Yamaguchi line

Two diesel-electric multiple units of the Kiha 40 series in Shin-Yamaguchi station (2017).

Freight train on the Yamaguchi line, hauled by diesel locomotives of the DD51 series (2010).

The Yamaguchi Line ( 山口線 Yamaguchi-sen ) is a single-track railway line operated by JR West in Kapspur , which takes its name from the mainly traversed prefecture in the far west of the Japanese island of Honshū .

route

Masuda Station, the northern terminus of the Yamaguchi Line (2012) in Shimane Prefecture.

The Shin-Yamaguchi station, here the south exit, was completely rebuilt in stages in 2009-16.

The route leads from the south coast in Shin-Yamaguchi and Yamaguchi via Tsuwano ( 津和野駅 ) to the north coast to Masuda ( 益田駅 ). There will be a total of 28 stops in 2020. From north to south the larger train stations are Masuda ↔ Nichihara ↔ Tsuwano ↔ Tokusa ↔ Mitani ↔ Yamaguchi ↔ Yudaonsen ↔ Shin-Yamaguchi.

Ogōri station ( 小郡駅 ) has been called Shin-Yamaguchi since the municipal reform in 2003. It was originally built by a private company and was nationalized to the JNR in 1906 . The depot ( 下関総合車両所 ) for the three converging lines has also been here since 1928 . The Yamaguchi Line was built from south to north. The first section, almost thirteen kilometers to Yamaguchi, opened in 1913. Tsuwano was reached in 1918, the 93.9 kilometers were completely completed in 1923.

Electrification did not take place. JR West has been the operating company since JNR was partially privatized in 1987.

The route was damaged by heavy rain on July 28, 2013. The repairs on the section Tsuwano ↔ Masuda lasted until November. The line to Jifuku remained out of service until August 2014.

Since 2001, the Super Oki type express trains have also been used, which run through to Tottori ( 鳥取駅 ). The track bed is designed for a maximum speed of 120 km / h.

The operation is not clocked, between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. a train runs in the Masuda ↔ Tsuwano section about every 90 minutes. The number of passengers roughly halved between 1999 and 2017. Trains run between Shin-Yamaguchi and Yamaguchi from 5.30 a.m. to 11 p.m. approximately every half an hour.

The train is not to be confused with the Seibu Yamaguchi Line, which serves an amusement park in Tokorozawa .

Vehicle fleet

Regular operation with steam locomotives was discontinued on September 30, 1973.

Vehicles of the Kiha 40 (キハ 40) and Kiha 47 series are used for normal passenger operations. For the express trains ( 特急スーパーおき Super-Oki ) vehicles of the Kiha 187 series are used.

connections

The old station sign "Ogōri," still read right to left as was customary in the past, was placed at the new bus stop.

In Masuda there is a connection to the San'in main line .

In Shin-Yamaguchi you can reach the local Ube line ( 宇部線 Ube-sen ). There is also a stop on the San'yō main line to Kobe and the Shinkansen to Shin-Ōsaka or Kagoshima .

Museum train

Locomotive C 571 with six saloon cars of the series C56 + C57, Yū-yū (2009).

Renovated wagons of the series JRW 35 in museum operation (2017).

During the summer season, March to November, the series C 57, number 1 (wheel arrangement 2C1) steam locomotive with a tender is used on weekends . It was built in 1937. It is owned by the Kyōto Railway Museum .

Occasionally, there are also special trips with the D51-200 steam locomotive (2-8-2 wheel arrangement). The resumption of operation in 1979 on the 62 kilometers between Shin-Yamaguchi and Tsuwano is the second steam locomotive museum railway in Japan. For foreign tourists in possession of a Japan Rail Pass , travel is included, but a reservation fee is due.

literature

山口線; 世界大百科事典 2016
山口線; 角川日本地名大辞典 2018

Web links

Commons : Yamaguchi Line - collection of images, videos and audio files