Kaikyō Line

Kaikyō Line
Overview
Termini	Naka-Oguni Kikonai
Service
Type	Freight rail
Technical
Line length	87.8 km (54.6 mi)
Route map Hokkaido Shinkansen to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto File:BSicon uCONTg.svg File:BSicon CONTg.svg Dōnan Isaribi Tetsudō Line to Hakodate File:BSicon HUBaq.svg File:BSicon uBHF.svg File:BSicon HUBeq.svg File:BSicon BHF.svg Kikonai File:BSicon umABZg+l.svg File:BSicon STRr.svg File:BSicon umABZgl.svg File:BSicon STR+r.svg File:BSicon uSTR.svg File:BSicon eBHF.svg Shiriuchi File:BSicon utSTRa.svg File:BSicon tSTRa.svg File:BSicon utSTR.svg File:BSicon etBHF.svg Yoshioka-Kaitei File:BSicon utSTR.svg File:BSicon etBHF.svg Tappi-Kaitei File:BSicon utSTRe.svg File:BSicon tSTRe.svg Seikan Tunnel File:BSicon exSTR+l.svg File:BSicon uemKRZo.svg File:BSicon eKRZo.svg File:BSicon exSTRq.svg File:BSicon exCONTf@Fq.svg Tsugaru Line to Minmaya File:BSicon exBHF.svg File:BSicon uBHF.svg File:BSicon eBHF.svg Okutsugaru-Imabetsu Tsugaru Line to Aomori File:BSicon exCONTgq.svg File:BSicon exSTRr.svg File:BSicon uSTR.svg File:BSicon STR.svg File:BSicon uSTR.svg File:BSicon dSTR3h+l.svg File:BSicon STRr.svg File:BSicon mSTR u~.svg File:BSicon uSTR.svg File:BSicon dSTRl+4h.svg File:BSicon STRq.svg File:BSicon STR+r.svg Naka-Oguni Tsugaru Line to Minmaya File:BSicon exCONTgq.svg File:BSicon exSTRq.svg File:BSicon uemKRZo.svg File:BSicon exSTRq.svg File:BSicon xABZql.svg File:BSicon eBHFq.svg File:BSicon CONTfq.svg Tsugaru Line to Aomori File:BSicon uSTR.svg Hokkaido Shinkansen to Shin-Aomori File:BSicon uCONTf.svg Map not to scale, may be missing some features

File:Kaikyo Line between Tappi-Kaitei Station and Tsugaru-Imabetsu Station.jpg

Kaikyō Line (Tappi-Kaitei - Tsugaru-Imabetsu) prior to the conversion to dual-gauge

The Kaikyō Line (海峡線, Kaikyō-sen) is an 87.8 km (54.6 mi) railway line operated mainly by the Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido). The line connected Naka-Oguni Station in Sotogahama, Aomori, through the Seikan Tunnel between Honshu and Hokkaido, to Kikonai Station in Kikonai, Hokkaido. Two stations on the Tsugaru-Kaikyō Line, Tappi-Kaitei Station and Yoshioka-Kaitei Station (both closed since 2014), were inside the tunnel.

Facilities

The approximately 82 km (51.0 mi) section of concrete-slab track-bed was built to accommodate the Hokkaido Shinkansen, and is dual gauge, with both narrow (national standard) 1,067 mm gauge and 1,435 mm gauge track. As all regular passenger services are Shinkansen, the Kaikyō Line is normally used only by freight trains.

The line was originally electrified at 20 kV AC (50 Hz) and was changed in 2016 to the Shinkansen-standard 25 kV AC (50 Hz). To continue freight operations, JR Freight introduced Class EH800 dual-voltage locomotives.

Stations

• Naka-Oguni Station
• Okutsugaru-Imabetsu Station (Shinkansen station with facilities for freight trains on the Kaikyō Line)
• Tappi-Kaitei Station (closed 2014)
• Yoshioka-Kaitei Station (closed 2014)
• Shiriuchi Station (closed 2014)
• Kikonai Station

History

The line was opened on 13 March 1988 in conjunction with the opening of the Seikan Tunnel. Originally the line ran both freight and passenger trains; the latter included daytime limited express Hakuchō and night train Hokutosei.

Three of the stations on the Kaikyō Line, Tappi-Kaitei, Yoshioka-Kaitei, and Shiriuchi, were closed on 15 March 2014 due to construction work connected with the Hokkaido Shinkansen, which opened on 26 March 2016. From that time, this line has largely re-designed as a freight-only route, except for the Train Suite Shikishima cruise train.

See also

• Seikan Tunnel Tappi Shako Line

References

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