Sekihoku Main Line

Sekihoku Main Line
Okhotsk limited express train from Sapporo to Abashiri
Overview
Native name	石北本線
Type	Heavy rail
Status	In operation
Locale	Hokkaido
Termini	Shin-Asahikawa Abashiri
Stations	40
Operation
Owner	JR Hokkaido
Operator(s)	JR Hokkaido, JR Freight
Rolling stock	KiHa 50, 183 Series, KiHa 54
Technical
Line length	257.8 km (160.2 mi)
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	None
Operating speed	110 km/h (70 mph)
Route map Sekihoku line map

Sekihoku Main Line
Hakodate Main Line 3.7 Asahikawa Furano Line 1.9 Asahikawa-Yojō 0.0 Shin-Asahikawa Sōya Main Line Freight Branch Line 2.5 Minami-Nagayama 5.2 Higashi-Asahikawa 7.3 Kita-Hinode 10.2 Sakuraoka 13.9 Tōma 17.4 Shōgunzan 19.5 Ikaushi 25.9 Aibetsu Ishikari River 32.0 Naka-Aibetsu Ishikari River 36.0 Aizan 38.0 Antaroma 40.4 Tōun Ishikari River 44.9 Kamikawa 50.5 Tenmaku 57.2 Nakakoshi Signal Box 64.9 Kamikoshi Signal Box Sekihoku Tunnel 73.9 Okushirataki Signal Box 78.9 Kami-Shirataki 82.2 Shirataki 88.3 Kyū-Shirataki 92.7 Shimo-Shirataki 101.9 Maruseppu 106.8 Inaushi 109.7 Setose 113.0 Shin-Sakaeno Nayoro Main Line 120.8 Engaru 128.8 Yasukuni 132.7 Ikuno 137.7 Ikutahara Jōmon Tunnel Jōmon Signal Base 152.7 Kanehana 156.2 Nishi-Rubeshibe 158.2 Rubeshibe 169.1 Ainonai 173.7 Higashi-Ainonai 176.3 Nishi-Kitami Kitami Tunnel Hokkaido Chihoku Kōgen Railway Furusato Ginga Line Kitami Depot 181.0 Kitami 183.7 Hakuyō 185.9 Itoshino 187.3 Tanno 194.6 Hiushinai 206.1 Bihoro Aioi Line 213.1 Nishi-Memambetsu 218.1 Memambetsu 225.9 Yobito Yūmō Line 234.0 Abashiri Senmō Main Line 235.3 Hama-Abashiri

Sekihoku Main Line (石北本線, Sekihoku-honsen) is a Japanese railway line in Hokkaido, Japan, operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido) between Shin-Asahikawa in Asahikawa and Abashiri Station in Abashiri. The name comes from the first Kanji characters of Ishikari Province (石狩国) and Kitami Province (北見国), names of ancient provinces along the line.^[1]

On 19 November 2016, JR Hokkaido's President announced plans to rationalise the network by up to 1,237 km (769 mi), or ~50% of the current network,^[2] including the proposed conversion to Third Sector operation of the Sekihoku Main Line, but if local governments are not agreeable, the line will face closure.

Basic data

• Operators, distances
  • Hokkaido Railway Company (Services and tracks)
    • Whole line, from Shin-Asahikawa to Abashiri: 234.0 km (145.4 mi)
  • Japan Freight Railway Company (Services)
    • From Shin-Asahikawa to Kitami: 181.0 km (112.5 mi)
• Signal boxes: 4
• Track: single
• Block system: Automatic

Services

The Okhotsk limited express train, named after the Sea of Okhotsk, runs from Sapporo to Abashiri four times a day in summer, six times a day in winter.^[3] The limited rapid train Kitami operates between Asahikawa and Kitami, with one return service daily.

Local services along the line are roughly divided into three segments. In the segment between Asahikawa and Kamikawa, the line functions as a commuter rail of Asahikawa City. There is one local train service per one to two hours. The segment between Kamikawa and Engaru is a sparsely populated area. Between Kakikawa and Shirataki, a local train runs one lap per day. For the segment between Engaru and Abashiri, there is one local train service per one to two hours.

Stations

Nishi-Rubeshibe station platform

LE: Limited Express

R: Rapid

All trains stop at stations marked +. Some trains stop at those marked *. No trains (other than local) stop at those marked -.

History

The principal route between Sapporo and Okhotsk Subprefecture has changed several times. Originally, the route was the Hakodate Main Line to Asahikawa, then the southbound Nemuro Main Line and then the northbound line from Ikeda, via the Abashiri Main Line (網走本線, Abashiri-honsen) to Kitami. The route shortened by 53.5 km (33.2 mi) when the section between Takikawa and Furano on the Nemuro Main Line opened in 1913.

Another route, northbound from Asahikawa to Nayoro, then southeast to Kitami was completed as the Nayoro Main Line (名寄本線, Nayoro-honsen) and Yūbetsu Line (湧別線, Yūbetsu-sen) in 1921.

A third route was a shortcut between Asahikawa and Engaru, straight through the Kitami Pass. The Sekihoku Line (石北線, Sekihoku-sen), completed in 1932, finally completed the main route still used today.

The current Sekihoku Main Line consists of the remnants of these three lines. The section between Shin-Asahikawa and Engaru is from the Sekihoku Line, the section between Engaru and Kitami from the Yūbetsu Line, and the section between Kitami and Abashiri from the Abashiri Main Line.

The first of the abovementioned sections to open was from Abashiri to Kitami in 1912. The Kitami to Engaru line was opened between 1912 and 1915 as a 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) gauge line, but was converted to 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge in 1916.

The Asahikawa to Kamikawa section opened between 1922 and 1923, and the Engaru to Shiritaki section between 1927 and 1929. The final section, including the Ishikita tunnel, opened in 1932.

In July 2015, JR Hokkaido announced that it would be closing four stations line (Shimo-Shirataki Station, Kyu-Shirataki Station, Kami-Shirataki Station, and Kanehana Station) in March 2016, due to low passenger usage.^[4]

See also

• List of railway lines in Japan

References

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

External links

• JR Hokkaido official website (in Japanese)
• JR Hokkaido official website (in English)