Tazawako Line

Tazawako Line
Tazawako Line
	Series E6 Shinkansen EMU runs on Tazawako Line
Overview
Native name	田沢湖線
Locale	Iwate, Akita prefectures
Termini	Morioka; Ōmagari;
Stations	18
Service
Type	Heavy rail
Operator(s)	JR East
Rolling stock	701 series
History
Opened	25 June 1921
Technical
Line length	75.6 km (47.0 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Electrification	20,000 V AC, 50 Hz overhead catenary
Operating speed	130 km/h (80 mph)
Route map
Route map

Legend

km

Tōhoku
Shinkansen
│
Tōhoku
Main Line

0.0

Morioka

Yamada Line

Tōhoku
Shinkansen
│
Iwate Galaxy
Railway Line

3.4

6.0

10.5

16.0

18.7

22.0

Hashiba

closed

1944

28.6

Ochizawa signal box

Sengan

Tunnel

3.915 mi

6.301 km

Iwate Prefecture

Akita Prefecture

34.4

Shiodonai signal box

40.1

44.4

52.8

55.3

Akita Nairiku Jūkan Railway

58.8

61.6

64.6

67.9

70.2

72.0

Ōu Main Line

75.6

Ōmagari

Ōu Main Line

The Tazawako Line (田沢湖線, Tazawako-sen) is a railway line operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) connecting Morioka Station in Morioka, Iwate and Ōmagari Station in Daisen, Akita, Japan.

Akita Shinkansen Komachi trains travel over the line, which was regauged in 1997 from 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) to 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in).

History

The section from Morioka to Shizukuishi opened on 25 June 1921, as the Hashiba Light Railway (橋場軽便), and was extended to Hashiba on 2 September 1922.^[1] Services to Hashiba Station ended in the 1940s.

In 1964, the Shizukuishi to Akabuchi section opened, and upon completion of the 3,915 m (2.433 mi) Sengan Tunnel, the Akabuchi to Tazawako section opened on 20 October 1966, completing the line.^[1]

Freight services ceased in 1982, the year the entire line was electrified.^{[citation needed]}

In 1997, the line was converted to 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) gauge, and became part of the Akita Shinkansen, with standard-gauge electric multiple unit (EMU) trains providing local services on the line.

In January 2022 it was announced that Maegata Station would be added between Morioka Station and Ōkama Station.^[2] Maegata station opened for service on 18 March 2023.

Station list

Station	Japanese	Distance (km) from Morioka	Transfers		Location
Morioka	盛岡	0.0	Akita Shinkansen, Tohoku Shinkansen, Tohoku Main Line, Yamada Line Iwate Galaxy Railway Line	v	Morioka	Iwate
Maegata	前潟	3.4		｜	Morioka
Ōkama	大釜	6.0		◇	Takizawa
Koiwai	小岩井	10.5		◇	Takizawa
Shizukuishi	雫石	16.0	Akita Shinkansen	◇	Shizukuishi
Harukiba	春木場	18.7		｜
Akabuchi	赤渕	22.0		◇
Tazawako	田沢湖	40.1	Akita Shinkansen	◇	Senboku	Akita
Sashimaki	刺巻	44.4		◇
Jindai	神代	52.8		◇
Shōden	生田	55.3		｜
Kakunodate	角館	58.8	Akita Shinkansen, Akita Nairiku Jūkan Railway Akita Nairiku Line	◇
Uguisuno	鶯野	61.6		｜	Daisen
Ugo-Nagano	羽後長野	64.6		◇
Yariminai	鑓見内	67.9		｜
Ugo-Yotsuya	羽後四ツ屋	70.2		◇
Kita-Ōmagari	北大曲	72.0		｜
Ōmagari	大曲	75.6	Ōu Main Line, Akita Shinkansen (for Akita)	^

Passing loops

Ōchizawa passing loop (大地沢信号場, Ōchizawa-shingōjō) is a passing loop located in Shizukuishi, Iwate. (39°40′29″N 140°50′31″E / 39.674763°N 140.842074°E / 39.674763; 140.842074)
Shidonai passing loop (志度内信号場, Shidonai-shingōjō) is a passing loop located in Senboku, Akita.(39°41′25″N 140°46′48″E / 39.690316°N 140.780134°E / 39.690316; 140.780134)

Rolling stock

As of 2022, 701-5000 series trains belonging to Akita General Rolling Stock Center are used on this line.

References

^ ^a ^b Ishino, Tetsu, ed. (1998). 停車場変遷大辞典国鉄・JR編 [Station Transition Directory - JNR/JR] (in Japanese). Vol. I. Japan: JTB. p. 75. ISBN 4-533-02980-9.
^ "田沢湖線盛岡駅～大釜駅間の新駅名を「前潟駅」に決定しました" [The new station name between Morioka Station and Okama Station on the Tazawako Line has been decided to be "Maegata Station".] (PDF). jreast.co.jp (in Japanese). 27 January 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2022.

External links

Stations of the Tazawako Line (JR East) (in Japanese)

[teishajo1998-1] Ishino, Tetsu, ed. (1998). 停車場変遷大辞典国鉄・JR編 [Station Transition Directory - JNR/JR] (in Japanese). Vol. I. Japan: JTB. p. 75. ISBN 4-533-02980-9.

[2] "田沢湖線盛岡駅～大釜駅間の新駅名を「前潟駅」に決定しました" [The new station name between Morioka Station and Okama Station on the Tazawako Line has been decided to be "Maegata Station".] (PDF). jreast.co.jp (in Japanese). 27 January 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2022.

[1]

[2]

v t e JR East lines
Shinkansen	Hokuriku Jōetsu Tōhoku Akita Yamagata
Main	Chūō Ōu Shin'etsu Sōbu Tōhoku Tōkaidō Uetsu
Local	Agatsuma Aterazawa Ban'etsu East Ban'etsu West Echigo Gonō Hachikō Hachinohe Hakushin Hanawa Iiyama Ishinomaki Itō Itsukaichi Jōban Jōetsu Kamaishi Karasuyama Kashima Kawagoe Keiyō Kesennuma Kitakami Koumi Kururi Mito Musashino Nambu Narita Negishi Nikkō Ōfunato Oga Ōito Ōme Ōminato Rikuu East Rikuu West (suspended) Ryōmō Sagami Senseki Senzan Shinonoi Sotobō Suigun Tadami Takasaki Tazawako Tōgane Tsugaru Tsurumi Uchibō Utsunomiya Yahiko Yamada Yamanote Yokohama Yokosuka Yonesaka
Others	Chūō Rapid Chūō-Sōbu Gala-Yuzawa Keihin-Tōhoku Saikyō (incl. Akabane) Senseki-Tōhoku Shōnan-Shinjuku Sōbu Rapid Ueno-Tōkyō
Past	Aizu Ashio Iwaizumi Kihara Marumori Mōka Nagai Shin'etsu Main (Shinano / Echigo Tokimeki) Tōhoku Main (Aoimori / Iwate Galaxy)

v t e Transit in Akita Prefecture
JR East	Akita Shinkansen Gonō Line Hanawa Line Kitakami Line Oga Line Ōu Main Line Tazawako Line Uetsu Main Line
Akita Nairiku Jūkan Railway	Akita Nairiku Line
Yuri Kōgen Railway	Chōkai Sanroku Line
Named trains	Akebono Inaho Komachi Nihonkai Resort Shirakami Tsugaru
Bus	Akita Chūō Kōtsū [tl] Shūhoku Bus [ja] Ugo Kōtsū [ja]
Public ferries	Shin Nihonkai Ferry
Misc	Akita Station Akita Airport Odate-Noshiro Airport Ports Akita Funagawa Noshiro
Japan transit: Tokyo Keihanshin Nagoya Fukuoka Hakone Fuji Izu Hokkaido Aomori Sendai Akita Niigata Toyama Nagano Okayama Hiroshima Shikoku Metro systems Shinkansen trams (list) aerial lifts (list)