Hokuhoku Line

Hokuhoku Line
Hokuhoku Line
	A 681 series Hakutaka limited express train at Mushigawa-Ōsugi Station, September 2014
Overview
Owner	Hokuetsu Express
Locale	Niigata Prefecture
Termini	Muikamachi; Saigata;
Stations	12
Technical
Line length	59.5 km (37.0 mi)
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	1,500 V DC overhead catenary
Operating speed	130 km/h (80 mph)
Route map
Route map

The Hokuhoku Line (ほくほく線, Hokuhoku-sen) is a Japanese railway line in Niigata Prefecture, between Muikamachi in Minamiuonuma and Saigata in Jōetsu. This is the only railway line Hokuetsu Express (北越急行, Hokuetsu Kyūkō) operates. Construction began in 1968 by the Japanese National Railways (JNR), and it was finally completed as a third sector line in 1997, including the 10,472 m (6.5 mi) Akakura Tunnel, the longest on a non-JR line.

Unlike most other third sector company lines, the line made steady profits. Until the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen in 2015, the shortest rail link between Kantō and Hokuriku was to take the Jōetsu Shinkansen to Echigo-Yuzawa and then transfer to the Hakutaka express service on the Hokuhoku Line. The previous maximum line speed of 160 km/h (100 mph) made the Hakutaka the fastest narrow gauge service in the country, matched only by the standard gauge Keisei Skyliner services to Narita Airport as the fastest non-Shinkansen service (also at 160 km/h), however this was reduced to 130 km/h (80 mph) on 14 March 2015 following the withdrawal of Hakutaka services on the line.^[1]

Services

Upon the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen on 14 March 2015, the thirteen express services in each direction^[2] of the Hokuhoku Line, which had run from 1997 with an average daily ridership of 6,900 passengers, were cancelled^[3] and replaced by a daily special rapid service in each direction. Since then the services are:^[4]

14 local services each day
An early morning and evening rapid service from Naoetsu to Echigo-Yuzawa with a lunchtime service in the opposite direction
A single special rapid service, from Echigo-Yuzawa to Naoetsu in the morning returning in the evening
Two additional or extended Yumezora local services on the weekends and public holidays

Passing loops

There are three passing loops on the Hokuhoku Line. Each has one bi-directional through track to allow full line speed.

Akakura

Between Uonumakyūryō and Misashima in Tōkamachi, Niigata. It is in the 10472m Akakura tunnel.

Yakushitōge

Between Tōkamachi and Matsudai in Tōkamachi, Niigata. It is in the 6199m Yakushitōge tunnel.

Gimyō

Between Matsudai and Hokuhoku-Ōshima in Tōkamachi, Niigata. It is in the 9130m Nabetachiyama tunnel(ja:鍋立山トンネル).

Stations

The Hokuhoku line is entirely in Niigata Prefecture.

Service patterns:
- ● All trains stop
- ○ Some trains stop
- ｜ All trains pass
- ＊ Seasonal stop
Track:
- ∥: Double-track section
- ∧: Double-track section begins
- ∨: Double-track section ends
- ｜: Single-track section
- ◇: Passing loop

Line	Name		Distance	Local	Rapid	Cho Rapid	Transfers	Track	Location
Jōetsu Line	Echigo-Yuzawa	越後湯沢	17.6	●	●	●	Jōetsu Shinkansen JR East: ■ Jōetsu Line (for Minakami)	∥	Yuzawa
	Ishiuchi	石打	11.2	｜	｜	｜		∥	Minamiuonuma
	Ōsawa	大沢	7.2	｜	｜	｜		∥
	Jōetsu International Skiing Ground	上越国際スキー場前	6.2	＊	＊	｜		∥
	Shiozawa	塩沢	3.9	○	○	｜		∥
	Muikamachi	六日町	0.0	●	●	○	JR East: ■ Jōetsu Line (for Urasa)	∨
Hokuhoku Line	Uonuma-Kyūryō	魚沼丘陵	3.6	●	｜	｜		｜
	Misashima	美佐島駅	12.2	●	｜	｜		｜	Tōkamachi
	Shinza	しんざ	14.4	●	｜	｜		｜
	Tōkamachi	十日町	15.9	●	●	●	JR East: ■ Iiyama Line	◇
	Matsudai	まつだい	29.2	●	●	○		◇
	Hokuhoku-Ōshima	ほくほく大島	38.6	●	●	｜		｜	Jōetsu
	Mushigawa-Ōsugi	虫川大杉	44.8	●	●	○		◇
	Uragawara	うらがわら	46.8	●	●	｜		｜
	Ōike-Ikoi-no-mori	大池いこいの森	51.7	○	｜	｜		｜
	Kubiki	くびき	53.6	●	●	｜		◇
Shin'etsu Main Line	Saigata	犀潟	59.5	●	●	｜	JR East: ■ Shin'etsu Main Line {for Niigata)	∧
	Kuroi	黒井駅	63.9	○	○	｜		∥
	Naoetsu	直江津	66.6	●	●	●	Echigo Tokimeki Railway: ■ Nihonkai Hisui Line, ■ Myōkō Haneuma Line	∥

References

^ Itō, Kumi. Transformation underwent at Hokuetsu Express, Railway Fan, Issue 670, Kōyūsha, February 2017, p. 68-73.
^ https://web.archive.org/web/20130516162403/http://hokuhoku-line.jp/2_time/2013_kudari_en.pdf
^ https://web.archive.org/web/20140827091047/http://www.hokuhoku.co.jp/1osirase/press-release/2014_0827_press.pdf
^ http://hokuhoku-line.jp/pdf/2015jikoku.pdf

This article also incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia

External links

[1] Itō, Kumi. Transformation underwent at Hokuetsu Express, Railway Fan, Issue 670, Kōyūsha, February 2017, p. 68-73.

[2] ttps://web.archive.org/web/20130516162403/http://hokuhoku-line.jp/2_time/2013_kudari_en.pdf

[3] ttps://web.archive.org/web/20140827091047/http://www.hokuhoku.co.jp/1osirase/press-release/2014_0827_press.pdf

[4] ttp://hokuhoku-line.jp/pdf/2015jikoku.pdf

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v t e Transit in Niigata Prefecture
JR East	Jōetsu Shinkansen ■Banetsu West Line ■Echigo Line ■Hakushin Line ■Iiyama Line ■Jōetsu Line ■Shinetsu Main Line ■Tadami Line ■Uetsu Main Line ■Yahiko Line ■Yonesaka Line
JR West	Hokuriku Shinkansen ■Ōito Line
Echigo Tokimeki Railway	■Myōkō Haneuma Line (former Shinetsu Main Line) ■Nihonkai Hisui Line (former Hokuriku Main Line)
Hokuetsu Express	■Hokuhoku Line
Aizu Tetsudo	■ Aizu Line
Named trains	Inaho Shirayuki Banetsu Monogatari Koshino ShuKura* Kirakira Uetsu Oykot Genbi Shinkansen Setsugekka
Bus	Bandai-bashi Line Niigata Kotsu Echigo Kotsu Kubiki Motor
Public ferries	Sado Steam Ship Awashima-Line Shin Nihonkai Ferry
Misc	Niigata Station Cards Suica Ryuto Niigata Airport
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