Yamada Line (JR East)
Yamada Line | |||
---|---|---|---|
KiHa 110 series DMU | |||
History | |||
Opened | 10 October 1923 | ||
Technical | |||
Line length | 102.1 km (63.4 mi) | ||
Number of tracks | Entire line single tracked | ||
Character | Rural | ||
Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | ||
Electrification | None | ||
Operating speed | 85 km/h (53 mph) | ||
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The Yamada Line (山田線, Yamada-sen) is a regional railway line in
History
19th to 20th century
The Yamada Line was planned to connect Morioka with the
An extension of the Yamada Line south of Rikuchu-Yamada was planned to be constructed as part of the "Railway from Yamada to Kamaishi to Ofunato in Iwate Prefecture", as defined in Appendix No. 7 of the Revised Railway Construction Act.[2] The extension of the Yamada Line from Rikuchu-Yamada up to Kamaishi was opened by 1939,[2] prior to the outbreak of World War II.
After the opening of the Yamada Line, passenger trains travelling between Morioka and
In November 1946, after the
21st century
The
Ōshida and Asagishi Stations were temporarily closed from January until 15 March 2013 due to low passenger numbers during the winter months.[3] The two stations would later be closed permanently, following the last day of services on 25 March 2016.[4]
Hiratsuto Station was closed permanently on 17 March 2023, owing to declining passenger numbers.
Failed temporary BRT proposals
In February 2012, JR East submitted a proposal to formally close the Yamada Line permanently between Miyako and Kamaishi, and the line's right-of-way converted into a
On 25 September 2013, JR East re-proposed the introduction of BRT on the Yamada Line. In response to criticism of JR East's previous BRT proposal, the new proposal by JR East would have restored four bridges that were washed out by the tsunami, and increased the total length of the dedicated road by approximately 16 km compared to the previous proposal, for a total length of 25.3 km (which is 46% of the distance between Miyako and Kamaishi). However, the four local municipalities again rejected the new proposal.
Transfer to Sanriku Railway
On 31 January 2014, JR East stated that it would bear ¥14 billion of the estimated ¥21 billion cost of restoring the line and facilities to their original state (the remaining ¥7 billion cost would be borne by local authorities and public funds). The restoration of the damaged railway tracks and station buildings, and the cost of ¥500 million to make up for the deficit over 10 years would be borne by JR East, and the damaged section of the Yamada Line would be transferred to Sanriku Railway.[7][8][9] According to JR East, the two lines of Sanriku Railway, which are divided in the north and south, would be connected and operated as a single line, allowing for a "compact, community-based management and a highly sustainable management structure".[10]
Consequently, JR East abandoned its BRT proposals in 2015 and the closed section of the line began to be rebuilt, with the aim of transferring the closed section to Sanriku Railway.[11]
On 23 March 2019, the section of the Yamada Line between Miyako and Kamaishi reopened, and was transferred to the Sanriku Railway, which integrated the section to become part of the Rias Line.[12]
Operation
Service
JR East offers two different services on the Yamada Line:
- Local - Trains stop at all stations along the line, except Hiratsuto Station.
- Rapid Rias - Trains stop at selected stations along the line
Station list
Rapid Rias trains stop at stations marked "●" and skip stations marked "|".
Station | Japanese | Distance (km) | Rapid Rias | Transfers | Location | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Morioka | 盛岡 | 0.0 | ● |
|
Morioka
|
Iwate Prefecture |
Kami-Morioka
|
上盛岡 | 2.8 | ● | |||
Yamagishi | 山岸 | 4.9 | ● | |||
Kami-Yonai
|
上米内 | 9.9 | ● | |||
大志田 | 19.2 | | | ||||
浅岸 | 27.6 | | | ||||
Kuzakai | 区界 | 35.6 | | | Miyako | ||
Matsukusa | 松草 | 43.6 | | | |||
平津戸 | 52.2 | | | ||||
Kawauchi | 川内 | 61.5 | | | |||
Hakoishi | 箱石 | 65.7 | | | |||
Rikuchū-Kawai | 陸中川井 | 73.5 | ● | |||
Haratai | 腹帯 | 82.6 | | | |||
Moichi | 茂市 | 87.0 | ● | |||
Hikime | 蟇目 | 91.5 | | | |||
Kebaraichi | 花原市 | 94.2 | | | |||
Sentoku | 千徳 | 98.8 | ● | |||
Miyako | 宮古 | 102.1 | ● | Sanriku Railway Rias Line |
Footnotes
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Takayuki Haraguchi (24 November 2009). 歴史でめぐる鉄道全路線 国鉄・JR 21号 (in Japanese). Asahi Shimbun Publishing. p. 18. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
- ^ a b c d e "RJNET-JP 鉄道ジャーナル". Railway Journal (in Japanese). 21 (1): 111–112. January 1987. Retrieved 27 February 2021.
- ^ 奥羽・山田線駅を冬季休止へ [Ou & Yamada Line stations to be closed during winter season]. Japan Railfan Magazine. Vol. 53, no. 622. Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. February 2013. p. 163.
- ^ 災害による鉄道運休、震災前の被災区間が全て解消…3月末 [Suspended rail lines - All lines closed before earthquake to be reopened by end of March]. Response (in Japanese). Japan: IID Inc. 1 April 2016. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
- ^ 被災2路線、廃止しバス専用道提案へ JR東、岩手県に [JR East proposes to scrap two lines and convert to bus routes]. The Asahi Shimbun Digital (in Japanese). Japan: The Asahi Shimbun Company. 8 February 2012. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
- ^ a b Company, The Asahi Shimbun (26 June 2012). "山田線「BRTで」 仮復旧、JRが提案 岩手". 朝日新聞デジタル (in Japanese). The Asahi Shimbun. Archived from the original on 14 September 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
- ^ "山田線の無償譲渡検討 JR東日本、あす地元提案" (in Japanese). 30 January 2014. Archived from the original on 17 December 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
- ^ "山田線の被災不通区間、三陸鉄道への運行移管を提案 JR東が岩手県などに". MSN産経ニュース. 31 January 2014. Archived from the original on 17 October 2014.
- ^ Naoki Osaka (2 March 2014). "被災路線を突然移管、JR東が変心した理由". 東洋経済オンライン (in Japanese). Weekly Toyo Keizai: Toyo Keizai. Archived from the original on 16 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
- ^ "移管前の山田線復旧明言 JR東社長「140億円負担」" (in Japanese). 5 February 2014. Archived from the original on 5 February 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
- ^ "Sanriku Railway approaches major turning point on railroad to recovery". The Japan Times Online. 6 April 2018.
- ^ 東日本大震災 復興鉄路つながった 8年ぶり宮古-釜石、三陸鉄道に [Great East Japan Earthquake Railway have been rebuilt and connected after 8 years reconstruction between Miyako-Kamaishi, Sanriku Railway]. mainichi.jp (in Japanese). Japan: The Mainichi Newspapers Co., Ltd. 23 March 2019. Retrieved 24 March 2019.