Hisatsu Line

Hisatsu Line
A train (KiHa 31 series) on the Kuma River bridge in 2007
Overview
Native name	肥薩線
Status	In operation
Locale	Kyushu, Japan
Termini	Yatsushiro Hayato
Stations	28
Service
Type	Heavy rail
Operator(s)	JR Kyushu
Rolling stock	KiHa 40 series DMU, KiHa 200 series DMU, JGR Class 8620 steam locomotive, JNR 50 series passenger cars
History
Opened	15 January 1903; 120 years ago (1903-01-15)
Technical
Line length	124.2 km (77.2 mi)
Number of tracks	Single-track
Character	Rural and scenic
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	None
Operating speed	85 km/h (53 mph)
Signalling	Special automatic closed block
Route map Legend ↑ Kagoshima Main Line for Kumamoto Shin-Yatsushiro ↔ Kyushu Shinkansen ← Industrial Railway ← old Yatsushiro Station 0.0 Yatsushiro 6 m ← Hisatsu Orange Railway Line for Sendai ↔ Kyushu Shinkansen 5.2 Dan 16 m 6.6 7.1 10.2 → Industrial Railway 11.0 Sakamoto 26 m 12.2 14.3 Haki 34 m 16.8 Kamase 38 m 17.1 Kuma River Route 219 19.6 Setoishi 42 m → old Track 23.4 Kaiji 53 m 26.6 Yoshio 56 m 29.8 Shiroishi 63 m 32.0 33.1 33.6 34.5 34.5 34.9 Kyūsendō 73 m 36.9 39.4 39.8 Isshōchi 86 m 40.9 42.4 Naraguchi 91 m 44.3 Kuma River 178 m 45.2 Watari 95 m Route 219 46.2 48.4 Nishi-Hitoyoshi 111 m 49.1 51.7 Hitoyoshi 107 m 52.6 → Yunomae Line 53.8 Kuma River 170 m Route 219 59.9 61.1 Yokohira Tunnel 503 m 62.2 Okoba 294 m 63.0 66.5 68.9 71.1 Yatake 537 m Kumamoto ↔ Miyazaki 72.3 Yatake Tunnel 1 2096 m 75.1 Yatake Tunnel 2 143 m 75.4 Yatake Tunnel 3 131 m 75.8 78.5 Masaki 380 m 79.7 Yamagami Tunnel 2 618 m Miyazaki ↔ Kagoshima → Kitto Line for Miyakonojō 85.8 Yoshimatsu 225 m 90.1 92.4 Route 268 93.4 Kurino 188 m ← old Yamano Line 97.1 99.8 Ōsumi-Yokogawa 187 m 100.6 102.7 Uemura 169 m 102.8 105.5 Kirishima-Onsen 160 m 106.9 107.3 Akamizu Tunnel 634 m 109.9 111.3 Kareigawa 167 m 113.4 Nakafukura 141 m 115.8 Hyōkiyama 117.4 118.6 Route 223 120.7 Hinatayama 12 m → Nippō Main Line for Miyazaki 123.2 Hayato 15 m ↓ Nippō Main Line for Kagoshima

The Hisatsu Line (肥薩線, Hisatsu-sen) is a railway line in Kyushu, Japan, operated by the Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu). It connects Yatsushiro on the Kagoshima Main Line to Hayato station, Kirishima on the Nippo Main Line. From 1909 the line was the original rail connection from Yatsushiro to Kagoshima (and via the Kitto Line, Miyazaki) until the Yatsushiro – Kagoshima coastal route via Sendai opened in 1927.

The major part of the line is in the mountainous Kirishima range. No through trains are operated on this line, rather, trains go from Yatsushiro to Hitoyoshi, from Hitoyoshi to Yoshimatsu, and from Yoshimatsu to Hayato. Until 2000, some trains operated direct from Kumamoto to Miyazaki via the Yatsushiro to Yoshimatsu section of the line.

Stations

History

The entire line was built by the government railways. The Hayato – Yoshimatsu section was opened in 1903, followed by the Yatsushiro – Hitoyoshi section in 1908. When the line names were officially designated in October 1909, the former became a part of the Kagoshima Main Line and the latter the Hitoyoshi Main Line. In November 1910, with the Hitoyoshi – Yoshimatsu section (which included the Okoba switchback and spiral) opening, both sections were connected and the Hitoyoshi Main Line was merged to the Kagoshima Main Line.^[1]

In 1927, following the opening of the current 'west coast' Kagoshima Main Line via Sendai, the line was renamed the Hitatsu Line.^[1]

Freight services ceased the day the line (and the entire JNR system) was privatised in 1987.

Former connecting lines

Kurino station – the Yamano Line junctioned here. The first 24 km section of the Yamano Line was opened to Yamano in 1921. The 14 km Minamata (on the Kagoshima Main Line) – Kugino section opened in 1934, and the 10 km Yamano – Satsuma-Fuke section the following year. In 1937, the 8 km Kugino – Satsuma-Fuke section, including the Okawa spiral opened, connecting the two sections. Freight services ceased in 1986, and the line closed in 1988.^[1]

Flood damage

Since 4 July 2020, no trains have operated on the 86.8 km section of the line between Yatsushiro and Yoshimatsu, due to catastrophic damage caused by the 2020 Kyushu floods, including much of the track being completely destroyed, especially in areas where the line runs directly parallel to the Kuma River.^[2]

JR Kyushu has not announced a set date for resumption of rail service on this section, apart from stating that services would be suspended for an indefinite period. JR Kyushu's president Toshihiko Aoyagi has stated that the restoration cost can not be determined until agreements have been made amongst local communities, prefectures and the national government, regarding management of the Kuma River. On 17 March 2022, the restoration cost was estimated to be about 23 billion yen.^[2]

In popular culture

The track section between Yatsushiro and Yoshimatsu was featured in Microsoft Train Simulator. A Hisatsu Line-based layout is available for the Japanese model train simulator VRM.^[3]

References

Bibliography

Route diagram: Nippon Rettō - Tetsudō-kigen (にっぽん列島 - 鉄道紀元) pp. 12–14, Vol. 14, October 25, 2006 - JTB Publishing.

External links

• Hisatsu Line Stations

This page was last edited on 26 December 2022, at 20:16