6-axle electric locomotive designed for freight used by Japanese National Railways and currently operated by its descendents JR West, JR East, and JR Freight....
, EF66JNR Class EF66The EF66 is a 6-axle electric locomotive designed for fast freight used by Japanese National Railways and currently operated by its descendents JR West and JR Freight.-Background and history:...
, EF67JNR Class EF67The Class EF67 is a class of electric locomotives operated by JR Freight as dedicated banking locomotives on the steeply-graded "Senohachi" section of the Sanyō Main Line between and... - JR design: EF200JR Freight Class EF200The EF200 class of electric locomotives are Bo-Bo-Bo wheel arrangement DC freight locomotives operated by JR Freight in Japan.Between 2006 and 2009, the entire fleet was repainted into a new livery similar to that used for the later EF210 locomotives....
, EF210JR Freight Class EF210The EF210 class of electric locomotives are Bo-Bo-Bo wheel arrangement DC freight locomotives operated by JR Freight in Japan.The locomotives are built at the Kawasaki factory in Kobe...
, EH200JR Freight Class EH200The EH200 class of electric locomotives are Bo-Bo+Bo-Bo wheel arrangement two-unit DC freight locomotives operated by JR Freight in Japan.The locomotives are built at the Tōshiba factory in Fuchū, Tokyo...
- JNR design: EF64
- ACAlternating currentIn alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....
electric locomotiveElectric locomotiveAn electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device...
s- JNR design: ED75, ED76JNR Class ED76The ED76 class of electric locomotives are Bo-2-Bo wheel arrangement AC electric locomotives operated on passenger and freight services in Japan.-ED76-0:94 class ED76-0 locomotives were built from 1965 to 1976 and numbered ED76 1 to ED76 94.-ED76-500:...
, ED79
- JNR design: ED75, ED76
- AC/DC electric locomotiveElectric locomotiveAn electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device...
s- JNR design: EF81JNR Class EF81The EF81 class of electric locomotives are Bo-Bo-Bo wheel arrangement multi-voltage AC/DC electric locomotives operated on passenger and freight services in Japan.-EF81-300:...
- JR design: EF510JR Freight Class EF510The locomotives are Bo-Bo-Bo wheel arrangement multi-voltage AC/DC electric locomotives operated by JR Freight and East Japan Railway Company in Japan....
, EH500JR Freight Class EH500The EH500 class of electric locomotives are two-unit multi-system AC/DC freight locomotives operated by JR Freight in Japan. They have a Bo-Bo+Bo-Bo wheel arrangement.The locomotives are built at the Tōshiba factory in Fuchū, Tokyo...
- JNR design: EF81
- Freight EMUsM250 seriesThe M250 Series Super Rail Cargo is a freight electric multiple unit operated by JR Freight in Japan. It entered service in 2004 with the objective of reducing emissions and carrying general freight for small package forwarders . The M250 series is JR Freight's first container train with...
- Covered and uncovered cars with capacities up to 36 tonTonThe ton is a unit of measure. It has a long history and has acquired a number of meanings and uses over the years. It is used principally as a unit of weight, and as a unit of volume. It can also be used as a measure of energy, for truck classification, or as a colloquial term.It is derived from...
s - Carriers for automobileAutomobileAn automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
s, truckTruckA truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile...
s and containerContainerizationContainerization is a system of freight transport based on a range of steel intermodal containers...
s - Large cars with capacities up to 80 tons
- CoalCoalCoal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
and hopper cars
Future developments
The company announced on 10 September 2008 plans to develop a hybrid diesel-battery locomotive to replace the aging DE10JNR Class DE10
The DE10 is a class of Japanese C-B wheel arrangement diesel-hydraulic locomotives. 708 locomotives were built between 1966 and 1978.-DE10-0 subclass:158 DE10-0 locomotives were built with steam heating boilers for passenger use....
locomotives on shunting work. The prototype 60-tonne Bo-Bo locomotive will be delivered in late fiscal 2009 and will offer a maximum power output of 500 kW.
External links
- http://www.jrfreight.co.jp/ (Japanese)
- http://www.jrfreight.co.jp/english/ (English)