Hisatsu Line

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.

Hisatsu Line
A train on the Kuma River bridge in 2007
Overview
Native name肥薩線
StatusIn operation
OwnerJR Kyushu
LocaleKyushu, Japan
TerminiYatsushiro
Hayato
Stations28
Service
Operator(s)JR Kyushu
Rolling stockKiHa 40 series DMU, KiHa 200 series DMU, JGR Class 8620 steam locomotive, JNR 50 series passenger cars
History
Opened15 January 1903
Technical
Line length124.2 km (77.2 mi)
Number of tracksEntire line single tracked
CharacterRural and scenic
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
ElectrificationNone
Operating speed85 km/h (53 mph)
Route map
↑ 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
A KiHa 140 DMU operating from Hayato to Yoshimatsu

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
Station Distance
(km)		 Connections Location
Yatsushiro 0.0 Kagoshima Main Line
Hisatsu Orange Railway Line		 Yatsushiro Kumamoto
Dan 5.2  
Sakamoto 11.0  
Haki 14.4  
Kamase 16.8  
Setoishi 19.6  
Kaiji 23.5   Ashikata
Yoshio 26.7  
Shiroishi 29.8  
Kyūsendō 34.9   Kuma
Isshōchi 39.8  
Naraguchi 42.4  
Watari 45.3  
Nishi Hitoyoshi 48.4   Hitoyoshi
Hitoyoshi 51.8 Kumagawa Railway Yunomae Line
Okoba 62.2  
Yatake 71.7  
Masaki 79.0   Ebino Miyazaki
Yoshimatsu 86.8 Kitto Line (Ebino Kōgen Line) Yūsui Kagoshima
Kurino 94.3  
Ōsumi-Yokogawa 100.8   Kirishima
Uemura 102.8  
Kirishima Onsen 106.5  
Kareigawa 112.3  
Naka-fukura 114.4  
Hyōkiyama 116.8  
Hinatayama 121.6  
Hayato 124.2 Nippō Main Line

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]

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.[2]

References
  1. Ishino, Tetsu; et al., eds. (1998). 停車場変遷大事典 国鉄・JR編 [Station Transition Directory - JNR/JR] (in Japanese). I. Tokyo: JTB Corporation. p. 222. ISBN 4533029809.
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-01-09. Retrieved 2009-03-27.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

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.

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