Nanao Line

The is a railway line in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) and the Noto Railway. It runs between Tsubata Station in Tsubata and Anamizu Station in Anamizu.

JR West operates the section between Tsubata and Template:STN, while the Noto Railway (the second company with this name, see Former connecting lines section below) operates the section between Template:STN and Anamizu. The section between Wakuraonsen and Nanao is served by both companies. A further section of the line between Anamizu and Template:STN closed in 2001.

Before the transfer of the Wakuraonsen — Wajima section from JR West to Noto Railway in 1991, Noto Railway took control of another former Japanese National Railways (JNR) line in 1988, the Noto Line. It closed in 2005.

In 2015, the IR Ishikawa Railway took over the Hokuriku Main Line at Tsubata, effectively isolating the Nanao Line from the rest of the JR network; however, all JR West Nanao Line services continue to run through into the IR Ishikawa Railway to terminate at Kanazawa.

JR West

JR West owns the entire Nanao Line between Tsubata and Anamizu, but it only operates the southern section while Noto Railway operates the rest of the line.

Nearly all local and rapid trains run between Nanao and Kanazawa or Komatsu. Between Nanao and Anamizu, only Noto Railway operates local trains.

Basic data

• Operators, distances:
  • West Japan Railway Company (Tracks)
    • Tsubata — Anamizu:
  • West Japan Railway Company (Services)
    • Tsubata — Wakuraonsen:
  • Noto Railway (Services)
    • Nanao — Wakuraonsen:
• Stations: 20
• Tracks: Entire line single-tracked
• Electrification: Tsubata — Wakuraonsen (1,500 V DC)
• Railway signalling:
  • Tsubata — Wakuraonsen: Simplified automatic

Stations

The Nanao Line is entirely within Ishikawa Prefecture.

Station	Japanese	Distance (km)		Noto Kagaribi	Rapid	Transfers	Location
		Between stations	Total
Template:STN	津幡	0.0	0.0	▲	●	IR Ishikawa Railway Line	Tsubata, Kahoku District
Template:STN	中津幡	1.8	1.8	｜	｜
Template:STN	本津幡	1.1	2.9	｜	｜
Template:STN	能瀬	2.2	5.1	｜	｜
Template:STN	宇野気	3.7	8.8	●	●		Kahoku
Template:STN	横山	3.0	11.8	｜	｜
Template:STN	高松	2.6	14.4	▲	●
Template:STN	免田	3.4	17.8	｜	｜		Hōdatsushimizu, Hakui District
Template:STN	宝達	3.1	20.9	｜	●
Template:STN	敷浪	3.3	24.2	｜	｜
Template:STN	南羽咋	2.5	26.7	｜	｜		Hakui
Template:STN	羽咋	3.0	29.7	●	●
Template:STN	千路	4.1	33.8	｜	▲
Template:STN	金丸	3.7	37.5	｜	▲		Nakanoto, Kashima District
Template:STN	能登部	3.6	41.1	｜	●
Template:STN	良川	2.8	43.9	▲	●
Template:STN	能登二宮	2.2	46.1	｜	▲
Template:STN	徳田	2.8	48.9	｜	▲		Nanao
Template:STN	七尾	5.5	54.4	●	●	Noto Railway Nanao Line
Template:STN	和倉温泉	5.1	59.5	●		Noto Railway Nanao Line

Rapid trains stop at stations marked with a "●". Of trains bound for Template:STN, some stop at stations marked with a "▲" while all stop at stations marked "■". All rapid trains pass stations marked "｜".

Rolling stock

Electric

• 681 series (JR West)
• 683 series (JR West)
• 521-100 series (JR West and IR Ishikawa Railway) (from 3 October 2020)

Diesel

• KiHa 48 (JR West) (Hanayome Noren)
• NT 200 series (Noto Railway) (Nanao - Wakuraonsen)
• NT 300 series (Noto Railway) (Nanao - Wakuraonsen)

Noto Railway

File:NT200 at Anamizu Station bound for Nanao.jpg

Noto Railway NT200 series DMU at Anamizu Station

The Noto Railway section is not electrified (except for the section shared with JR West) and operates local trains only. Between Nanao and Anamizu, only Noto Railway operates local trains; there is no through service to the JR West-operated part of the line south of Nanao.

In addition, which is a tourist train, has been run on holidays since 2017. The trains stop at all stations and seats can be reserved for 500 yen. There are also dining cars on partly services.

Basic data

• Operators, distances:
  • West Japan Railway Company (Tracks)
    • Tsubata — Anamizu:
  • Noto Railway (Services)
    • Nanao — Anamizu:
• Stations: 8
• Tracks: Entire line single-tracked
• Electrification: Nanao — Wakuraonsen (1,500 V DC)
• Railway signalling:
  • Nanao — Anamizu: Simplified automatic

Stations

The Nanao Line is entirely within Ishikawa Prefecture.

Station	Japanese	Distance (km)		Noto Satoyama-Satoumi	Transfers	Location
		Between stations	Total
Template:STN	Template:Category handler	-	0.0	●	JR West Nanao Line	Nanao
Template:STN	Template:Category handler	5.1	5.1	●	JR West Nanao Line
Template:STN	Template:Category handler	3.5	8.6	↕
Template:STN	Template:Category handler	4.1	12.7	↕
Template:STN	Template:Category handler	3.6	16.3	●
Template:STN	Template:Category handler	6.2	22.5	↕
Template:STN	Template:Category handler	4.3	26.8	↕		Anamizu, Hōsu District
Template:STN	Template:Category handler	6.3	33.1	●

History

The section between Tsubata Station (now Hon-Tsubata Station) and Yatashin Station (later renamed Nanaominato Station and closed in 1984) via Nanao Station was constructed and opened by the on April 24, 1898. The terminal in Tsubata was moved to the present Tsubata Station on August 2, 1900, and connected to the government-owned Hokuriku Main Line. Nanao Railway was nationalized on September 1, 1907.

The line was extended and had been operated by the Japanese Government Railways. In 1925, the Nanao to Wakura (now Wakuraonsen) section opened, and in 1935 the line was completed with the opening of the Anamizu to Wajima section. In 1991, the Nanao Line was electrified to Wakuraonsen, enabling through operation of trains from the Hokuriku Main Line. Operation of the Nanao to Wajima section was transferred to the Noto Railway. In 2001, the section between Anamizu and Wajima was closed.

File:JRW-Series413 Nanao-line.jpg

A JR 413 series train on the Notoninomiya station in January 2018

See also

• List of railway companies in Japan
• List of railway lines in Japan

External links

• Noto Railway official website Template:In lang