Rumoi Main Line
| Rumoi Main Line | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| File:Rumoi Line Chippubetsu.JPG A single KiHa 54 series DMU on the Rumoi Main Line in September 2011 | |||
| Overview | |||
| Status | In operation | ||
| Owner | JR Hokkaido | ||
| Locale | File:JR logo (hokkaido).svg JR Hokkaido | ||
| Termini | |||
| Stations | 5 | ||
| Service | |||
| Type | Regional rail | ||
| Operator(s) | JR Hokkaido | ||
| Rolling stock | KiHa 54 series DMU, KiHa 150 series DMU | ||
| History | |||
| Opened | 23 October 1910 | ||
| Closed | 5 December 2016 (Rumoi–Mashike) 1 April 2023 (Ishikari-Numata–Rumoi) March 2026 (entire line) (planned) | ||
| Technical | |||
| Line length | 14.4 km (8.9 mi) | ||
| Number of tracks | Entire line single tracked | ||
| Character | Rural | ||
| Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | ||
| Electrification | None | ||
| Operating speed | 95 km/h (59 mph) | ||
| |||
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The Rumoi Main Line (留萌本線, Rumoi-honsen) is a Japanese railway line in Hokkaido operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido) which connects Fukagawa Station in Fukagawa and Ishikari-Numata Station in Numata. Following the discontinuation of service between Rumoi and Ishikari-Numata on April 1, the Rumoi Main Line is the shortest railway line in Japan to be classified as a 'main line', at just 14.4 kilometers.[1][2]
On 19 November 2016, JR Hokkaido's president announced plans to further rationalize the network by up to 1,237 km (769 mi), or approximately 50% of the network,[3] including closure of the remaining section of the Rumoi Main Line (the Rumoi to Mashike section closed on 5 December 2016). This section of track from Ishikari-Numata to Rumoi was closed on 1 April 2023, with the final train running on the 31 March 2023. JR Hokkaido has announced the Fukagawa-Ishikari Numata section will close on 31 March 2026.
History
[edit | edit source]The initial section of the line, between Fukagawa and Rumoi opened on 23 October 1910, and was extended to Mashike on 5 November 1921.[4] The line was reclassified as a "main line" from 10 October 1931.[4] With the privatization of Japanese National Railways (JNR) on 1 April 1987, the line came under the control of JR Hokkaido.[4]
Closure plans
[edit | edit source]On 10 August 2015, JR Hokkaido informed the mayors of Rumoi and Mashike of its plans to close the 16.7 km (10.4 mi) section of the line from Rumoi to Mashike in 2016.[5] In April 2016, it was officially announced that the section from Rumoi to Mashike would close, and the last service operated on 4 December of that year.[6] The four towns and cities along the remaining line, Rumoi, Numata, Chippubetsu and Fukagawa were in discussion with JR Hokkaido regarding the line's future, but Rumoi left the group as the city was already well-equipped so they did not see keeping the railway open as necessary after Rumoi IC opened in Fukagawa-Rumoi Expressway.[7] In September 2022, JR Hokkaido submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to close an additional 35.7 km (22.2 mi) between Ishikari-Numata and Rumoi.[8][9] As the closure was approved on 9 December 2022,[10] the end of service was announced for 31 March 2023, and the closure occurred on 1 April 2023.[11][12]
Although the rest of the municipalities proposed that the rest of the line remains open, the proposal failed when JR Hokkaido demanded 300,000,000 yen yearly to keep the line open.[7] As a result, The remaining 14.4 km (8.9 mi) section to Fukagawa is slated to be closed in March 2026.[13][9]
Stations
[edit | edit source]| No. | Picture | Station name | Japanese | Between (km) |
Distance (km) |
Transfers | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ↓ To be closed on 1 April 2026 ↓ | |||||||
| A24 | File:JR Hakodate-Main-Line・Rumoi-Main-Line Fukagawa Station building.jpg | Fukagawa | 深川 | -- | 0.0 | ■ Hakodate Main Line | Fukagawa |
| File:JR Rumoi-Main-Line Kita-Ichiyan Station building.jpg | Kita-Ichiyan | 北一已 | 3.8 | 3.8 | |||
| File:JR Rumoi-Main-Line Chippubetsu Station building.jpg | Chippubetsu | 秩父別 | 5.0 | 8.8 | Chippubetsu, Uryū District | ||
| File:Tippubetu2408.jpg | Kita-Chippubetsu | 北秩父別 | 2.4 | 11.2 | |||
| File:IshikariNumataStn JRH 20230802.jpg | Ishikari-Numata | 石狩沼田 | 3.2 | 14.4 | Numata, Uryū District | ||
| ↓Closed on 1 April 2023 ↓ | |||||||
| Mappu | 真布 | 3.4 | 17.8 | Numata, Uryū District | |||
| Ebishima | 恵比島 | 2.9 | 20.7 | ||||
| Tōgeshita | 峠下 | 7.6 | 28.3 | Rumoi | |||
| Horonuka | 幌糠 | 6.2 | 34.5 | ||||
| Fujiyama | 藤山 | 5.5 | 40.0 | ||||
| Ōwada | 大和田 | 4.2 | 44.2 | ||||
| Rumoi | 留萌 | 5.9 | 50.1 | ||||
| ↓ Closed on 5 December 2016 ↓ | |||||||
| Segoshi | 瀬越 | 2.1 | 52.2 | Rumoi | |||
| Reuke | 礼受 | 4.0 | 56.2 | ||||
| Afun | 阿分 | 1.3 | 57.5 | Mashike, Mashike District | |||
| Nobusha | 信砂 | 2.7 | 60.2 | ||||
| Shaguma | 舎熊 | 0.8 | 61.0 | ||||
| Shumombetsu | 朱文別 | 1.7 | 62.7 | ||||
| Hashibetsu | 箸別 | 1.3 | 64.0 | ||||
| Mashike | 増毛 | 2.8 | 66.8 | ||||
References
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