Ban'etsu West Line

Class 719 at Kōriyama station

Route length:

175.6 km

Gauge :

1067 mm ( cape track )

Power system :

20 kV, 50 Hz ~

Legend

		Suigun line
	0.0	Kōriyama (郡山駅)
		Ban'etsu East Line
		Tōhoku main line
		Tōhoku Shinkansen , Yamagata Shinkansen


	7.9	Kikuta (喜久田駅)
	11.8	Akogashima (安子ヶ島駅)

	15.4	Bandai-Atami (磐梯熱海駅)

	20.8	Nakayamajuku (中山宿駅)


	20.8	Jōko (上戸駅)


	29.3	Inawashirokohan (猪苗代湖畔駅)
	31.0	Sekito (関都駅)

	33.4	Kawageta (川桁駅)
	36.7	Inawashiro (猪苗代駅)
	41.1	Okinashima (翁島駅)
	51.2	Bandaimachi (磐梯町駅)
	57.2	Higashi-Nagahara (東長原駅)
	60.0	Hirota (広田駅)
	64.6	Aizuwakamatsu (会津若松駅)
		to the Tadami Line / Aizu Tetsudō : Aizu Line
	70.1	Dōjima (堂島駅)
	73.2	Oikawa (笈川駅)

	75.1	Shiokawa (塩川駅)
	77.5	Ubadō (姥堂駅)
	81.2	Kitakata (喜多方駅)

	91.1	Yamato (山都駅)


	97.2	Ogino (荻野駅)


	101.0	Onobori (尾登駅)

	106.2	Nozawa (野沢駅)
	111.3	Kaminoziri (上野尻駅)

	118.0	Tokusawa (徳沢駅)



	121.3	Toyomi (豊実駅)

	128.4	Hideya (日出谷駅)



	133.6	Kanose (鹿瀬駅)
	137.0	Tsugawa (津川駅)

	144.4	Mikawa (三川駅)


	148.6	Igashima (五十島駅)


	152.5	Higashi-Gejō (東下条駅)


	155.6	Sakihana (咲花駅)
	158.4	Maoroshi (馬下駅)
	161.9	Saruwada (猿和田駅)

	165.7	Gosen (五泉駅)
	167.5	Kita-Gosen (北五泉駅)
	170.0	Shinseki (新関駅)
	172.8	Higashi-Niitsu (東新津駅)
		Shin'etsu main line
	175.6	Niitsu (新津駅)
		Uetsu main line and Shin'etsu main line

The Ban'etsu West Line ( Japanese 磐越西線 , Ban'etsu-saisen ) is a Japanese railway line that runs between Kōriyama stations in Fukushima Prefecture and Niitsu in Niigata , Niigata Prefecture . The name Ban'etsu is made up of the names of the former provinces of Iwaki ( 磐城 ) and Echigo ( 越後 ), which are connected by the Ban'etsu West Line and the Ban'etsu East Line .

history

The planning for the line began in 1892 under the law for the construction of Japanese railways ( 鉄道敷設法 , tetsudō-fusetsu-hō ) under the sponsorship of the private Gan'etsu Tetsudō ( 岩越鉄道 ). The first section between Kōriyama and Nakayamajuku went into operation on July 26, 1898. On the second section of the route to Kitakata, operations began in 1906.

In the same year the Gan'etsu Tetsudō was nationalized. From then on, the line was operated under the name Ganetsu Line.

The last phase of construction to Niitsu was completed in 1914. The name Ban'etsu West Line has been used since 1917.

In the 1960s, parts of the route were extensively modernized and expanded for the operation of Limited Express express trains ( tokkyū ). From 1965, the Aizu connection ( あいづ ) from Ueno in Tokyo to Aizuwakamatsu was included in the route plan. In 1993 this connection was shortened, so that the connections from then on called "Viva Aizu" operated exclusively on the Ban'etsu west line. The offer was renamed "Aizu Liner" ( あいづライナー ) in 2003.

The section between Kōriyama and Nakayamajuku was electrified in 1967. The section from Nakayamajuku to Niitsu is still operated with diesel-electric multiple units .

Since 1987 the line has been operated by the East Japan Railway Company .

Route information

The entire 175.6 km long Ban'etsu West Line - with the exception of (most) railway systems at the stations - is single-track. In the mountainous section between Aizuwakamatsu and Maoroshi, the route follows the Agano River , which it crosses several times and whose windings it accompanies in a multitude of short tunnels. Using the Ban'etsu west line, it is easy to understand why the Cape Gauge was introduced in Japan , as the route has countless curves with tight radii.

Train stations

railway station	Japanese	Distance (km)	Transfer options	place
Kōriyama	郡山	0.0	JR East : Tōhoku Shinkansen , Tōhoku Main Line , Ban'etsu East Line , Suigun Line	Kōriyama	Fukushima
Kikuta	喜久田	7.9
Akogashima	安子ヶ島	11.8
Bandai-atami	磐梯熱海	15.4
Nakayamajuku	中山宿	20.8
Jōko	上戸	27.3		Inawashiro
Inawashirokohan	猪苗代湖畔	29.3
Sekito	関都	31.0
Kawageta	川桁	33.4
Inawashiro	猪苗代	36.7
Okinashima	翁島	41.1
Bandaimachi	磐梯町	51.2		Bandai
Higashi Nagahara	東長原	57.2		Aizuwakamatsu
Hirota	広田	60.0
Aizuwakamatsu	会津若松	64.6	JR East: Tadami Line , Aizu Tetsudō : Aizu Line
Dōjima	堂島	70.1
Oikawa	笈川	73.2		Yugawa
Shiokawa	塩川	75.1		Kitakata
Ubadō	姥堂	77.5
Kitakata	喜多方	81.2
Yamato	山都	91.1
Ogino	荻野	97.2
Onobori	尾登	101.0		Nishiaizu
Nozawa	野沢	106.2
Kaminoziri	上野尻	111.3
Tokusawa	徳沢	118.0
Toyomi	豊実	121.3		Aga	Niigata
Hideya	日出谷	128.4
Canose	鹿瀬	133.6
Tsugawa	津川	137.0
Mikawa	三川	144.4
Igashima	五十島	148.6
Higashi-gejō	東下条	152.5
Sakihana	咲花	155.6		Gosen
Maoroshi	馬下	158.4
Saruwada	猿和田	161.9
Gosen	五泉	165.7
Kita-Gosen	北五泉	167.5
Shinseki	新関	170.0		Niigata
Higashi-Niitsu	東新津	172.8
Niitsu	新津	175.6	JR East: Uetsu Main Line , Shin'etsu Main Line

Connections & fleet

Class 485 Aizu Liner (あいづライナー) at Aizuwakamatsu station , March 2007

connection	Operating section	Breakpoints	Vehicle fleet
Local	Kōriyama ↔ Aizuwakamatsu or Shiokawa or Kitakata	all	719 series (electric)
Local	Aizuwakamatsu ↔ Niitsu	all	Series キハ E120 キハ 110 キハ 47 キハ 52 キハ 58 (Diesel-electric)
express	Kōriyama ↔ Aizuwakamatsu or Kitakata	Kōriyama, Kikuta, Bandai-Atami, (Kawageta), Inawashiro, (Okinashima), Bandaimachi, (Higashi-Nagahara), (Hirota), Aizuwakamatsu, Shiokawa, Kitakata	719 series (electric)
Aizu Liner (あいづライナー)	Kōriyama ↔ Aizuwakamatsu	Kōriyama, Kikuta, Bandai-Atami, Inawashiro, Bandaimachi, Aizuwakamatsu	485 series (electric)
Banetsu Monogatari Go	Aizuwakamatsu ↔ Niigata	Aizuwakamatsu, Shiokawa, Yamato, Nozawa, Kitakata, Hideya, Tsugawa, Mikawa, Sakihana, Gosen, Niitsu, Niigata	Steam locomotive D51 498

Some connections to Niitsu use the Shin'etsu main line from Niitsu and end at Niigata Station .

Web links

Commons : Ban'etsu West Line - Collection of Images, Videos, and Audio Files