Shinano Railway Line

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Script error: No such module "infobox".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

The Script error: No such module "Nihongo". is a Template:Cvt railway line operated by the third-sector railway operating company Shinano Railway in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. It connects Karuizawa Station in Karuizawa with Shinonoi Station in Nagano.

Overview

Before October 1997, the right-of-way now belonging to the Shinano Railway was a part of the Shinetsu Main Line of East Japan Railway Company (JR East), and served as the main train route connecting Nagano and Tokyo. Upon completion of the Nagano Shinkansen in October 1997, JR East transferred all long distance operations to the shinkansen, and control of the Shinetsu Main Line between Karuizawa and Shinonoi was handed over to the newly formed Shinano Railway, which is majority owned by the Nagano Prefectural Government. Today, the line is a vital commuter transport route for communities in the east and north of Nagano Prefecture.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

The line is electrified and double-tracked with a track gauge of Script error: No such module "Track gauge".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". for its entire length. The speed limit is Script error: No such module "convert". (reduced from Script error: No such module "convert". as the Shinetsu Main Line).Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

Like many railways in rural parts of Japan, the line faces problems concerning decreased ridership and revenue.[1] In recent years, additional stations have been opened at Template:STN, Template:STN, and Template:STN in order to increase passenger numbers. Also, driver-only operation has been introduced on most of the line in order to reduce personnel costs.

Operations

Script error: No such module "Unsubst". Shinano Railway Line trains use the right-of-way of the Shinetsu Main Line between Shinonoi and Nagano. All trains terminate at Nagano, not Shinonoi.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

As of April 2008, four round trains are operated as Rapids from Nagano. One in the morning from Komoro to Nagano, and two in the evening from Nagano to Ueda are named Shinano Sunrise and Shinano Sunset, require payment of surcharge between Nagano and Ueda.

Stations

All stations are in Nagano Prefecture.

Station Japanese Rapid Rapid Resort Rokumon Rapid Karuizawa Resort Rapid Shinano Sunrise Rapid Shina Sunset Connections Location
Template:STN 軽井沢 ● ● ● File:Shinkansen jre.svg Hokuriku Shinkansen Karuizawa
Template:STN 中軽井沢 ● ● ▲
Template:STN 信濃追分 ● ● ｜
Template:STN 御代田 ● ｜ ▲ Miyota
Template:STN 平原 ｜ ｜ ｜ Komoro
Template:STN 小諸 ● ● ▲ ● Template:Colorbull Koumi Line
Template:STN 滋野 ｜ ｜ ｜ ↓ Tōmi
Template:STN 田中 ● ● ▲ ↓
Template:STN 大屋 ● ｜ ｜ ↓ Ueda
Template:STN 信濃国分寺 ｜ ｜ ｜ ↓
Template:STN 上田 ● ● ● ● ● Template:Plainlist
Template:STN 西上田 ｜ ｜ ｜ ↓ ｜
Template:STN テクノさかき ｜ ｜ ｜ ↓ ｜ Sakaki
Template:STN 坂城 ▲ ｜ ▲ ↓ ｜
Template:STN 戸倉 ● ● ▲ ↓ ｜ Chikuma
Template:STN 千曲 ｜ ｜ ｜ ↓ ｜
Template:STN 屋代 ● ● ▲ ↓ ｜
Template:STN 屋代高校前 ｜ ｜ ｜ ↓ ｜
Template:STN 篠ノ井 ● ｜ ｜ ↓ ｜ Template:Colorbull Shinonoi Line Nagano
Shinetsu Main Line (Shinonoi – Nagano)
Template:STN 今井 ｜ ｜ ｜ ↓ ｜ Nagano
Template:STN 川中島 ● ｜ ｜ ↓ ｜
Template:STN 安茂里 ｜ ｜ ｜ ↓ ｜
Template:STN 長野 ● ● ● ● ● Template:Plainlist

Rolling stock

Former Rolling stock

Shinano Railway uses trainsets that were inherited from JR East when the line was transferred. The trains were subsequently repainted into Shinano Railway's livery and refurbished. Many of the trains have video screens above the doors which feature commercials and other information. In general, the 115 series trains are used for local services, while the 169 series were used for rapid and liner trains.

History

The line first opened on 15 August 1888 as the Script error: No such module "Track gauge".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". gauge steam-operated Script error: No such module "Nihongo". between Nagano and Ueda.[3] This was extended south from Ueda to Karuizawa in December 1888.[3] The line was electrified using a 1,500 V DC overhead wire system from June 1963.[3]

The third-sector operator Shinano Railway was established on 1 May 1996, and operations of the Shinetsu Line between Karuizawa and Shinanoi were transferred from JR East to the Shinano Railway from 1 October 1997.[3]

Driver only operation was introduced on some services from 5 January 2004.[3]

Former connecting lines

File:Kusatsu Light Railway in Taisho era.JPG
A train on the Kusakaru Electric Railway

(Note - Prior to 1997, the stations below were part of the Shinetsu Main Line.)

  • Karuizawa Station: The Kusakaru Electric Railway opened a 56 km Script error: No such module "Track gauge".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". gauge line, including two switch backs, to Kusatsu Onsen between 1915 and 1926. The line was electrified at 600 V DC in 1924. In 1950, a typhoon resulted in a bridge being swept away, and the same thing occurred in 1959, resulting in the 38 km section from Karuizawa to Joshu Mihara closing in 1960. The rest of the line closed in 1962.
  • Komoro Station - The Nunobiki Electric Railway opened an 8 km line, electrified at 600 V DC, to Shimagawara in 1926 to transport construction materials for the Makato Azuma hydro-electric power station. When that traffic finished the revenue for the line was less than 50% of interest bill alone, and it closed in 1934.
  • Oya Station: The Maruko Railway opened a 7 km line to Maruko in 1918, and electrified the line at 600 V DC in 1924. The following year, it opened a 5 km electrified line from Oya to Ueda-Higashi. In 1944, the company merged with the Ueda Onsen Electric Railway (see next entry) creating the Maruko Ueda Electric Railway. Both lines closed in 1969.
  • Ueda Station: The Ueda Onsen Electric Railway opened a 13 km line to Sanada, and a 3 km branch from Motohara to Sochi between 1927 and 1928, both lines electrified at 1,500 V DC. In 1944, the company merged with the Maruko Electric Railway (see previous entry) creating the Maruko Ueda Electric Railway. Both lines closed in 1972.
  • Yashiro Station: The Kato Railway opened a 24 km line to Suzaka on the Nagano Electric Railway line in 1922, electrified it at 1,500 V DC in January 1926, and merged with that company in September the same year. CTC signalling was commissioned on the line in 1983, but due to falling patronage the line closed in 2012.

See also

References

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

<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />

  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ a b c d e Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

External links

Template:Sister project

  • Script error: No such module "Official website".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Template:In lang

Template:Nagano transit Template:Parallel Conventional Lines (Japan) Template:Shin'etsu Main Line (undivided)

Retrieved from "http://debianws.lexgopc.com/wiki143/index.php?title=Shinano_Railway_Line&oldid=5648398"