Kintetsu Utsube Line
Encyclopedia
The is a railway line of the Japanese private railway company Kintetsu
, connecting Kintetsu-Yokkaichi Station and Utsube Station
, both in the city of Yokkaichi
, Mie Prefecture
, Japan
.
The line connects (indirectly) with the Kintetsu Nagoya Line and Kintetsu Yunoyama Line
at Kintetsu-Yokkaichi Station; these other lines use an elevated platform whereas the Utsube Line uses a ground-level platform. At Hinaga Station
, the line connects with the Kintetsu Hachiōji Line
, a one-station branch line. Because all trains on the Hachiōji Line offer direct service to Kintetsu-Yokkaichi via the Utsube Line, the two lines are collectively called the Utsube-Hachiōji Line (内部・八王子線 Utsube-Hachiōji-sen).
Unlike major Kintetsu lines, the line does not accept PiTaPa
or ICOCA
which are smart card
ticketing systems.
and so the gauge was especially narrow. Later on the line was legally upgraded from a tram to a light rail
, however the gauge was not widened as it was on the vast majority of Japan's train lines. Today, there are only four gauge train lines in operation in Japan. This special classification makes the Utsube Line (as well as the other 762 mm lines) popular with Japanese railfan
s.
762 mm railways of Japan:
The Utsube Line was originally conceived and built by Mie Tramway (三重軌道 Mie Kidō), later renamed Mie Railway (Santetsu). The original portion of the line was completed in 1912 making it one of Kintetsu's oldest train lines. In 1916 an extension from the line's origin, (at that time called Suwa Station and located slightly to the east), to what is now JR
was added. However, this extension had a relatively short life as it was sold off in 1927 to Ise Electric Railway
(Iseden) for use in their main line. This made Suwa Station, a hub between three different private railways and the biggest station in Yokkaichi, the origin again. Steam locomotive
s ran on the line for many years until 1928 when gasoline
-powered trains were introduced, which ran until the line was electrified
in 1943.
The line originally included the Hachiōji Line
and ended at Ise-Hachiōji Station. However an extension to Suzuka
was planned to originate from Hinaga Station
and construction began in 1922, ten years after the original opening. However, this new portion of the line was only completed as far as in Yokkaichi because legal permission to continue construction of the train line was revoked. The original portion of the line, starting at Suwa, down to the end of never-to-be-finished Suzuka branch became the "Utsube Line", and the portion of track which included the old endpoint at Ise-Hachiōji became a branch line called the "Hachiōji Line".
Ownership of the line has shifted a few times during its existence. Mie Tramway built the line in 1912 but control was given to Santetsu shortly after in 1916. Then in 1944, Santetsu, along with six other companies, merged to form Mie Transport
(Sanco). During the later part of the Santetsu era and the entire Sanco era, there was direct service offered between the now-separate Utsube Line and Yunoyama Line
, which at that time was also a 762 mm gauge railway; the combination of these two train lines was called the Mie Line. In 1964, the railway department of Sanco split off to become a separate company called Mie Electric Railway (Sanden), however this organization was short-lived as it was bought up by railway giant Kinki Nippon Railway
(Kintetsu) the following year, and thus in 1965 the line came under its current name and ownership.
In 1954 the initial portion of the route was re-routed by Sanco, the owner at that time, who planned the re-routing because of Kintetsu's plan to re-route its Nagoya Line, which suffered from many sharp curves on its way through Yokkaichi to Suwa Station. Kintetsu developed a plan to straighten the Nagoya Line as well as enlarge Suwa Station, which would be moved about a kilometer to the west; construction began in 1952 and took a few years to complete. In accordance with this plan, Sanco altered its own Yokkaichi-area railways in 1956 to utilize the new location of Suwa Station, which was renamed to Kintetsu-Yokkaichi Station. From Akahori Station, the track that ran to the old Suwa Station was closed and a new track was built to Kintetsu-Yokkaichi. At first, the direct connection with the Yunoyama Line was maintained however in 1964, the Yunoyama Line was altered and renovated to connect directly with the Nagoya Line and thus the connection with the Utsube Line was closed and direct service ended.
Kintetsu
, named Kinki Nippon Railway Co., Ltd. in English until June 27, 2003, is a Japanese rail transit corporation commonly known as . It is the largest non-JR railway in Japan. Its complex network of lines connects Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Nagoya, Tsu and Ise...
, connecting Kintetsu-Yokkaichi Station and Utsube Station
Utsube Station
is a Kintetsu train station in the city of Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, Japan.-Adjacent stations:-External links:...
, both in the city of Yokkaichi
Yokkaichi, Mie
is a city located in Mie, Japan.As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 314,393. The total area is 205.53 km².The closest major city is Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture....
, Mie Prefecture
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....
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
The line connects (indirectly) with the Kintetsu Nagoya Line and Kintetsu Yunoyama Line
Kintetsu Yunoyama Line
The is a railway line of the Japanese private railway company Kintetsu, connecting Kintetsu-Yokkaichi Station and Yunoyama-Onsen Station in Japan....
at Kintetsu-Yokkaichi Station; these other lines use an elevated platform whereas the Utsube Line uses a ground-level platform. At Hinaga Station
Hinaga Station
Hinaga Station is the name of two train stations in Japan:* Hinaga Station * Hinaga Station...
, the line connects with the Kintetsu Hachiōji Line
Kintetsu Hachioji Line
The , often called the Kintetsu Nishihino Line is a railway line of the Japanese private railway company Kintetsu, connecting Hinaga Station and Nishihino Station, both in the city of Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, Japan...
, a one-station branch line. Because all trains on the Hachiōji Line offer direct service to Kintetsu-Yokkaichi via the Utsube Line, the two lines are collectively called the Utsube-Hachiōji Line (内部・八王子線 Utsube-Hachiōji-sen).
Unlike major Kintetsu lines, the line does not accept PiTaPa
PiTaPa
is a contactless smart card ticketing and electronic money system used in the Kansai region of Japan. The name PiTaPa is an acronym of "Postpay IC for Touch and Pay"...
or ICOCA
ICOCA
The card is a rechargeable contactless smart card used on JR West rail network in Japan. The card was launched on November 1, 2003 for usage on the Urban Network, which encompasses the major cities of Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe...
which are smart card
Smart card
A smart card, chip card, or integrated circuit card , is any pocket-sized card with embedded integrated circuits. A smart card or microprocessor cards contain volatile memory and microprocessor components. The card is made of plastic, generally polyvinyl chloride, but sometimes acrylonitrile...
ticketing systems.
Narrow gauge railway
The line was originally built as a tramTram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
and so the gauge was especially narrow. Later on the line was legally upgraded from a tram to a light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
, however the gauge was not widened as it was on the vast majority of Japan's train lines. Today, there are only four gauge train lines in operation in Japan. This special classification makes the Utsube Line (as well as the other 762 mm lines) popular with Japanese railfan
Railfan
A railfan or rail buff , railway enthusiast or railway buff , or trainspotter , is a person interested in a recreational capacity in rail transport...
s.
762 mm railways of Japan:
- Kintetsu: Utsube Line (this line)
- Kintetsu: Hachiōji Line (neighboring branch line)
- Sangi RailwaySangi Railwayis a railway company in Mie Prefecture, Japan. It also operates bus lines. The company was founded in 1928. Its original line, the Sangi Line, mainly functioned as a freight line transporting cement, but in recent years, it also became important as a commuter railway line for Yokkaichi. The Hokusei...
: Hokusei LineSangi Railway Hokusei LineThe , commonly known as the Sangi Hokusei Line, is a railway line of the Japanese private railway company Sangi Railway, connecting Nishi-Kuwana Station and Ageki Station in Japan...
(also in northern Mie Prefecture, formerly operated by Kintetsu) - Kurobe Gorge RailwayKurobe Gorge RailwayThe , or for short, is a private 762 mm narrow gauge railway company operating the Kurobe Gorge Main Line along the Kurobe River in the Kurobe gorge area of Toyama Prefecture, Japan...
: Main Line (KurobeKurobe, Toyamais a city located in Toyama, Japan.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 42,612 and the density of 99.9 persons per km². The total area is 426.34 km². The city was founded on April 1, 1954...
, Toyama PrefectureToyama Prefectureis 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....
)
History
Central Japan Railway Company
The is the main railway company operating in the Chūbu region of central Japan. It is officially abbreviated in English as JR Central and in Japanese as . Its headquarters are located in the JR Central Towers in Nakamura-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture.The company's operational hub is Nagoya Station...
was added. However, this extension had a relatively short life as it was sold off in 1927 to Ise Electric Railway
Ise Electric Railway
, usually abbreviated as Iseden , was a private railway company that operated mostly in Mie Prefecture, Japan, for 25 years from 1911 to 1936, when it was absorbed by Sangū Express Electric Railway. At its height, Iseden operated three train lines, two of which it planned and built, that serviced...
(Iseden) for use in their main line. This made Suwa Station, a hub between three different private railways and the biggest station in Yokkaichi, the origin again. Steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s ran on the line for many years until 1928 when gasoline
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
-powered trains were introduced, which ran until the line was electrified
Railway electrification system
A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
in 1943.
The line originally included the Hachiōji Line
Kintetsu Hachioji Line
The , often called the Kintetsu Nishihino Line is a railway line of the Japanese private railway company Kintetsu, connecting Hinaga Station and Nishihino Station, both in the city of Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, Japan...
and ended at Ise-Hachiōji Station. However an extension to Suzuka
Suzuka, Mie
is a city located in Mie, Japan.As of 2011, the city has an estimated population of 198,716 and the density of 1,020 people per km². The total area is 194.67 km².Located about 83 km east from Nara, and 52 km southwest from Nagoya.-History:...
was planned to originate from Hinaga Station
Hinaga Station
Hinaga Station is the name of two train stations in Japan:* Hinaga Station * Hinaga Station...
and construction began in 1922, ten years after the original opening. However, this new portion of the line was only completed as far as in Yokkaichi because legal permission to continue construction of the train line was revoked. The original portion of the line, starting at Suwa, down to the end of never-to-be-finished Suzuka branch became the "Utsube Line", and the portion of track which included the old endpoint at Ise-Hachiōji became a branch line called the "Hachiōji Line".
Ownership of the line has shifted a few times during its existence. Mie Tramway built the line in 1912 but control was given to Santetsu shortly after in 1916. Then in 1944, Santetsu, along with six other companies, merged to form Mie Transport
Sanco
The Mie Kotsu Co.,Ltd. , also known as Sanco , is a public transportation company that is most well known for operating local and long-distance buses in Mie prefecture, Japan. The company has other ventures as well, including a taxicab business and selling homes....
(Sanco). During the later part of the Santetsu era and the entire Sanco era, there was direct service offered between the now-separate Utsube Line and Yunoyama Line
Kintetsu Yunoyama Line
The is a railway line of the Japanese private railway company Kintetsu, connecting Kintetsu-Yokkaichi Station and Yunoyama-Onsen Station in Japan....
, which at that time was also a 762 mm gauge railway; the combination of these two train lines was called the Mie Line. In 1964, the railway department of Sanco split off to become a separate company called Mie Electric Railway (Sanden), however this organization was short-lived as it was bought up by railway giant Kinki Nippon Railway
Kintetsu
, named Kinki Nippon Railway Co., Ltd. in English until June 27, 2003, is a Japanese rail transit corporation commonly known as . It is the largest non-JR railway in Japan. Its complex network of lines connects Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Nagoya, Tsu and Ise...
(Kintetsu) the following year, and thus in 1965 the line came under its current name and ownership.
In 1954 the initial portion of the route was re-routed by Sanco, the owner at that time, who planned the re-routing because of Kintetsu's plan to re-route its Nagoya Line, which suffered from many sharp curves on its way through Yokkaichi to Suwa Station. Kintetsu developed a plan to straighten the Nagoya Line as well as enlarge Suwa Station, which would be moved about a kilometer to the west; construction began in 1952 and took a few years to complete. In accordance with this plan, Sanco altered its own Yokkaichi-area railways in 1956 to utilize the new location of Suwa Station, which was renamed to Kintetsu-Yokkaichi Station. From Akahori Station, the track that ran to the old Suwa Station was closed and a new track was built to Kintetsu-Yokkaichi. At first, the direct connection with the Yunoyama Line was maintained however in 1964, the Yunoyama Line was altered and renovated to connect directly with the Nagoya Line and thus the connection with the Utsube Line was closed and direct service ended.
Timeline
- October 6, 1912 - Minami-Hamada (now closed) ~ Hinaga section opens (Mie Tramway).
- May 16, 1913 - Suwa ~ Minami-Hamada section opens.
- July 19, 1916 - Control of line is transferred to Mie Railway (Santetsu).
- March 30, 1916 - Yokkaichi (Kokutetsu) ~ Suwa section opens. Yokkaichi becomes origin of the line.
- December 1, 1916 - Based on train-related laws, the line's classification is officially changed from a tram to a light railwayLight railLight rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
. - January 10, 1922 - Hinanga ~ Ogoso section opens (Suzuka extension).
- June 21, 1922 - Ogoso ~ Utsube section opens. Utsube becomes terminus of the line.
- November 29, 1927 - Yokkaichi ~ Suwa section closes. Suwa becomes the origin of the line.
- March 1, 1928 - Gasoline-powered trains introduced.
- March 1, 1931 - Santetsu acquires Yokkaichi Railway and what is now the Kintetsu Yunoyama LineKintetsu Yunoyama LineThe is a railway line of the Japanese private railway company Kintetsu, connecting Kintetsu-Yokkaichi Station and Yunoyama-Onsen Station in Japan....
. Direct connection with the Yunoyama Line opens. - December 25, 1943 - Entire line electrifiedRailway electrification systemA railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
. - February 11, 1944 - Santetsu and six other companies merge to form Mie TransportSancoThe Mie Kotsu Co.,Ltd. , also known as Sanco , is a public transportation company that is most well known for operating local and long-distance buses in Mie prefecture, Japan. The company has other ventures as well, including a taxicab business and selling homes....
(Sanco). Line officially renamed Sanco Mie Line. - July 1, 1944 - Ogoso Station closes.
- November 1, 1944 - Minami-Hamada Station closes.
- September 23, 1956 - Suwa Station closed, moved, and re-opened as Kintetsu-Yokkaichi Station. Suwa ~ Akahori section closes. Kintetsu-Yokkaichi ~ Akahori section opens.
- December 23, 1956 - Voltage increased from 600V 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...
to 750V DC. - May 1, 1959 - Ogoso Station re-opens.
- August 24, 1959 - Electronic signal station added between Kintetsu-Yokkaichi and Akahori.
- February 1, 1964 - Sanco railway division splits off and forms a new company Mie Electric Railway (Sanden).
- March 23, 1964 - Connection with the Yunoyama Line is severed and direct service ends.
- April 1, 1965 - Sanden, and all of its lines, are acquired by Kinki Nippon RailwayKintetsu, named Kinki Nippon Railway Co., Ltd. in English until June 27, 2003, is a Japanese rail transit corporation commonly known as . It is the largest non-JR railway in Japan. Its complex network of lines connects Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Nagoya, Tsu and Ise...
(Kintetsu). Line officially renamed Kintetsu Utsube Line. - March 17, 1989 - Electronic signalling added to entire line. ATS SystemAutomatic Train StopAn automatic train stop is a system on a train that will automatically stop a train if certain situations happened to prevent accidents from happening....
activated. - June 1, 1989 - One man (conductor-less) train service begins.
Services
LO Local (普通 futsū)- For
- For
- Locals stop at every station.
- All trains offer conductor-less (One man) service.
- Trains run four times per hour. In the downward direction, each hour there are two bound for Utsube and two for (via the Hachiōji LineKintetsu Hachioji LineThe , often called the Kintetsu Nishihino Line is a railway line of the Japanese private railway company Kintetsu, connecting Hinaga Station and Nishihino Station, both in the city of Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, Japan...
)
Stations
| Station | Dist. (km) | Connections | Location | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 近鉄四日市 | 0.0 | Nagoya Line, Yunoyama Line Kintetsu Yunoyama Line The is a railway line of the Japanese private railway company Kintetsu, connecting Kintetsu-Yokkaichi Station and Yunoyama-Onsen Station in Japan.... |
Yokkaichi Yokkaichi, Mie is a city located in Mie, Japan.As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 314,393. The total area is 205.53 km².The closest major city is Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture.... |
Mie Prefecture 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.... |
|
| 赤堀 | 1.0 | ||||
| 日永 | 1.8 | Hachiōji Line Kintetsu Hachioji Line The , often called the Kintetsu Nishihino Line is a railway line of the Japanese private railway company Kintetsu, connecting Hinaga Station and Nishihino Station, both in the city of Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, Japan... |
|||
| 南日永 | 2.5 | ||||
| 泊 | 3.6 | ||||
| 追分 | 4.3 | ||||
| 小古曽 | 5.0 | ||||
| 内部 | 5.7 | ||||