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Meitetsu Kōwa Line

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Meitetsu Kōwa Line
An image of a Meitetsu 5700 series electric multiple unit.
A 5700 series EMU at Handaguchi Station
Overview
Native name名鉄河和線
OwnerMeitetsu
LocaleChita Peninsula
Termini
Stations20
Service
TypeCommuter rail
Technical
Line length28.8 km (17.9 mi)
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Minimum radius280 m
Electrification1,500 V DC, overhead catenary
Operating speed100 km/h (60 mph)
Route map

Legend
Up arrowMeitetsu Tokoname Line to Jingū-mae
0.0
 Ōtagawa (太田川)
Down arrowMeitetsu Tokoname Line to Central Japan International Airport
1.3
 Takayokosuka (高横須賀)
Kagiya-nakanoike (加木屋中ノ池)
4.1
 Minami Kagiya (南加木屋)
5.9
 Yawata-shinden (八幡新田)
7.1
 Tatsumigaoka (巽ヶ丘)
7.9
 Shirasawa (白沢)
Expressway 87
Agui River
National Highway 46
9.5
 Sakabe (坂部)
National Route 464
10.6
 Agui (阿久比)
Aichi Prefectural Route 55
12.2
 Uedai (植大)
Yakachi River
13.2
 Handaguchi (半田口)
14.0
 Sumiyoshichō (住吉町)
National Route 247
14.8
 Chita Handa (知多半田)
15.8
 Narawa (成岩)
National Highway 247
Kobe River
16.8
 Aoyama (青山)
19.0
 Age (上ゲ)
19.8
 Chita Taketoyo (知多武豊)
Up arrowJR Taketoyo Line to Ōbu
Taketoyo
Taketoyo Minato
22.3
 Fuki (富貴)
Down arrowMeitetsu Chita New Line to Utsumi
Futsuto River
25.8
 Kōwaguchi (河和口)
Tokishi (時志駅)
28.8
 Kōwa (河和)

The Meitetsu Kōwa Line (名鉄河和線, Meitetsu Kōwa-sen) is a Japanese railway line connecting Tōkai with Mihama within Aichi Prefecture. It is owned and operated by Meitetsu.

History

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Before Meitetsu ownership

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In the Taisho era, the only railway line connecting eastern Chita peninsula and Nagoya was the Taketoyo Line, which was inconvenient at the time due to its low number of trains.[1][2] Following petitions from local residents[3], Aichi Electric Railways gained approval in December 1912 to build a railway line from Owari Yokosuka Station, which was under construction at the time to Handa.[4] However, the approval expired at the end of 1915 without the construction even beginning due to the economic depression at the time affecting the company.[5][6] In 1924, several influential people in the Handa and Kowa regions planned to establish a company named Chita Electric Railways. The group of people requested technical help from the Aichi Electric Railways, and approval to construct a railway line from Ōtagawa Station to Kowa was gained in 1926. The company renamed to Chita railways in 1927, with Kiyonari Aikawa as the first CEO.[7] The construction for the section between Ōtagawa and Narawa Station began from December 1929. The construction was able to continue despite the Wall Street Crash of 1929 thanks to financial and technical aid from the Aichi Electric Railways[2], and the Chita Electric Railway Co. opened the 15.8km Otagawa - Narawa section for passenger services, electrified at 1500 V DC[8], in 1931. The 10.0km section between Narawa and Kōwaguchi Station opened in 1932.[9] Sumiyoshichō Station, Aoyama Station, and Urashima Station [ja] opened in 1933. The 3.0km extension to Kōwa Station opened in August 1935 due to delays in land acquirement.[8] The company merged into Meitetsu on February 1, 1943[9] with the ratio of 10:7.5, with all trains, infrastructures and employees transferred to Meitetsu. The line renamed to the current name, Kōwa line in 1948.[10]

Under Meitetsu ownership

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Tatsumigaoka Station was opened in July 10, 1955.[11] In 1969, Kagiya Station [ja] between Takayokosuka and Minami Kagiya, Urashima Station [ja] between Chita Taketoyo and Fuki, and Tokishi Station [ja] between Kōwaguchi and Kōwa, which all were suspended during World War ll was abolished.[12] In 1972, Shikainami Station [ja] was merged into Futto Station [ja] and was abolished.[13] The section from Otagawa to Kowaguchi was gradually duplicated from 1960 to 1974. Agui Station was opened on July 21, 1983.[11] Futto Station and Mukuoka Station [ja] was closed in December 16, 2006 due to low ridership. Kagiya-nakanoike Station was built between Takayokosuka and Minami Kagiya,[14] and opened from the start of the revised timetable implemented on 16 March 2024.[15]

Network and operations

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Services

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Prior to the March 2023 revision of timetables, many trains provided through service to Utsumi Station via the Chita New Line, which was drastically reduced after March 2023.[16] Most trains provide through service to Kanayama Station via Tokoname Line. Meitetsu Limited Express [ja] services to Nagoya Station departs from Kōwa every 30 minutes.[17]

Operators

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The line is currently operated by Meitetsu, although it was operated by Chita Railways [ja] and Aichi Electric Railways [ja] before Aichi Electric Railways merged to form Meitetsu, as Meitetsu operated the line after the mergers.[18]

Route

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Meitetsu Kōwa Line branches off Ōtagawa Station to head southeast, running west of Taketoyo Line from Chitahanda to Chita-Taketoyo. The line continues south of the Chita peninsula. Meitetsu Chita New Line branches off southwest into Utsumi Station from Fuki Station. Most of the line is double-tracked, although the section between Kōwaguchi and Kōwa is single-tracked.[19]

Stations

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The line serves 19 stations (18 excluding Ōtagawa) across the length of the line. The three stations, Ōtagawa, Takayokosuka, and Aoyama are elevated while all other stations are built at grade.

No. Name Japanese Between (km) Distance (km) Local Semi Express Express Rapid Express Limited Express Connections Location
TA09 Ōtagawa 太田川 - 0.0 ● ● ● ● ● Meitetsu Tokoname Line Tōkai
KC01 Takayokosuka 高横須賀 1.3 [12] 1.3 ● ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜  
KC02 Kagiya-Nakanoike 加木屋中ノ池 1.4[20] 2.7[20] ● ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜
KC03 Minami Kagiya 南加木屋 1.4[12] 4.1 ● ● ● ● ▲  
KC04 Yawata-shinden 八幡新田 1.8[12] 5.9 ● ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜  
KC05 Tatsumigaoka 巽ヶ丘 1.2[11] 7.1 ● ● ● ● ▲   Chita
KC06 Shirasawa 白沢 0.8[11] 7.9 ● ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜   Agui,
Chita District
KC07 Sakabe 坂部 1.6[11] 9.5 ● ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜  
KC08 Agui 阿久比 1.1[11] 10.6 ● ● ● ● ●  
KC09 Uedai 植大 1.6[21] 12.2 ● ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜  
KC10 Handaguchi 半田口 1.0[21] 13.2 ● ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜   Handa
KC11 Sumiyoshichō 住吉町 0.8[22] 14.0 ● ● ● ● ▲  
KC12 Chita Handa 知多半田 0.8[22] 14.8 ● ● ● ● ● Taketoyo Line (Handa)
KC13 Narawa 成岩 1.0[22] 15.8 ● ● ● ● ｜  
KC14 Aoyama 青山 1.0[22] 16.8 ● ● ● ● ● Taketoyo Line (Higashi-Narawa)
KC15 Age 上ゲ 2.2[22] 19.0 ● ｜ ｜ ｜ ｜   Taketoyo,
Chita District
KC16 Chita Taketoyo 知多武豊 0.8[22] 19.8 ● ● ● ● ● Taketoyo Line (Taketoyo)
KC17 Fuki 富貴 2.5[23] 22.3 ● ● ● ● ● Meitetsu Chita New Line
KC18 Kōwaguchi 河和口 3.5[23] 25.8 ● ● ● ● ●   Mihama,
Chita District
KC19 Kōwa 河和 3.0[23] 28.8 ● ● ● ● ●  
  • The line passes through Higashiura between Yawata-shinden station and Tatsumigaoka station, but no stations exists in the town.

Infrastructure

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Rolling stocks

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Accessibility

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Several stations on the line have been upgraded to feature ramps, lifts, and elevators due to requests from passing municipalities.[24]

Others

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References

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  1. ^ Tokuda 2013, pp. 153.
  2. ^ a b Aoki 1986, pp. 73.
  3. ^ Meitetsu 1961, pp. 153.
  4. ^ Meitetsu 1961, pp. 149–150.
  5. ^ "国立国会図書館デジタルコレクション". dl.ndl.go.jp. Retrieved 2024-10-25.
  6. ^ Meitetsu 1961, pp. 155–156.
  7. ^ Meitetsu 1961, pp. 302.
  8. ^ a b Meitetsu 1961, pp. 303.
  9. ^ a b Aoki 1986, pp. 81.
  10. ^ Meitetsu 1961, pp. 304.
  11. ^ a b c d e f Shimizu 2016, pp. 139.
  12. ^ a b c d Shimizu 2016, pp. 138.
  13. ^ Meitetsu 1994, pp. 873.
  14. ^ "名鉄河和線「加木屋中ノ池」高横須賀～南加木屋間の新駅、駅名決定" ["Kagiya Nakanoike" will be the new station between Taka Yokosuka and Minami Kagiya on the Meitetsu Kowa Line]. MyNavi Corporation (in Japanese). 22 December 2022. Archived from the original on 22 December 2022. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  15. ^ "名鉄河和線に加木屋中ノ池駅が開業" [Kagiya-nakanoike Station opened on the Meitetsu Kowa Line]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 17 March 2024. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  16. ^ "名鉄3/18ダイヤ改正 - 知多新線・河和線で9～20時台の直通運転廃止". マイナビニュース (in Japanese). 2023-01-17. Retrieved 2024-10-26.
  17. ^ "名鉄河和線(太田川〜河和)の時刻表 - 駅探". ekitan.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-10-26.
  18. ^ Shimizu 2016, pp. 136–137.
  19. ^ Shimizu 2016, pp. 136.
  20. ^ a b "河和線新駅の駅名を「加木屋中ノ池」に決定しました" (PDF) (in Japanese).
  21. ^ a b Shimizu 2016, pp. 140.
  22. ^ a b c d e f Shimizu 2016, pp. 141.
  23. ^ a b c Shimizu 2016, pp. 142.
  24. ^ "名古屋鉄道". 名古屋鉄道 (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-10-30.

Bibliography

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  • Tokuda, Kōichi (May 2013). 名鉄電車 昭和ノスタルジー [Meitetsu trains Showa nostalgia] (in Japanese). JTB Publishing.
  • Aoki, Eichi (December 1986). 名古屋鉄道のあゆみ -その路線網の形成と地域開発- [History of Nagoya Railroad -The company's railway lines and regional developments-] (in Japanese). DENKISYA KENKYUKAI.
  • 名古屋鉄道社史 [History of Nagoya Railroad] (in Japanese). Nagoya Railroad. May 1961.
  • Shimizu, Takeshi (March 24, 2016). 名古屋鉄道　各駅停車 [Nagoya Railroad every stop] (in Japanese). Yosensha.
  • 名古屋鉄道百年史 [Hundred years of Nagoya Railroad] (in Japanese). Nagoya Railroad. 1994.
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