Kōnan Railway Kōnan Line
The Kōnan Line (弘南線, Kōnan-sen) is a railway route operated by the Japanese private railway operator Kōnan Railway in Aomori Prefecture, from Hirosaki Station in Hirosaki to Kuroishi Station in Kuroishi.
| Kōnan Railway Kōnan Line | |
|---|---|
 A Konan 7000 series EMU at Kuroishi Station | |
| Overview | |
| Native name | 弘南線 |
| Status | Operational |
| Owner | Kōnan Railway Company |
| Locale | Aomori Prefecture |
| Termini | Hirosaki Kuroishi |
| Stations | 13 |
| Service | |
| Type | Heavy rail passenger |
| History | |
| Opened | 7 September 1927 |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 16.8 km (10.4 mi) |
| Number of tracks | 1 |
| Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) |
| Minimum radius | 240 m |
| Electrification | 1,500 V DC |
| Operating speed | 65 km/h (40 mph) |
Station list
| Station | Japanese | Distance (km) | Transfers | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Between stations |
Total | ||||
| Hirosaki | 弘前 | - | 0.0 | Ou Main Line, Gono Line | Hirosaki |
| Hirosaki-Higashikōmae | 弘前東高前 | 0.9 | 0.9 | ||
| Undōkōenmae | 運動公園前 | 1.2 | 2.1 | ||
| Nisato | 新里 | 1.5 | 3.6 | ||
| Tachita | 館田 | 1.6 | 5.2 | Hirakawa | |
| Hiraka | 平賀 | 2.3 | 7.5 | ||
| Hakunōkōkōmae | 柏農高校前 | 2.0 | 9.5 | ||
| Tsugaru-Onoe | 津軽尾上 | 1.6 | 11.1 | ||
| Onoekōkōmae | 尾上高校前 | 1.4 | 12.5 | ||
| Tamboāto* | 田んぼアート | 0.9 | 13.4 | Inakadate, Minamitsugaru District | |
| Inakadate | 田舎館 | 0.4 | 13.8 | ||
| Sakaimatsu | 境松 | 1.5 | 15.3 | Kuroishi | |
| Kuroishi | 黒石 | 1.5 | 16.8 | ||
- Tamboāto Station is open from April to November only.[1]
Rolling stock
Rolling stock on the line consists of former Tokyu 6000 and 7000 series EMUs.[2] Ex-Nankai Railway 1521 series 4-door EMUs were also previously used, but these were withdrawn in 2008 following the discontinuation of limited-stop "Rapid" services.[2] An electric locomotive is also available for use on winter snow-clearing duties.[2]
History
The Kōnan Railway was founded on March 27, 1926, and began operations between Hirosaki and Tsugaru-Onoe Station on September 7, 1927.[2] On July 1, 1948, the line was electrified at 600 volts DC.[2] The line was extended to Kōnan-Kuroishi Station (present-day Kuroishi Station) on July 1, 1950.[2] Voltage on the line was raised to 750 volts on April 1, 1954, and to 1,500 volts on September 1, 1961.
Freight services ceased in 1984.
Former connecting lines
- Kuroishi station - The 7km line to Kawabe on the Ou Main Line was opened in 1912 by the JGR, transferred to the Konan Railway Co. in 1984, the year that freight services ceased, and closed in 1998.
Accidents
A train derailed at Hiraka Station on June 12, 2007, but no injuries were reported.
References
This article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia
- Harris, Ken and Clarke, Jackie. Jane's World Railways 2008-2009. Jane's Information Group (2008). ISBN 0-7106-2861-7
- Suga, Yoshitaka (November 2013). 弘南鉄道弘南線に「たんぼアート駅」開業 [Tamboāto Station opens on KOnan Railway Konan Line]. Japan Railfan Magazine (in Japanese). Vol. 53 no. 631. Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. p. 159.
- Terada, Hirokazu (19 January 2013). データブック日本の私鉄 [Databook: Japan's Private Railways]. Japan: Neko Publishing. p. 13. ISBN 978-4-7770-1336-4.
External links
- Konan Railway website (in Japanese)