| Sasshō Line | |
| Other Name: | Gakuentoshi Line |
| Native Name: | 札沼線 |
| Native Name Lang: | ja |
| Color: | 008000 |
| Locale: | Hokkaido |
| Stations: | 14 |
| Open: | 1931 |
| Event1label: | Electrified |
| Event1: | 2012 ( -) |
| Close: | 19 June 1972 ( -) 7 May 2020 ( -) |
| Owner: | JR Hokkaido |
| Linelength: | 28.9km (18miles) |
| Tracks: | Double ( -) Single (elsewhere) |
| Linenumber: | G |
| Electrification: | 20 kV AC overhead line |
| Speed: | 85 km/h (53 mph) |
The is a railway line in Japan operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido), which connects in Sapporo and in Tōbetsu, Ishikari District. Its name is made up of two characters from and, the latter of which was the terminus of the line until it was relocated to Shin-Totsukawa in 1972.
On 19 November 2016, JR Hokkaido's president announced plans to further rationalise the network by up to 1237km (769miles), or ~50% of the current network,.[1] The non-electrified section of the Line was permanently closed on 17 April 2020.
All trains, include through trains from other lines, are local trains. Sometimes, trains may skip ROYCE' Town station (marked "◌").
| No. | Name | Japanese | Between (km) | Distance (km) | Transfers | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sapporo to Sōen: officially Hakodate Main Line | ||||||
| 札幌 | (-1.6) | Kita-ku, Sapporo | ||||
| 桑園 | 1.6 | 0.0 | Hakodate Main Line (for) | Chūō-ku, Sapporo | ||
| Sasshō Line ↓ Electrified section | ||||||
| 八軒 | 2.2 | 2.2 | Nishi-ku, Sapporo | |||
| 新川 | 1.5 | 3.7 | Kita-ku, Sapporo | |||
| 新琴似 | 1.9 | 5.6 | Namboku Line | |||
| 太平 | 1.7 | 7.3 | ||||
| 百合が原 | 1.3 | 8.6 | ||||
| 篠路 | 1.6 | 10.2 | ||||
| 拓北 | 2.0 | 12.2 | ||||
| あいの里教育大 | 1.4 | 13.6 | ||||
| あいの里公園 | 1.5 | 15.1 | ||||
| ROYCE' Town ◌ | ロイズタウン | 2.8 | 17.9 | Tōbetsu, Ishikari District | ||
| 太美 | 1.4 | 19.3 | ||||
| 当別 | 6.6 | 25.9 | ||||
| -style="border-bottom:seagreen 3px solid;" | 北海道医療大学 | 3.0 | 28.9 | |||
| Name | Japanese | Between (km) | Distance (km) | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ↓ Unelectrified section | ||||
| 石狩金沢 | 2.2 | 31.1 | Tōbetsu Ishikari District | |
| 本中小屋 | 4.5 | 35.6 | ||
| 中小屋 | 3.2 | 38.8 | ||
| 月ヶ岡 | 2.8 | 41.6 | Tsukigata, Kabato District | |
| 知来乙 | 2.6 | 44.2 | ||
| 石狩月形 | 2.1 | 46.3 | ||
| 豊ヶ岡 | 4.7 | 51.0 | ||
| 札比内 | 2.5 | 53.5 | ||
| 晩生内 | 4.5 | 58.0 | Urausu, Kabato District | |
| 札的 | 2.9 | 60.9 | ||
| 浦臼 | 1.8 | 62.7 | ||
| 鶴沼 | 3.4 | 66.1 | ||
| 於札内 | 1.8 | 67.9 | ||
| 南下徳富 | 1.5 | 69.4 | Shintotsukawa, Kabato District | |
| 下徳富 | 2.1 | 71.5 | ||
| 新十津川 | 5.0 | 76.5 | ||
As of April 2020, the following electric multiple unit (EMU) rolling stock is used on the Sasshō Line.
Prior to the 27 October 2012 timetable revision, and closures on 17 April 2020, the following diesel multiple unit (DMU) and EMU rolling stock was used on the Sasshō Line.[2]
The first part of the line to open was the northern (and now closed) section between Ishikari-Numata (on the Rumoi Main Line) to Nakatoppu (present-day). This opened on 10 October 1931, and was initially named the .[3] This line was extended southward from Nakatoppu to Urausu on 10 October 1934, and the Soen to Ishikari-Tobetsu section, initially named, opened on 20 November 1934.[3] The section between Urausu and Ishikari-Tobetsu opened on 3 October 1935, linking the north and south lines, which were unified as the "Sasshō Line".[3]
Nakatoppu Station was renamed Shin-Totsukawa in 1953.
The section between Shin-Totsukawa and Ishikari-Numata was closed on 1 April 1972.[3]
With the privatization of JNR on 1 April 1987, ownership of line was transferred to JR Hokkaido.[3]
The section between Hachiken and Ainosato-Kyoikudai was double-tracked between 1995 and 2000.
The line was electrified over the 28.9 km section from Sōen Station to Hokkaidō-Iryōdaigaku Station in 2012, with engineering work completed by March 2012. New 733 series EMUs were introduced from June 2012,[4] with all trains operated using EMUs from the start of the revised timetable on 27 October 2012.[5]
JR Hokkaido had been planning to permanently close the section between Hokkaido-Iryodaigaku and Shin-Totsukawa on 7 May 2020, but the company moved closure forward to 17 April due to the COVID-19 outbreak.[6]