Nishitetsu Tenjin Ōmuta Line

The Nishitetsu Tenjin Ōmuta Line (西鉄天神大牟田線, Nishitetsu Tenjin Ōmuta sen) is a railway line in Fukuoka Prefecture in Kyushu, Japan. It is the main line of the private railway company Nishi-Nippon Railroad (Nishitetsu). The line connects Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) Station[Note 1] in Chūō-ku, Fukuoka with Ōmuta Station in Ōmuta. Until 2000, the line was called the Nishitetsu Ōmuta Line (西鉄大牟田線, Ōmuta sen).

Nishitetsu Tenjin Ōmuta Line
A 3000 series EMU approaching Nishitetsu Kurume Station
Overview
OwnerNishi-Nippon Railroad
LocaleFukuoka Prefecture
TerminiNishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) Station
Ōmuta Station
Stations49
Service
TypeHeavy rail
History
OpenedApril 12, 1924
Technical
Line length74.8 km (46.5 mi)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Electrification1,500 V (DC)
Route map
km
0.0 Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) Station
↓ Fukuoka City Subway：■Nanakuma Line
Yakuin New River
0.8 Yakuin Station
← Fukuoka City Subway： ■Kūkō Line ↑
 1.8 Nishitetsu Hirao Station
Chikuzen-Takamiya Station →
← JNR：Chikuhi Line →
 2.9 Takamiya Station
Wakahisa River
 4.3 Ōhashi Station
Naka River
↓ JR Kyūshū：Kagoshima Main Line →
6.1 Ijiri Station
Morōka River
8.0 Zasshonokuma Station
9.5 Kasugabaru Station
Ushikubi River
10.8 Shirakibaru Station
11.6 Shimoōri Station
Hirata River
Mikasa River
Mikasa River
13.8 Tofurōmae Station
Futsukaichi Workshop
15.2 Nishitetsu Futsukaichi Station
16.1 Murasaki Station
Takao River
↑ Asakura Tram：Mainline →
17.6 Asakuragaidō Station
Yamaguchi River
19.4 Sakuradai Station
← JR Kyūshū：Chikuhō Main Line →
20.8 Chikushi Station
↑↓ JR Kyūshū：Kagoshima Main Line
Chikushi Rail Yard
 23.0 Tsuko Station
Hōju River
 24.1 Mikunagaoka Station
 25.6 Mitsusawa Station
 27.0 Ōho Station
Takahara River
Ōitai River Bank
Tsukichi River
28.7 Nishitetsu Ogōri Station
← Asakura Tram: Tashiro Line →
 30.7 Hatama Station
Hōman River
 33.7 Ajisaka Station
Amagi Station
36.5 Miyanojin Station
Amagi Line ↓
Chikugo River
37.7 Kushiwara Station
← Mii Line ↑
← Chikugo Tram →
 38.6 Nishitetsu Kurume Station
← Fukushima Line →
 39.5 Hanabatake Station
Kanamaru River
40.1 Shikenjōmae Station
← JR Kyūshū：Kyūdai Main Line →
↑ JR Kyūshū：Kyushu Shinkansen→
↑ JR Kyūshū：Kagoshima Main Line →
← Ōkawa Line
 41.4 Tsubuku Station
 42.8 Yasutake Station
 Ontsuka Station
Service stopped - Date unknown
Hiro River
 45.1 Daizenji Station
← Ōkawa Line
 46.9 Mizuma Station
 48.0 Inuzuka Station
Yamanoi River
 50.6 Ōmizo Station
 52.9 Hatchōmuta Station
Hanamune River
 55.5 Kamachi Station
 57.3 Yakabe Station
← JNR：Saga Line →
Okinohata River
58.4 Nishitetsu Yanagawa Station
Yanagawa Rail Yard
Shiotsuka River
 59.7 Tokumasu Station
 61.1 Shiotsuka Station
 (63.1) Nakashima Signal Station
 63.5 Nishitetsu Nakashima Station
Yabe River
65.1 Enoura Station
Kusuda River / JR Kyūshū：Kagoshima Main Line ↑↓
66.6 Hiraki Station
Kuma River
67.9 Nishitetsu Wataze Station
69.6 Kuranaga Station
70.8 Higashi-Amagi Station
Shirogin River
Ginsui River
72.1 Nishitetsu Ginsui Station
Dōmen River
73.7 Shin-Sakaemachi Station
← Mīgetetsu Line →
Sakaemachi Station
1970 removed
Ōmuta River
74.8 Ōmuta Station
↑↓ JR Kyūshū：Kagoshima Main Line

Overview
The Fukuoka Tenjin terminal in September 2014
  • Track
    • Double: Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) - Shikenjōmae, Daizenji - Kamachi, Hiraki - Ōmuta
    • Single: the rest

The line runs approximately parallel with to the JR Kyushu Kagoshima Main Line, but connection between the lines are poor.

Operations

Rapid services

The operator Nishitetsu offers two types of limited-stop "Rapid" train services in addition to all-stations "Local" trains.

Local (普通, Futsū)
Stops all stations. Between Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) and Chikushi or Daizenji inside the line, Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) and Dazaifu of Dazaifu Line, Amagi of Amagi Line and Ōmuta. Trains inside the line and Dazaifu Line with 4-7 car EMUs, through trains to Amagi Line with 2-car 7000 and 7050 series EMUs
Express (急行, Kyūkō) (Ex)
Operated all day. Some Expresses are operated as Locals in southern part (Ōmuta side). In day hours, 2 per hour per direction between Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) and Nishitetsu Ogōri, and 2 between Nishitetsu Fukuoka and Hanabatake. Five-car 3000 series EMUs, 6-car 2000 and 5000 series EMUs
Limited Express (特急, Tokkyū) (LE)
Between Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) and Ōmuta, 2 service per direction per hour. Seven-car 8000 series in day hours, 5000, 6000 and 6050 series EMUs in the morning and evening hours

Service pattern

During the daytime between 10:00 and 16:00, the numbers of trains per direction per hour are as follows.

Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) - Nishitetsu Futsukaichi
2 LE, 4 Ex, 6 Lo
Nishitetsu Futsukaichi - Chikushi
2 LE, 4 Ex, 4 Lo
Chikushi - Nishitetsu Ogōri
2 LE, 2 Ex, 2 Lo (north of Chikushi as Ex), 2 Lo
Nishitetsu Ogōri - Miyanojin
2 LE, 2 Ex, 2 Lo
Miyanojin - Hanabatake
2 LE, 2 Ex, 2 Lo, 2 Lo through to Amagi Line
Hanabatake - Daizenji
2 Lo, 4 Lo
Daizenji - Ōmuta
2 LE, 2 Lo

Stations

All stations are located in Fukuoka Prefecture.

  • lower case shows some trains stop
  • e1: Expresses only for Chikushi stop
  • e2: Expresses only down for Nishitetsu Ogōri, some ups from Hanabatake, Shikenjōmae, Tsubuku, Nishitetsu Yanagawa stop
No. Station Distance
(km)		 Stop Connections Location
T 01 Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) 西鉄福岡 (天神) 0.0 Ex LE
Chūō-ku, Fukuoka
T 02 Yakuin 薬院 0.8 Ex LE Fukuoka City Subway Nanakuma Line
T 03 Nishitetsu Hirao 西鉄平尾 1.8    
T 04 Takamiya 高宮 2.9     Minami-ku, Fukuoka
T 05 Ōhashi 大橋 4.3 　　　Ex LE　    
T 06 Ijiri 井尻 6.1    
T 07 Zasshonokuma 雑餉隈 8.0     Hakata-ku, Fukuoka
T 08 TBD TBD TBD   Reserved for future use
T 09 Kasugabaru 春日原 9.5 Ex      Kasuga
T 10 Shirakibaru 白木原 10.8     Ōnojō
T 11 Shimoōri 下大利 11.6 Ex     
T 12 Tofurōmae 都府楼前 13.8     Dazaifu
T 13 Nishitetsu Futsukaichi 西鉄二日市 15.2 Ex LE Nishitetsu Dazaifu Line Chikushino
T 14 Murasaki 紫 16.1 e1     
T 15 Asakuragaidō 朝倉街道 17.6 Ex     
T 16 Sakuradai 桜台 19.4 e1     
T 17 Chikushi 筑紫 20.8 Ex     
T 18 Tsuko 津古 23.0 e2      Ogōri
T 19 Mikunigaoka 三国が丘 24.1 Ex     
T 20 Mitsusawa 三沢 25.6 e2     
T 21 Ōho 大保 27.0 e2     
T 22 Nishitetsu Ogōri 西鉄小郡 28.7 Ex    Amagi Railroad
T 23 Hatama 端間 30.7 e2     
T 24 Ajisaka 味坂 33.7 e2     
T 25 Miyanojin 宮の陣 36.5 Ex    Nishitetsu Amagi Line Kurume
T 26 Kushiwara 櫛原 37.7 e2     
T 27 Nishitetsu Kurume 西鉄久留米 38.6 Ex LE  
T 28 Hanabatake 花畑 39.5 Ex LE  
T 29 Shikenjōmae 試験場前 40.1 ex     
T 30 Tsubuku 津福 41.4 ex     
T 31 Yasutake 安武 42.8 ex     
T 32 Daizenji 大善寺 45.1 Ex LE  
T 33 Mizuma 三潴 46.9 ex     
T 34 Inuzuka 犬塚 48.0 ex     
T 35 Ōmizo 大溝 50.6 ex      Ōki
T 36 Hatchōmuta 八丁牟田 52.9 ex     
T 37 Kamachi 蒲池 55.5 ex      Yanagawa
T 38 Yakabe 矢加部 57.3 ex     
T 39 Nishitetsu Yanagawa 西鉄柳川 58.4 Ex LE  
T 40 Tokumasu 徳益 59.7    
T 41 Shiotsuka 塩塚 61.1    
T 42 Nishitetsu Nakashima 西鉄中島 63.5    
T 43 Enoura 江の浦 65.1     Miyama
T 44 Hiraki 開 66.6    
T 45 Nishitetsu Wataze 渡瀬 67.9     Ōmuta
T 46 Kuranaga 倉永 69.6    
T 47 Higashi-Amagi 東甘木 70.8    
T 48 Nishitetsu Ginsui 銀水 72.1    
T 49 Shin-Sakaemachi 新栄町 73.7 Ex LE  
T 50 Ōmuta 大牟田 74.8 Ex LE Kagoshima Main Line

Rolling stock

New three- and two-car 9000 series electric multiple unit trains were introduced on the line from March 2017.[1]

History

The Kyushu Railway (九州鉄道, Kyūshū Tetsudō)[Note 2] built and operated the first Interurban railway line in Kyushu from Fukuoka, planned to extend to Kumamoto, but difficulty in securing a corridor south of Omuta resulted in that plan being abandoned.

  • April 12, 1924: Fukuoka (presently Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin)) - Kurume (presently Nishitetsu Kurume) opened by the Kyushu Railway (II). 1,435mm gauge, electrified, double tracked
  • December 28, 1932: Kurume - Tsubuku opened, single tracked
  • June 22, 1937: The Ōkawa Railway was merged into the Kyushu Railway. Kamikurume - Tsubuku - Daizenji - Enokizu became a part of Kūshū Railway network, single tracked, 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge
  • October 1, 1937: Tsubuku - Daizenji of ex-Ōkawa Railway regauged to 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) (the remainder abandoned later). Daizenji - Yanagawa (presently Nishitetsu Yanagawa) opened
  • December 1, 1938: Fukuoka - Tsubuku from Tram Act to Local Railway Act
  • September 1, 1938: Yanagawa - Nakashima (presently Nishitetsu Nakashima) opened
  • October 1. 1938: Nakashima - Sakaemachi (presently Shin-Sakaemachi) opened
  • July 1, 1939: Sakaemachi - Ōmuta opened, the line completed
  • September 19, 1942: Kyushu Electric Tramway (九州電気軌道, Kyūshū Denki Kidō) merged, under wartime condition, Kyushu Railway and some other railway companies in Fukuoka Prefecture
  • September 22, 1942: Kyushu Electric Tramway renamed Nishi-Nippon Railroad, the line became its Ōmuta Line
  • November 11, 1951: Nishitetsu Kurume - Shikenjōmae track doubled
  • March 20, 1960: Kuranaga - Nishitetsu Ginsui track doubled
  • April, 1961: Nishitetsu Ginsui - Sakaemachi track doubled
  • June 21, 1961: Sakaemachi - Ōmuta track doubled
  • November 20, 1965: Hiraki - Kuranaga track doubled
  • February, 1967: Daizenji - Mizuma, Ōmizo - Kamachi track doubled
  • June 10, 1974: CTC signalling is commissioned on the entire line
  • January 15, 1997: Mizuma - Ōmizo track doubled
  • January 1, 2001: Proper names changed to Tenjin-Ōmuta Line from Ōmuta Line, Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) Station (with Tenjin in parentheses) from Nishitetsu Fukuoka Station
  • February 16, 2008: The maximum speed on the line is increased from 100 km/h to 110 km/h
  • March 27, 2010: Rapid Express (快速急行, Kaisoku Kyūkō) and Non-Stop (直行, Chokkō) services were discontinued

Footnotes
  1. Until December 31, 2000, Nishitetsu Fukuoka was the official name. In order to clarify that the station is in Tenjin district of downtown Fukuoka, the official name now carries the location in parentheses.
  2. This company was the second. The first built and operated, in Meiji period, nearly all the railway lines in Kyushu, and was nationalized in 1907.

References

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

  1. 西日本鉄道、天神大牟田線に新型車両「9000形」デビューへ [Nishi-Nippon Railroad to introduce new 9000 series on Tenjin Ōmuta Line] (in Japanese). Japan: Tetsudo Shimbun. 4 February 2016. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
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