Kagoshima Main Line Explained

Kagoshima Main Line
Color:	ee3d49
Type:	Heavy rail
Locale:	Fukuoka, Kumamoto and Kagoshima Prefecture
Start:	,
End:	,
Stations:	90
Owner:	JR Kyushu, JR Freight
Operator:	JR Kyushu, JR Freight, Hisatsu Orange Railway
Stock:	415 series, 811 series, 813 series, 815 series, 817 series, 783 series, 787 series, 883 series, 885 series, KiHa 72, Hisatsu Orange Railway HSOR-100
Linelength:	285.3km (177.3miles)
Electrification:	20 kV AC 60 Hz overhead
Speed:	130 km/h (81 mph)

The is a major railway line operated by the Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu) between Mojikō in Kitakyushu, and Kagoshima Station in Kagoshima City, at the southern end of Kyushu. Until March 13, 2004, it extended between its two termini; however, with the opening of the Kyushu Shinkansen on March 13, the section between Yatsushiro and Sendai was transferred to the third-sector Hisatsu Orange Railway Company. The line is an important line in Kyushu, connecting Fukuoka (Hakata Station) to many other major cities. It is the main line through the Fukuoka urban district, and as such many long-distance express trains from all parts of Kyushu use the section between Kokura Station (Kitakyushu) and Tosu Station, where the Nagasaki Main Line meets the Kagoshima Main Line.

Stations

Mojikō  - Arao

Numbering	Station name	Japanese	Total distance (km)	Semi rapid^[1]	Rapid	Transfers	Location
		門司港	0.0	+	+	Mojikō Retro Kankō Line		Fukuoka
		小森江	4.0	+	+
		門司	5.5	+	+
	Kitakyūshū Freight Terminal	北九州貨物ターミナル	6.9	-	-
	Higashi-Kokura Freight Terminal	東小倉(貨)	9.4	-	-		Kokura Kita-ku, Kitakyushu
		小倉	11.0	+	+
		西小倉	11.8	+	+	Nippō Main Line
	Hama-Kokura Freight Terminal	浜小倉(貨)	13.4	-	-
		九州工大前	15.3	-	-		Tobata-ku, Kitakyushu
		戸畑	17.2	+	+
		枝光	20.0	-	-		Yahata Higashi-ku, Kitakyushu
		スペースワールド	21.1
		八幡	22.2	+	+
		黒崎	24.9	+	+	Chikuhō Electric Railroad Line	Yahata Nishi-ku, Kitakyushu
	Higashi-Orio Yard	東折尾(信)	26.8	-	-
		陣原	27.1	-	-	Fukuhoku Yutaka Line
		折尾	30.1	+	+	Fukuhoku Yutaka Line (Chikuhō Main Line) Wakamatsu Line (Chikuhō Main Line)
		水巻	32.2	+	-		Mizumaki, Onga
		遠賀川	34.3	+	-		Onga, Onga
		海老津	39.4	+			Okagaki, Onga
		教育大前	44.6	+	-		Munakata
		赤間	46.5	+	+
		東郷	50.7	+	+
		東福間	53.9	-	-		Fukutsu
		福間	56.6	+	+
		千鳥	58.5	-	-		Koga
		古賀	60.6	+	+
		ししぶ	62.0	-	-
		新宮中央	63.7	-	-		Shingū, Kasuya
		福工大前	65.1	+	+		Higashi-ku, Fukuoka
		九産大前	68.1	-	-
		香椎	69.8	+	+	Nishitetsu Kaizuka Line
		千早	71.0	+	+	Nishitetsu Kaizuka Line
		千早操車場	71.3	-	-
		箱崎	75.0	-	-
		吉塚	76.4	+	+	(Fukuhoku Yutaka Line)	Hakata-ku, Fukuoka
		博多	78.2	+	+	Fukuhoku Yutaka Line
		竹下	80.9	-	-
		笹原	83.3	-	-		Minami-ku, Fukuoka
		南福岡	84.9	+	+		Hakata-ku, Fukuoka
		春日	86.1	-	-	Tenjin Ōmuta Line	Kasuga
		大野城	87.4	+	+		Ōnojō
		水城	88.8	-	-
		都府楼南	91.0	-	-		Dazaifu
		二日市	92.4	+	+	Nishitetsu Tenjin Ōmuta Line	Chikushino
		天拝山	94.3	-	-	Nishitetsu Tenjin Ōmuta Line
		原田	97.9	+	+	Haruda Line (Chikuhō Main Line)
		けやき台	99.9	-	-			Saga
		基山	101.4	+	+	Amagi Railway Amagi Line
		弥生が丘	103.5	-	-		Tosu
		田代	105.6	-	-
	Tosu Freight Terminal	鳥栖貨物ターミナル	105.6	-	-
		鳥栖	106.8	+	+
		肥前旭	110.4	-	-
		久留米	113.9	+	+	Kyushu Shinkansen (Yufu Kōgen Line)		Fukuoka
		荒木	118.8	+	+
		西牟田	122.6	-	-		Chikugo
		羽犬塚	126.1	+	+
		筑後船小屋	129.7	+	+
		瀬高	132.2	+	+		Miyama
		南瀬高	135.2	-	-
		渡瀬	139.1	-	-
		吉野	141.9	-	-		Ōmuta
		銀水	144.3	-	-	Nishitetsu Tenjin-Ōmuta Line
		大牟田	147.5	+	+	Nishitetsu Tenjin-Ōmuta Line
			荒尾	151.6	+	+			Kumamoto

Arao  - Yatsushiro

Station name	Japanese	Total distance (km)	Rapid Kumamoto Liner^[2]	Rapid Super Orange^[3]	Transfers	Location
Arao	荒尾	151.6	+			Arao	Kumamoto
	南荒尾	154.8	-
	長洲	159.4	+			Nagasu, Tamana
	大野下	164.1	-			Tamana
	玉名	168.6	+
	肥後伊倉	172.8	-
	木葉	176.7	+			Gyokutō, Tamana
^[4]	田原坂	180.2	-
	植木	184.6	+
	西里	188.8	-
	崇城大学前	191.7	+			Nishi-ku, Kumamoto
	上熊本	193.3	+		■ Kumamoto City Tram Route 3; Kumamoto City Tram Kami-Kumamoto Line Kumamoto Electric Railway Kikuchi Line
	熊本	196.6	+	+	Kyushu Shinkansen (Aso Kōgen Line) ■ Kumamoto City Tram Route 2; Kumamoto City Tram Tasaki Line and Kumamoto City Tram Trunk Line (Kumamoto-Ekimae)
Kumamoto Freight Terminal	熊本(貨)	197.9	-	-
	西熊本	199.8				Minami-ku, Kumamoto
	川尻	201.9	+	-
	富合	205.3	+	-
	宇土	207.5	+	-		Uto
	松橋	212.3	+	-		Uki
	小川	218.5	+	-
	有佐	223.5	+	-		Yatsushiro
	千丁	227.6	+	-
	新八代	229.5	+	-	Kyushu Shinkansen
	八代	232.3	+	+	Hisatsu Orange Railway Line (Ebino Kōgen Line)

Sendai  - Kagoshima

Station name	Japanese	Total distance (km)	Rapid:^[5]	Liners	Transfers	Location
	川内	0.0	+	+	Hisatsu Orange Railway Line		Kagoshima
	隈之城	2.6	-	+
	木場茶屋	5.7	-	-
	串木野	12.0	+	+		Ichikikushikino
	神村学園前	14.2	-	-
	市来	16.6	-	+
	湯之元	20.4	-	+		Hioki
	東市来	22.9	-	-
	伊集院	28.8	+	+
	薩摩松元	34.1	-	-		Kagoshima
	上伊集院	36.5	-	-
	広木	41.5	-	-
	鹿児島中央	46.1	+	+	■ Kagoshima City Tram Route 2; Kagoshima City Tram Dai-Ni-Ki Line and Kagoshima City Tram Toso Line
	鹿児島	49.3			■ Kagoshima City Tram Route 1 and ■ Kagoshima City Tram Route 2; Kagoshima City Tram Dai-Ikki Line

Former Yatsushiro  - Sendai section

This section was transferred to the Hisatsu Orange Railway Line from March 13, 2004. Some through services operate over this section.

Yatsushiro - Higo-Kōda - Hinagu (Hinagu-Onsen) - Higo-Futami - Kami-Tanoura - (Tanoura-Otachimisaki-Kōen) - Higo-Tanoura - Uminoura - Sashiki - Yunoura - Tsunagi - (Shin-Minamata) - Minamata - Fukuro - Komenotsu - Izumi - Nishi-Izumi - Takaono - Nodagō - Origuchi - Akune - Ushinohama - Satsuma-Ōkawa - Nishikata - Satsuma-Taki - Kusamichi - Kami-Sendai - Sendai

• Names in brackets are stations newly built or renamed after the line was transferred.

History

The Kyushu Railway opened the 197 km Mojiko - Hakata - Kumamoto section between 1889 and 1891, extended the line south to Yatsushiro by 1896 and the company was nationalised in 1907.^[6]

At the southern end the line from Kagoshima to Hayato (now part of the Nippo Main Line) opened as part of the Hisatsu Line in 1901. The Hayato to Yoshimatsu section of the Hisatsu line opened in 1903, the Yatsushiro to Hitoyoshi section opened in 1908, and the Hitoyoshi to Yoshimatsu section in 1909, providing the original connection from Kagoshima to Yatsushiro.

The Kagoshima to Sendai line opened between 1913 and 1914, and the Sendai to Yatsushiro section opened between 1922 and 1927, at which time this route replaced the Hisatsu Line to become the southern part of the Kagoshima Main Line.

In 2004, following the opening of the Kagoshima to Shin-Yatsushiro section of the Kyushu Shinkansen, the Yatsushiro to Sendai section was transferred to the third-sector Hisatsu Orange Railway.

Duplication

The Moji to Kokura section was double-tracked in 1897. The 14 km Kokura to Kurosaki section (on a new alignment to the west of the original line) opened in 1908, and was completed to Hakata by 1913. The line was double-tracked south of Hakata to Tosu between 1917 and 1921, with Tosu to Hizen Asahi opening 1934, and to Kurume in 1942.

The next section to Araki was double-tracked in 1961, to Kumamoto in 1968 and Yatsushiro in 1970. The Yunoura to Tsunagi section was double-tracked between 1966 and 1968. The line was double-tracked from Kagoshima to Higashichiki between 1969 and 1980.

Former connecting lines

The original Kokura to Kurosaki alignment avoided the coastline due to the Japanese army expressing concern at the vulnerability of a coastal route to enemy naval gunfire. A 3 km "Kokura Bypass" line (junctioning 2 km north of Kokura) to the Nippo Main Line was opened in 1903 for the same reason. However, following Japan's success in the 1904 Russo-Japanese War, this concern diminished and the Kokura to Kurosaki section was rebuilt (and duplicated) on a new easier (though 3 km longer) alignment to the west of the original line in 1908. The original 11 km section was then renamed the Okura Line and operated until 1911, when it closed together with the Kokura Bypass line.

• Ongagawa Station: An 11 km line to Muroki operated between 1908 and 1985. A 6 km gauge line to Nishiashiya operated from 1915 to 1932. The Ashiya airfield was occupied by the USAF in 1945, and a gauge line was built on the formation of the 762 mm gauge line to serve the airfield in 1947. Trains were mixed (i.e. freight wagons with a passenger car attached) and only available to US military personnel until 1950. The Korean War extended the use of the airfield by the USAF, and the line closed in 1961.
• Yoshizuka Station: A 14 km line to Chikuzenkatsuta opened between 1918 and 1919, hauling coal until the mine closed in 1965. The line closed in 1985.
• Futsukaichi Station: A 26 km light railway to Amagi operated between 1908 and 1940.
• Hainuzuka Station: The 20 km Yabe Line to Kuroki opened as a gauge line in 1903, closing in 1940. The line was rebuilt as a 1,067 mm gauge line in 1945. Freight services ceased in 1978, and the line closed in 1985.
• Setaka Station: A 24 km line to Saga (on the Nagasaki Main Line) opened between 1931 and 1935, and closed in 1987. This line crossed three major watercourses by substantial bridges. The Kyushu Fertiliser Co. operated a 14 km line to Nankan from 1921 until 1938. The 8 km gauge line to Yanagawa line operated from 1911 until 1932.
• Omuta Station: The Mitsui Mining Co. opened a 19 km line to Miike-ko coal mine in 1891. Two branch lines, 4 and 3 km long, were subsequently opened, closing in 1985 and 1969 respectively. Passenger services ceased in 1984. The majority of the system closed in 1997, when the coal fired power stations at Omuta supplied by the line converted to oil, with a 2 km section to Miyaura freight yard remaining to serve a chemical plant.
• Arao Station: A 5 km line to Midorigaoka, electrified at 500 V DC, operated from 1949 until 1964.
• Ueki Station: A 20 km line to Yamaga operated from 1917 until 1965.
• Kamikumamoto: The 22 km gauge Kumamoto Light Railway to Otsu opened between 1907 and 1914, with a 2.4 km branch to Suizenji. Despite proposals to regauge the line to gauge and electrify it, the anticipated development of the area did not occur at an acceptable rate and the line was closed in 1921.
• Minamata Station: The first section of the Yamano line was opened from Kurino (on the Hisatsu Line) 24 km to Yamano in 1921. The 14 km Minamata to Kugino section opened in 1934, and the 10 km Yamano to Satsuma section the following year. In 1937, the 8 km Kugino to Satsuma section, including the Okawa spiral opened. Freight services ceased in 1986, and the line closed in 1988.
• Sendai Station: The Kawamiya Railway commenced construction of a line towards Satsumaoguchi (on the Yamano line) in 1917. Construction was suspended in 1921, and the company was nationalised in 1923. Construction (as the Miyanojo Line) recommenced that year, and the 66 km line opened in stages between 1924 and 1937, closing in 1987.
• Kami Ijuin Station: The Kagoshima Prefectural Government opened a 50 km line to Makurazaki between 1914 and 1931. The JR Ibusuki Makurazaki Line connected when it opened in 1963. The line was closed in 1984 following landslides caused by torrential rain. It had two branch lines: the 16 km Ata to Chiran line opened between 1927 and 1930, and closed by landslides in 1965; and the 3 km Kaseda to Satsuma Man-sei line operated between 1916 and 1962.

Notes and References

1. All trains stop at stations marked "+". Some trains stop at "*". Most trains do not stop at "-". Some rapid/semi rapid trains, however, make stop at all the stations northward from Hakata or Minami-Fukuoka, or southward from Hakata, Futsukaichi, or Kurume.
2. All the trains stop at stations marked "+". Some trains stop at "*". Most trains do not stop at "-". Some Kumamoto Liner rapid trains, however, make stop at all the stations southward from Kumamoto.
3. Through service to Hisatsu Orange Railway Line.
4. Some local trains do not stop at Tabaruzaka.
5. All the trains stop at stations marked "+". Some trains stop at "*". No trains (other than local) stop at "-". Rapid trains always run from Kagoshima-Chūō to Sendai, never the opposite direction. "Liners" here refers to Sawayaka Liner and Ohayō Liner.
6. Book: Free, Dan . Early Japanese Railways 1853–1914: Engineering Triumphs That Transformed Meiji-era Japan . Tuttle Publishing . 2008 . 978-4805310069.