Mine Line

The Mine Line (美祢線, Mine-sen) (pronounced 'Mee-nay') is a railway line of West Japan Railway Company connecting San'yō-Onoda and Nagato within Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan.

History

The Sanyo Railway Co. opened the Asa - Minami-Omine section in 1905 to haul coal. The company was nationalised in 1906, and the Japanese Government Railway (JGR) extend the line to Mine in 1909.

The Mine Light Railway Co. opened the Mine - Shigeyasu section in 1916. That company was nationalised in 1920, and the JGR opened the section to Ofuku the same year. The line was extended to Nagato in 1924, completing the line.

Freight services ceased in 1984, except for limestone haulage from Shigeyasu, which ceased in 2009.

Due to heavy rainstorm flooding in July 2010, service was suspended. Despite estimates that repairs would take up to 3 years to complete, the Mine Line was restored to full service on September 26, 2011, in time for the 66th National Sports Festival, "Oidemase Yamaguchi Kokutai," which began in October 2011.

Route data

• Operating Company:
  • West Japan Railway Company (Services and tracks)
• Distance:
  • Asa — Nagata: 46km
• Gauge: 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
• Stations: 12
• Double-tracking: None
• Electrification: Not electrified
• Railway signalling:
  • automatic occlusive (special)

Stations

All stations are in Yamaguchi Prefecture.

Name		Distance (km)	Connections	Location
Asa	厚狭	0.0	JR West: Sanyō Shinkansen, Sanyō Main Line	San'yō-Onoda
Kimanoshō S.B.	鴨ノ庄信号	(2.0)
Yunotō	湯ノ峠	4.2
Atsu	厚保	10.2		Mine
Shirōgahara	四郎ヶ原	13.2
Minami-Ōmine	南大嶺	16.9
Mine	美祢	19.4
Shigeyasu	重安	22.3
Ofuku	於福	27.2
Shibuki	渋木	37.1		Nagato
Nagatoyumoto	長門湯本	41.0
Itamochi	板持	43.3
Nagatoshi	長門市	46.0	JR West San'in Main Line

See also

• List of railway lines in Japan

References

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

External links

Media related to Mine Line at Wikimedia Commons

• Notice on schedule of substitution bus services (JR West) Template:Ja icon