Iida Line Explained

Iida Line
Locale:Aichi, Shizuoka, Nagano prefectures
End: (through to)
Stations:94
Linelength:195.7km (121.6miles)
Maxincline:4.0%
Electrification: (overhead catenary)
Speed: (maximum)
(curves)
(diverging junctions)
Map State:collapsed

The is a Japanese railway line connecting Toyohashi Station in Toyohashi, Aichi with Tatsuno Station in Tatsuno, Nagano, operated by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central). The line links eastern Aichi Prefecture and southern Nagano Prefecture through northwestern Shizuoka Prefecture. It goes through steep mountains as well as cities such as Iida and Ina. The line was originally four different private railway lines, the first of which opened in 1897.

The line has an unusually high number of so-called Hikyō stations, or hikyo-eki, which have since lost their nearby communities due to depopulation. There are 94 such stations along the route. The line has been described as the "holy land for those who love touring hikyo-eki".[1] The phrase was coined in 1999 by Takanobu Ushiyama and friends, for railroad stations that are isolated and little used.

Traveling the entire length of the 195.7 km (121.6 mi) line by local trains takes six hours.

Basic data

Services

The limited express runs between Toyohashi and Iida twice a day. The rapid runs between Iida and Okaya. Local service is generally divided into three parts by Hon-Nagashino and Tenryūkyō stations. The section near Toyohashi functions as commuter rail for the city, while the section between Hon-Nagashino and Tenryūkyō is a mountain railway with fewer passengers.

Stations

From Toyohashi to Iida

L:

R:

I:

All trains stop at stations marked "●" and pass stations marked "-", "↓", or "↑". Arrows indicate the direction of rapid trains. Some trains stop at stops marked "▲".

No.StationJapanese Distance
(km)
L R I Transfers Location
Iida Line
Toyohashi豊橋align=right 0.0 align=center align=center align=center align=center Tōkaidō Main Line, Tōkaidō Shinkansen
Meitetsu Nagoya Line
Toyotetsu Atsumi Line, Azumada Main Line
Aichi
Funamachi船町align=right 1.5 align=center align=center align=center align=center -  
Shimoji下地align=right 2.2 align=center align=center align=center align=center - 
Hirai Junction平井信号場align=right 3.9 align=center - align=center align=center align=center -  Toyokawa
Kozakai小坂井align=right 4.4 align=center align=center align=center align=center - 
Ushikubo牛久保align=right 6.6 align=center align=center align=center align=center - 
Toyokawa豊川align=right 8.7align=center align=center align=center align=center Meitetsu Toyokawa Line
Mikawa-Ichinomiya三河一宮align=right 12.0align=center align=center align=center align=center - 
Nagayama長山align=right 14.4align=center align=center align=center align=center - 
江島 align=right 15.4 align=center align=center align=center align=center - 
東上 align=right 17.0 align=center align=center align=center align=center - 
野田城 align=right 19.7 align=center align=center align=center align=center -  Shinshiro
新城align=right 21.6 align=center align=center align=center align=center  
東新町 align=right 22.6 align=center align=center  align=center - 
茶臼山 align=right 23.8 align=center align=center  align=center - 
三河東郷align=right 25.0 align=center align=center  align=center - 
大海align=right 27.9 align=center align=center  align=center - 
鳥居align=right 29.3 align=center align=center  align=center - 
長篠城align=right 30.8 align=center align=center  align=center - 
本長篠align=right 32.1 align=center align=center  align=center  
三河大野 align=right 35.6 align=center align=center  align=center - 
湯谷温泉 align=right 38.0 align=center align=center  align=center  
三河槙原align=right 40.6 align=center align=center  align=center - 
柿平align=right 42.9 align=center align=center  align=center - 
三河川合align=right 45.2 align=center align=center  align=center - 
池場align=right 50.1 align=center align=center  align=center - 
東栄 align=right 51.2 align=center align=center  align=center -  Tōei, Kitashitara District
出馬align=right 55.4 align=center align=center  align=center -  Shizuoka
上市場 align=right 56.0 align=center align=center  align=center - 
浦川align=right 57.3 align=center align=center  align=center - 
早瀬align=right 58.5 align=center align=center  align=center - 
下川合 align=right 59.9 align=center align=center  align=center - 
中部天竜align=right 62.4 align=center align=center  align=center  
佐久間 align=right 63.5 align=center align=center  align=center - 
相月 align=right 68.5 align=center align=center  align=center - 
城西align=right 70.5 align=center align=center  align=center - 
向市場align=right 73.3 align=center align=center  align=center - 
水窪align=right 74.3 align=center align=center  align=center  
大嵐 align=right 80.8 align=center align=center  align=center - 
小和田 align=right 83.8 align=center align=center  align=center - 
中井侍 align=right 87.8 align=center align=center  align=center -  Nagano
伊那小沢align=right 90.1 align=center align=center  align=center - 
鶯巣align=right 91.7 align=center align=center  align=center - 
平岡 align=right 93.8 align=center align=center  align=center  
為栗align=right 98.5 align=center align=center  align=center - 
温田align=right 102.2 align=center align=center  align=center  Yasuoka, Shimoina District
田本 align=right 104.2 align=center align=center  align=center - 
門島align=right 107.9 align=center align=center  align=center - 
唐笠align=right 111.3 align=center align=center  align=center - 
金野align=right 113.6 align=center align=center  align=center -  Iida
千代align=right 114.8 align=center align=center  align=center - 
天竜峡align=right 116.2 align=center align=center  align=center  
川路align=right 117.5 align=center align=center  align=center - 
時又align=right 119.3 align=center align=center  align=center - 
駄科align=right 121.1 align=center align=center  align=center - 
毛賀align=right 122.5 align=center align=center  align=center - 
伊那八幡align=right 123.6 align=center align=center  align=center - 
下山村align=right 124.7 align=center align=center  align=center - 
align=right 125.7 align=center align=center  align=center - 
切石align=right 127.7 align=center align=center  align=center - 
飯田 align=right 129.3 align=center align=center  align=center  

From Iida to Okaya

L:

R:

M:

All trains stop at stations marked "●" and pass stations marked "-", "↓", or "↑". Arrows also indicate the directions the rapid trains run.

StationJapanese Distance
(km)
L R MTransfers Location
Iida Line
飯田 align=right 129.3 align=center align=center  align=center  Iida Nagano
桜町align=right 130.1 align=center align=center  align=center  
伊那上郷align=right 131.1 align=center align=center  align=center  
元善光寺align=right 133.8 align=center align=center  align=center  
下市田align=right 135.6 align=center align=center  align=center -  Takamori, Shimoina District
市田align=right 136.8 align=center align=center  align=center  
下平align=right 139.5 align=center align=center  align=center - 
山吹 align=right 140.5 align=center align=center  align=center - 
伊那大島 align=right 143.1 align=center align=center  align=center  Matsukawa, Shimoina District
上片桐align=right 146.9 align=center align=center  align=center  
伊那田島align=right 148.2 align=center align=center  align=center -  Nakagawa, Kamiina District
高遠原align=right 150.7 align=center align=center  align=center -  Iijima, Kamiina District
七久保align=right 152.3 align=center align=center  align=center  
伊那本郷align=right 155.1 align=center align=center  align=center  
飯島align=right 157.9 align=center align=center  align=center  
田切align=right 160.1 align=center align=center  align=center - 
伊那福岡align=right 162.9 align=center align=center  align=center  Komagane
小町屋align=right 164.4 align=center align=center  align=center - 
駒ヶ根align=right 165.6 align=center align=center align=center align=center  
大田切 align=right 167.0 align=center  align=center align=center  
宮田 align=right 169.1 align=center  align=center align=center  Miyada, Kamiina District
赤木 align=right 170.4 align=center  align=center align=center  Ina
沢渡align=right 173.4 align=center  align=center align=center  
下島align=right 174.5 align=center  align=center align=center  
伊那市 align=right 178.0 align=center  align=center align=center  
伊那北 align=right 178.9 align=center  align=center align=center  
田畑 align=right 181.0 align=center  align=center align=center  Minamiminowa, Kamiina District
北殿 align=right 183.2 align=center  align=center align=center  
木ノ下 align=right 185.6 align=center  align=center align=center  Minowa, Kamiina District
伊那松島align=right 187.1 align=center  align=center align=center  
align=right 189.7 align=center  align=center align=center  
羽場align=right 191.6 align=center  align=center align=center  Tatsuno, Kamiina District
伊那新町align=right 193.4 align=center  align=center align=center  
宮木align=right 194.6 align=center  align=center align=center  
辰野align=right 195.7 align=center  align=center align=center Chūō Main Line (Tatsuno Branch)
Chūō Main Line (Tatsuno Branch)
川岸 align=right 201.7 align=center  align=center align=center  OkayaNagano
岡谷 align=right 205.2 align=center  align=center align=center Chūō Main Line

Rolling stock

Past rolling stock

History

The Toyokawa Railway opened the section from Toyohashi to Toyokawa in 1897, extending the line to Omi in 1900. At the northern end, the Ina Electric Railway opened the Tatsuno to Ina-Matsushima section (electrified at 1,200 V DC) in 1909, extending the line to Tenryukyo in sections between 1911 and 1927. The Horaitera Railway opened the Omi to Mikawa-Kawai section in 1923, and electrified it at 1,500 V DC in 1925 in conjunction with the electrification of the Toyohashi to Omi section the same year. The Toyohashi to Toyokawa section was double-tracked the following year. The Sanshin Railway opened the Tenryukyo to Kadoshima section as an electrified (1,500 V DC) line in 1932, the Mikawa-Kawai to Toei section (and all subsequent stages) as an electrified line in 1933, and connected the two sections (completing the line) in 1936. All four companies were nationalised in 1943.

In 1955, the overhead line voltage of the Tatsuno to Tenryukyo section was increased to 1,500 V DC.

CTC signalling was commissioned on the line between 1983 and 1984, and freight services ceased in 1996.

Former connecting lines

Proposed connecting line

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: KOIZUMI . SHINICHI . Remote stations have great views if you know where to look:The Asahi Shimbun . 11 August 2018 . The Asahi Shimbun . 2 August 2018 . 27 February 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190227041043/http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201808020007.html . dead .
  2. Web site: http://railf.jp/news/2014/03/15/200000.html. ja:飯田線での長野色115系運用終了,211系運用開始. Nagano-livery 115 series withdrawn from Iida Line; 211 series introduced. 15 March 2014. Japan. ja. 15 March 2014.
  3. Web site: http://railf.jp/news/2014/03/18/100000.html. ja:飯田線で373系の普通列車登場. 373 series used on Iida Line local services. 18 March 2014. Japan Railfan Magazine Online. Koyusha Co., Ltd.. Japan. ja. 18 March 2014.
  4. Web site: http://railf.jp/news/2012/04/01/225900.html. ja:119系電車が引退. 119 series EMUs withdrawn. 1 April 2012. Japan Railfan Magazine Online. Koyusha Co., Ltd.. Japan. ja. 5 April 2012.