Hokuhoku Line

The Hokuhoku Line (ほくほく線, Hokuhoku-sen) is a Japanese railway line in Niigata Prefecture, between Muikamachi in Minamiuonuma City and Saigata in Jōetsu City. This is the only railway line Hokuetsu Express (北越急行, Hokuetsu Kyūkō) operates. Construction was begun in 1968 by the Japanese National Railways (JNR), and it was finally completed as a third sector line in 1997, including the 10,472 m (6.5 mi) Akakura Tunnel, the longest on a non-JR line.

Hokuhoku Line
A HK100 Yumezora train, Kubiki - Saigata, September 2014
Overview
OwnerHokuetsu Express
LocaleNiigata Prefecture
TerminiMuikamachi
Saigata
Stations12
Technical
Line length59.5 km (37.0 mi)
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification1,500 V DC overhead catenary
Operating speed130 km/h (80 mph)
Route map
A 681 series Hakutaka limited express train at Mushigawa-Ōsugi Station, September 2014

Unlike most other third sector company lines, the line made steady profits. Until the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen in 2015, the shortest rail link between Kantō and Hokuriku was to take the Jōetsu Shinkansen to Echigo-Yuzawa and then transfer to the Hakutaka express service on the Hokuhoku Line. The previous maximum line speed of 160 km/h (100 mph) made the Hakutaka the fastest narrow gauge service in the country, matched only by the standard gauge Keisei Skyliner services to Narita Airport as the fastest non-Shinkansen service (also at 160 km/h), however this was reduced to 130 km/h (80 mph) on 14 March 2015 following the withdrawal of Hakutaka services on the line.[1]

Services
Some services operate through to Naoetsu or Echigo-Yuzawa.

Originally, the line acted as a connecting route to the Jōetsu Shinkansen at Echigo-Yuzawa Station. Upon the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen on 14 March 2015, the limited express services Hakutaka[2][3] of the line, which had run from 1997 with an average daily ridership of 6,900 passengers, were withdrawn.[4] Since then, a daily special rapid service Snow Rabbit was served, instead of Hakutaka.

Trains from Muikamachi are described as down-bound, whereas those from Saigata are described as up-bound.

Local Service

16 return trips are operating each day, including one up-bound through service from Arai of the Myōkōhaneuma Line. Some trains running on Sundays are designated as Yumezora, in which movies will be played when the trains are going through a tunnel. Since the discontinuation of Hakutaka in 2015, required trip time is reduced by 10 minutes. Through-trains to and from JR Lines do not stop at some stations of the Jōetsu Line and Shin'etsu Main Line.

Rapid Service

Two down-bound and three up-bound trains are operating each day between Echigo-Yuzawa and Naoetsu.

Chō-Rapid Service - Snow Rabbit (スノーラビット)

Two down-bound and one up-bound trains are operating each day, and one of the down-bound train runs through to Arai of the Myōkōhaneuma Line. The fastest service, which stops only at Tōkamachi, only takes 57 minutes travelling from Echigo-Yuzawa to Naoetsu.

Chō-Slow Service - Snow Turtle (スノータートル)

Snow Turtle is a special service with irregular schedules and available for rental by organizations. Being a comical counterpart of Snow Rabbit, the trains run at a very low speed, as slow as 10 km/h, to give passengers a chance to experience winds while opening the side doors of the trains. Meals are also provided during the four-hour journey.

Passing loops

There are three passing loops on the Hokuhoku Line. Each has one bi-directional through track to allow full line speed.

Akakura

Between Uonumakyūryō and Misashima in Tōkamachi, Niigata. It is in the 10472m Akakura tunnel.

Yakushitōge

Between Tōkamachi and Matsudai in Tōkamachi, Niigata. It is in the 6199m Yakushitōge tunnel.

Gimyō

Between Matsudai and Hokuhoku-Ōshima in Tōkamachi, Niigata. It is in the 9130m Nabetachiyama tunnel(ja:鍋立山トンネル).

Rolling Stock
  • HK100 - For Local, Rapid, Chō-Rapid

Former
  • HK100 at Matsudai Station
  • Interior of HK100 Yumezora, dream sky train
  • Interior of HK100 Yumezora while going through a tunnel
    Videos are displayed on the ceiling on sundays.[5]

Stations

The Hokuhoku line is entirely in Niigata Prefecture.

  • Service patterns:
    • ● All trains stop
    • ○ Some trains stop
    • ｜ All trains pass
    • ＊ Seasonal stop
  • Track:
    • ∥: Double-track section
    • ∧: Double-track section begins
    • ∨: Double-track section ends
    • ｜: Single-track section
    • ◇: Passing loop
Line Name Distance Local Rapid Chō-
Rapid		 Transfers Track Location
Jōetsu Line Echigo-Yuzawa 越後湯沢 17.6 ● ● ● Jōetsu Shinkansen
JR East: ■ Jōetsu Line (for Minakami)		 ∥ Yuzawa
Ishiuchi 石打 11.2 ｜ ｜ ｜   ∥ Minamiuonuma
Ōsawa 大沢 7.2 ｜ ｜ ｜   ∥
Jōetsu International Skiing Ground 上越国際スキー場前 6.2 ＊ ＊ ｜   ∥
Shiozawa 塩沢 3.9 ○ ○ ｜   ∥
Muikamachi 六日町 0.0 ● ● ○ JR East: ■ Jōetsu Line (for Urasa) ∨
Hokuhoku Line Uonuma-Kyūryō 魚沼丘陵 3.6 ● ｜ ｜   ｜
Misashima 美佐島 12.2 ● ｜ ｜   ｜ Tōkamachi
Shinza しんざ 14.4 ● ｜ ｜   ｜
Tōkamachi 十日町 15.9 ● ● ● JR East: ■ Iiyama Line ◇
Matsudai まつだい 29.2 ● ● ○   ◇
Hokuhoku-Ōshima ほくほく大島 38.6 ● ● ｜   ｜ Jōetsu
Mushigawa-Ōsugi 虫川大杉 44.8 ● ● ○   ◇
Uragawara うらがわら 46.8 ● ● ｜   ｜
Ōike-Ikoi-no-mori 大池いこいの森 51.7 ○ ｜ ｜   ｜
Kubiki くびき 53.6 ● ● ｜   ◇
Shin'etsu Main Line Saigata 犀潟 59.5 ● ● ｜ JR East: ■ Shin'etsu Main Line {for Niigata) ∧
Kuroi 黒井 63.9 ○ ○ ｜   ∥
Naoetsu 直江津 66.6 ● ● ● Echigo Tokimeki Railway: ■ Nihonkai Hisui Line, ■ Myōkō Haneuma Line ∥

See also

References
  1. Itō, Kumi. Transformation underwent at Hokuetsu Express, Railway Fan, Issue 670, Kōyūsha, February 2017, p. 68-73.
  2. https://web.archive.org/web/20130516162403/http://hokuhoku-line.jp/2_time/2013_kudari_en.pdf
  3. https://web.archive.org/web/20130516165425/http://hokuhoku-line.jp/2_time/2013_nobori_en.pdf
  4. https://web.archive.org/web/20140827091047/http://www.hokuhoku.co.jp/1osirase/press-release/2014_0827_press.pdf
  5. "Trains". Hokuetsu Express Co.,Ltd. Retrieved 2020-07-18.

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

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