Nagasaki Main Line
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The Nagasaki Main Line (長崎本線 Nagasaki hon sen?), or simply Nagasaki Line, runs from Tosu Station in Saga Prefecture to Nagasaki Station in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. There is a separate branch of this line which runs from Kikitsu Station to Urakami Station by way of Nagayo Station. There are currently plans for the western Nagasaki branch of the Kyushu Shinkansen to run from Hizen-Yamaguchi Station to Isahaya Station, parallel to the existing track.
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[edit] Route data
- Operator and route length:
- Gauge: 1,067 mm
- Stations: 41 (including special stations)
- Double track:
- Tosu - Hizen-Yamaguchi
- Isahaya - Kikitsu
- Urakami - Nagasaki
- Electrification:
- Tosu - Nagasaki (20,000 V - 60 Hz)
- Kikitsu - Nagayo - Urakami (not electrified)
- Closure system: Automatic
- Operational Command: Hakata Integrated Command Center
[edit] Route features
- There is single track rather than double track between Kashima Station and Nagasaki Station because of high construction cost due to the geography of the area. Furthermore, because it runs along a complicated coast there are many curves.
- The old line (旧線) is the branch of the Nagasaki Main Line which existed before the opening of the new line, and runs from Kikitsu Station to Urakami Station by way of Nagayo Station. Before the opening of the new line, express and limited express trains ran on this track. You can see vestiges of this at Michinō Station and other stations on the old line.
- The new line (新線) is the branch of the Nagasaki Main Line that is electrified, runs through Nagasaki Tunnel, and goes from Isahaya Station to Urakami Station by way of Ichinuno Station.
[edit] Operation
[edit] Limited express trains
The limited express Kamome operates on the Nagasaki Main Line. The merged limited express Midori/Huis Ten Bosch operates east of Hizen-Yamaguchi Station. From Isahaya to Urakami the limited express trains run on the new line.
Overnight sleeper trains such as the Sakura (between Tokyo and Nagasaki) and Akatsuki (between Kyoto and Nagasaki) have all been discontinued as of 2008.
[edit] Regional trains
Other than trains that are operated on the entire Nagasaki Line, there are trains which operate in specific sections, such as from Tosu to Hizen-Kashima, and trains which continue on to other lines.
- In the morning, from Hizen-Nanaura Station, there is a direct train to Mojikō Station (on the Kagoshima Main Line).
- The new line from Isahaya to Nagasaki uses EMUs, but the old line, including direct trains to the Omura Line, uses DMUs. However, the rapid service train Seaside Liner, despite being a DMU, uses the new line.
- Between Hizen-Nanaura Station and Yue Station, because it is a relatively inactive part of the line, local trains only run for about five hours into the daytime after the morning rush.
- Driver-only trains are operated on the entire Nagasaki Line. On the new line, the 817 series EMU is used, and on the old line, the KiHa 66, 67, and 200 DMUs are used.
[edit] Freight trains
Freight trains are operated between Tosu and Nabeshima. High-speed freight trains make three round trips a day from Tosu Freight Terminal to Nabeshima. The electric locomotive used is the Class ED76. Freight trains only arrive and depart from Nabeshima station.
[edit] Rolling stock
- 783 series (Kamome, Midori, Huis ten Bosch)
- 885 series (Kamome)
- 811 series
- 813 series
- 817 series
- 415 series
- KiHa 66/67 DMUs (Seaside Liner)
- KiHa 200 DMUs (Seaside Liner)
[edit] History
In 1907, the Railway Nationalization Act was passed in Japan, nationalizing all railways. This act provided that the Ariake Line be extended from Tosu to Isahaya by way of Kashima. It also provided that a new line be built from Kikitsu to Urakami by way of Nagasaki. This was all completed in 1934, and the line was renamed the Nagasaki Main Line.
[edit] Stations
[edit] New Line (by way of Ichinuno)
- ●：Always stops ▲：Sometimes stops ｜：Does not stop
| Station | Japanese | Distance from Tosu (km) | Express Seaside Liner |
Connecting Lines, Notes | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tosu | 鳥栖 | 0.0 | JR Kyushu：Kagoshima Main Line | Saga Prefecture | Tosu | |
| Shin-Tosu | 新鳥栖 | 2.0 | JR Kyushu：Kyushu Shinkansen （under construction） scheduled to open 2011 |
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| Hizen-Fumoto | 肥前麓 | 4.2 | ||||
| Nakabaru | 中原 | 8.5 | Miyaki | |||
| Yoshinogari-kōen | 吉野ヶ里公園 | 13.1 | Yoshinogari | |||
| Kanzaki | 神埼 | 15.7 | Kanzaki | |||
| Igaya | 伊賀屋 | 20.2 | Saga | |||
| Saga | 佐賀 | 25.0 | ||||
| Nabeshima | 鍋島 | 28.0 | ||||
| Balloon Saga | バルーンさが | 29.8 | only operational during the Saga International Balloon Fiesta | |||
| Kubota | 久保田 | 31.4 | JR Kyushu：Karatsu Line | Kubota | ||
| Ushizu | 牛津 | 34.2 | Ogi | |||
| Hizen-Yamaguchi | 肥前山口 | 39.6 | JR Kyushu：Sasebo Line | Kōhoku | ||
| Hizen-Shiroishi | 肥前白石 | 44.7 | Shiroishi | |||
| Hizen-Ryūō | 肥前竜王 | 49.4 | ||||
| Hizen-Kashima | 肥前鹿島 | 54.6 | Kashima | |||
| Hizen-Hama | 肥前浜 | 57.6 | ||||
| Hizen-Nanaura | 肥前七浦 | 61.5 | ||||
| Hizen-Iida | 肥前飯田 | 63.6 | ||||
| Tara | 多良 | 67.7 | Tara | |||
| Hizen-Ōura | 肥前大浦 | 75.6 | ||||
| Konagai | 小長井 | 82.3 | Nagasaki Prefecture | Isahaya | ||
| Nagasato | 長里 | 84.7 | ||||
| Yue | 湯江 | 87.6 | ||||
| Oe | 小江 | 90.9 | ||||
| Hizen-Nagata | 肥前長田 | 95.6 | ||||
| Higashi-Isahaya | 東諫早 | 97.8 | Continues to Ōmura Line | |||
| Isahaya | 諫早 | 100.4 | ● | JR Kyushu：Ōmura Line Shimabara Railway：Shimabara Railway Line |
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| Nishi-Isahaya | 西諫早 | 103.2 | ▲ | |||
| Kikitsu | 喜々津 | 106.9 | ● | JR Kyushu：Nagasaki Main Line (old line via Nagayo) | ||
| Ichinuno | 市布 | 109.4 | ▲ | |||
| Hizen-Koga | 肥前古賀 | 112.3 | ▲ | Nagasaki | ||
| Utstsugawa | 現川 | 114.8 | ▲ | |||
| Urakami | 浦上 | 123.7 | ● | JR Kyushu：Nagasaki Main Line (old line via Nagayo) Nagasaki Tramway：Main Line (本線) |
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| Nagasaki | 長崎 | 125.3 | ● | Nagasaki Tramway：Main Line (本線), Sakura-machi Line (桜町支線) | ||
[edit] Old Line (via Nagayo)
| Station | Japanese | Distance from Kikitsu | Connecting Lines | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kikitsu | 喜々津 | 0.0 | JR Kyushu：Nagaski Main Line （new line via Ichinuno） | Nagasaki Prefecture | Isahaya |
| Higashi-Sono | 東園 | 3.5 | |||
| Ōkusa | 大草 | 7.2 | |||
| Honkawachi | 本川内 | 12.3 | Nagayo | ||
| Nagayo | 長与 | 15.4 | |||
| Kōda | 高田 | 16.4 | |||
| Michinō | 道ノ尾 | 18.9 | |||
| Nishi-Urakami | 西浦上 | 20.6 | Nagasaki | ||
| Urakami | 浦上 | 23.5 | JR Kyushu：Nagasaki Main Line （new line via Ichinuno） Nagasaki Tramway：Main Line |
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