Sekihoku Main Line

is a railway line in Hokkaido, Japan, operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido) between Template:STN in Asahikawa and Abashiri Station in Abashiri. The name comes from the first Kanji characters of and , names of 19th century provinces along the line.

On 19 November 2016, JR Hokkaido's President announced plans to rationalise the network by up to , or ~50% of the current network, 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:
  • Japan Freight Railway Company (Services)
    • From Shin-Asahikawa to Kitami:
• 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 with two daily return workings. The Taisetsu limited express train runs from Asahikawa to Abashiri with two return workings daily. 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 Kamikawa 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

LE: Limited Express Okhotsk/Taisetsu

LR: Limited Rapid Kitami

All non-local trains stop at stations marked +, Some stop at those marked *, No such trains (other than local) stop at those marked -. Local trains may skip stations marked ◌.

Station			Distance (km)	LE	LR	Transfers	Location
Asahikawa to Shin-Asahikawa: officially Sōya Main Line
Template:JRHSN	Template:STN		-3.7	+	+	Template:Colorbull Hakodate Main Line Template:Colorbull Sōya Main Line Template:Colorbull Furano Line	Asahikawa
Template:JRHSN	Template:STN		-1.9	-	-	Template:Colorbull Sōya Main Line
Template:JRHSN	Template:STN		0.0	-	-	Template:Colorbull Sōya Main Line
Sekihoku Main Line
Template:JRHSN	Template:STN		2.5	-	-		Asahikawa
Template:JRHSN	Template:STN		5.2	-	-
Template:JRHSN	Template:STN		10.2	-	-
Template:JRHSN	Template:STN		13.9	-	+		Tōma, Kamikawa
Template:JRHSN	Template:STN		19.5	-	-
Template:JRHSN	Template:STN		25.9	-	-		Aibetsu, Kamikawa
Template:JRHSN	Template:STN		32.0	-	-
Template:JRHSN	Template:STN		38.0	-	-
Template:JRHSN	Template:STN		44.9	+	+		Kamikawa, Kamikawa
Template:JRHSN	Template:STN		82.2	*	+		Engaru, Monbetsu
Template:JRHSN	Template:STN		101.9	*	+
Template:JRHSN	Template:STN		109.7	-	-
Template:JRHSN	Template:STN		120.8	+	+
Template:JRHSN	Template:STN		128.8	-	+
Template:JRHSN	Template:STN		137.7	+	+
Template:JRHSN	Template:STN		156.2	-	-		Kitami
Template:JRHSN	Template:STN		158.2	+	+
Template:JRHSN	Template:STN		169.1	-	+
Template:JRHSN	Template:STN		173.7	-	+
Template:JRHSN	Template:STN		176.3	-	+
Template:JRHSN	Template:STN		181.0	+	+
Template:JRHSN	Template:STN		183.7	-
Template:JRHSN	Template:STN		185.9	-
Template:JRHSN	Template:STN		187.3	-
Template:JRHSN	Template:STN		194.6	-
Template:JRHSN	Template:STN		206.1	+			Bihoro, Abashiri
Template:JRHSN	Template:STN ◌		213.1	-			Ōzora, Abashiri
Template:JRHSN	Template:STN		218.1	+
Template:JRHSN	Template:STN		225.9	-			Abashiri
Template:JRHSN	Template:STN		234.0	+		Template:Colorbull Senmō Main Line

Closed Stations

• Nakakoshi, Oku-Shirataki and Temmaku: Since 1 July 2001, of which Nakakoshi and Oku-Shirataki downgraded to signal bases
• Shin-sakaeno: Since 18 March 2006
• A44 Template:STN, A54 Template:STN, A46 Template:STN and A47 Template:STN: Since 26 March 2016, of which Kanehana and Shimo-Shirataki downgraded to signal bases
• A52 Template:STN, A33 Template:STN, A36 Template:STN and A42 Template:STN: Since 13 March 2021
• A40 Template:STN: Since 16 March 2024

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 to Kitami. The route shortened by 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 and in 1921.

A third route was a shortcut between Asahikawa and Engaru, straight through the Kitami Pass. The , 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 gauge line, but was converted to 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.

See also

• List of railway lines in Japan

External links

• JR Hokkaido official website Template:In lang
• JR Hokkaido official website Template:In lang