Aoimori Railway Line

The Nihongo|Aoimori Railway Line|青い森鉄道線|Aoimori Tetsudō-sen is a rail line in Japan. It runs from Metoki Station in Sannohe to Hachinohe Station in Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture.

Formerly part of the Tōhoku Main Line of East Japan Railway Company (JR East), it was separated from JR in 2002. Freight and express trains of JR continue to use the line.

Although the line is known as an operation of Aoimori Railway Company, a third sector (funded by public and private sectors) company, the railway facilities are owned by the local government of Aomori Prefecture as a Category-3 Railway Business under the Railway Business Act of Japan and Aoimori Railway Company operates passenger trains on the tracks as a Category-3 Railway Business paying fees to the government. This scheme is intended to mitigate the company's burden as an owner of fixed assets and is called the nihongo|top-and-bottom separation method|上下分離方式|jōge bunri hōshiki.

Japan Freight Railway Company, the nationwide freight train operator, is also a Category-3 Railway Business on the line.

Route data

*Total distance: 25.9 km (Metoki — Hachinohe)
**Aoimori Railway Company
***25.9 km (Metoki — Hachinohe)
**Japan Freight Railway Company
***25.9 km (Metoki — Hachinohe)
*Rail gauge:
**1,067 mm
*Stations: 7 (including freight stations)
*Tracks: Dual-track
*Electrification: All (20,000 V AC, 50 Hz)
*Block system: Automatic block system

Station list