Koumi Line
| Koumi Line (Yatsugatake Kōgen Line) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 JR East KiHa 110 series DMU on the Koumi Line | |||
| Overview | |||
| Owner | JR East | ||
| Locale | Yamanashi, Nagano prefectures | ||
| Termini | |||
| Stations | 31 | ||
| Service | |||
| Type | Heavy rail | ||
| Rolling stock | KiHa E200, KiHa 110 series DMUs | ||
| History | |||
| Opened | 1919 | ||
| Technical | |||
| Line length | 78.9 km (49.0 mi) | ||
| Track gauge | 1067 | ||
| |||
The Koumi Line (小海線, Koumi-sen) is a railway line in Japan operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It links Kobuchizawa Station in Hokuto, Yamanashi with Komoro Station in Komoro, Nagano, and stretches 78.9 km through the mountains with a total of 31 stations. It roughly follows the route of national route 141, running directly alongside the road at some places and crossing it at least twice.
Stations
All trains stop at all stations.
Some of the stations along the Koumi Line are among the highest in Japan, with Nobeyama Station reaching 1,345 meters above sea level. Because of the frequent stops and winding route the full 78.9 kilometers route often takes as long as two and a half hours to traverse, however the journey is well known for its beautiful scenery.
| Station | Japanese | Distance (km) | Transfers | Location | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Between Stations |
Total | ||||||
| Kobuchizawa | 小淵沢 | - | 0.0 | Chūō Main Line | ∨ | Hokuto | Yamanashi |
| Kai-Koizumi | 甲斐小泉 | 7.1 | 7.1 | ◇ | |||
| Kai-Ōizumi | 甲斐大泉 | 5.1 | 12.2 | ◇ | |||
| Kiyosato | 清里 | 5.3 | 17.5 | ◇ | |||
| Nobeyama | 野辺山 | 5.9 | 23.4 | ◇ | Minamimaki, Minamisaku District | Nagano | |
| Shinano-Kawakami | 信濃川上 | 8.1 | 31.5 | ◇ | Kawakami, Minamisaku | ||
| Saku-Hirose | 佐久広瀬 | 3.4 | 34.9 | ｜ | Minamimaki, Minamisaku | ||
| Saku-Uminokuchi | 佐久海ノ口 | 4.8 | 39.7 | ◇ | |||
| Umijiri | 海尻 | 2.4 | 42.1 | ｜ | |||
| Matsubarako | 松原湖 | 2.7 | 44.8 | ｜ | Koumi, Minamisaku | ||
| Koumi | 小海 | 3.5 | 48.3 | ◇ | |||
| Managashi | 馬流 | 1.6 | 49.9 | ｜ | |||
| Nagano | 高岩 | 1.8 | 51.7 | ｜ | Sakuho, Minamisaku | ||
| Yachiho | 八千穂 | 2.2 | 53.9 | ◇ | |||
| Nagano | 海瀬 | 2.6 | 56.5 | ｜ | |||
| Haguroshita | 羽黒下 | 1.3 | 57.8 | ◇ | |||
| Aonuma | 青沼 | 1.7 | 59.5 | ｜ | Saku | ||
| Usuda | 臼田 | 1.4 | 60.9 | ◇ | |||
| Tatsuokajō | 龍岡城 | 1.2 | 62.1 | ｜ | |||
| Ōtabe | 太田部 | 2.0 | 64.1 | ｜ | |||
| Nakagomi | 中込 | 1.4 | 65.5 | ◇ | |||
| Namezu | 滑津 | 1.0 | 66.5 | ｜ | |||
| Kita-Nakagomi | 北中込 | 1.9 | 68.4 | ｜ | |||
| Iwamurada | 岩村田 | 2.2 | 70.6 | ◇ | |||
| Sakudaira | 佐久平 | 0.9 | 71.5 | Nagano Shinkansen | ｜ | ||
| Nagano | 中佐都 | 0.9 | 72.4 | ｜ | |||
| Nagano | 美里 | 1.4 | 73.8 | ｜ | Komoro | ||
| Mitsuoka | 三岡 | 1.5 | 75.3 | ◇ | |||
| Otome | 乙女 | 1.1 | 76.4 | ｜ | |||
| Higashi-Komoro | 東小諸 | 1.0 | 77.4 | ｜ | |||
| Komoro | 小諸 | 1.5 | 78.9 | Shinano Railway Line | ∧ | ||
Legend
- ◇・∨・∧ - passing loop
- ｜ - no passing loop
History
The section from Komoro to Koumi was opened for service by the private Saku Railway in 1919. The company planned a railway network stretching from Kōfu in the south to Naoetsu and Nagaoka in the north, linking up with the Fuji Minobe Railway to create a coast-to-coast rail line. North of Komoro, Saku Railway obtained a construction permit for a section between Yashiro and Suzaka, but this was transferred to the local Katō Railway (predecessor of the Nagano Electric Railway). Due to World War I construction of the line south of Koumi never began. Instead, the national railway began building the Kobuchizawa — Koumi segment. This, combined with the purchase/nationalization of the remaining segment from Saku Railway, resulted in the current Koumi Line. The entire line opened for service in 1935.
Timeline (1935-Present)
- November 29, 1935: Kiyosato — Shinano-Kawakami section opens; entire line completed. Nobeyama Station opens.
- March 1, 1944: Kubo Station renamed Kita-Nakagomi Station. Namezu Station closed.
- November 11, 1944: Operations stopped at Managashi, Irizawa, Ōnara, and Otome stations.
- March 1, 1952: Second Namezu Station opens. Operations resume at Managashi, Aonuma (formerly Irizawa), Tatsuokajō (formerly Ōnara), Otome stations.
- May 1, 1952: Ōtabe Station opens.
- July 10, 1952: Higashi-Komoro Station opens.
- October 1, 1959: Sakuhozumi Station renamed Yachiho Station.
- October 1, 1963: Sandanda Station renamed Usuda Station.
- February 1, 1984: Freight operations end.
- July 26, 1986: Photo Deck Station opens.[1]
- September 1, 1986: Photo Deck Station closes.
- April 1, 1987: With the privatization and breakup of JNR, line becomes part of East Japan Railway Company (JR East).
- December 1, 1988: Misato Station opens.
- November 8, 1991: KiHa 110 series DMUs begin operation.
- March 14, 1992: Driver-only operation begins.
- October 12, 1995: Iwamurada — Nakasato section elevated.
- October 1, 1997: Sakudaira Station opens.
- July 31, 2007: KiHa E200 series hybrid DMUs begin operation.
See also
Media related to Koumi Line at Wikimedia Commons
References
- ^ 今井恵介監修『日本鉄道旅行地図 6号 北信越』新潮社、2008年、p.41
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