Nemuro Main Line

Nemuro line map

KiHa 283 series DMU between Shakubetsu and Ombetsu

"Super Ōzora" limited express train.

Nemuro Main Line (根室本線, Nemuro Honsen^?) is a railway line in Hokkaidō operated by JR Hokkaidō, between Takikawa Station, Takikawa City and Nemuro Station, Nemuro City, running through eastern Hokkaidō including Obihiro and Kushiro.

Basic Data

• Operators, distances
  • Hokkaidō Railway Company (Services and tracks)
    • Whole the line, from Takikawa to Nemuro: 443.8 km / Approx. 275.8  mi.
  • Japan Freight Railway Company (Services)
    • From Takikawa to Furano: 54.6 km / Approx. 33.9  mi.
    • From Higashi-Shikagoe to Kushiro: 213.6 km / Approx. 123.7  mi.
• Stations: 69, including 1 freight-only station.
• Gauge: 1067 mm / 3 ft. 6 in.
• Double-track line: None
• Electric supply: Not electrified
• Block system:
  • From Takikawa to Higashi-Kushiro: Automatic
  • From Higashi-Kushiro to Nemuro: Special Automatic (Electronic Signal Verification); a simplified automatic system.

History

The line was built as a link line between central and eastern Hokkaidō, by Hokkaidō Government Railway (北海道官設鉄道, Hokkaidō Kansetsu Tetsudō^?). The first segment, between Asahikawa and Biei, opened in 1899. The line between Asahikawa and Kushiro was completed in 1907. In 1913, the new line between Shimo-Furano (which is the current Furano Station) and Takikawa opened, and the segment between Asahikawa and Shimo-Furano was separated as Furano Line. The line extended to the eastward gradually, reaching Nemuro in 1921. In 1981, Sekishō Line opened as a shortcut line, making the main link route between central and eastern Hokkaidō much shorter.

Services

Kiha 40-700 in local service

The line is roughly divided into 3 segments.

The segment between Takikawa and Shintoku is now a quiet local line. The rapid train Karikachi (狩勝^?) runs twice a day, and there is one local train service every 1 to 2 hours.

The segment between Shintoku and Kushiro remains a part of the important trunk route between Sapporo and eastern Hokkaidō. The limited express train Super Ōzora (スーパーおおぞら, Sūpā Ōzora^?) runs between Sapporo and Kushiro six times a day, while Super Tokachi (スーパーとかち, Sūpā Tokachi^?) runs twice a day, Tokachi (とかち^?) 4 times a day, both between Sapporo and Obihiro. There is also the sleeper train Marimo (まりも^?) between Sapporo and Kushiro. There is one local train service every 1 to 2 hours.

The segment between Kushiro and Nemuro is again a quiet local line. This segment has the official nickname Hanasaki Line (花咲線, Hanasaki-sen^?). There are two rapid trains Nosappu (ノサップ^?) and Hanasaki (はなさき^?) which run once a day each. Other than that, there is one local train service every 2 to 3 hours.

Stations

LE: Limited Express

R: Rapid

All the trains stop at stations signed "+". Some trains stop at "*". No trains (other than local) stop at "-".

No.	Station name	Japanese	Total dist.	LE	R	Transfers	Location (all in Hokkaidō)
A21	Takikawa	滝川	0.0 km		+	JR: ■ Hakodate Main Line	Takikawa
T22	Higashi-Takikawa	東滝川	7.2 km		-
T23	Akabira	赤平	13.7 km		+		Akabira
T24	Moshiri	茂尻	17.2 km		*
T25	Hiragishi	平岸	20.7 km		-
T26	Ashibetsu	芦別	26.6 km		+		Ashibetsu
T27	Kami-Ashibetsu	上芦別	30.5 km		*
T28	Nokanan	野花南	35.2 km		*
T29	Shimanoshita	島ノ下	49.1 km		-		Furano
T30	Furano	富良野	54.6 km		+	JR: ■ Furano Line
T31	Nunobe	布部	60.9 km		*
T32	Yamabe	山部	66.7 km		+
T33	Shimo-Kanayama	下金山	74.7 km		*		Minamifurano, Sorachi
T34	Kanayama	金山	81.6 km		*
T35	Higashi-Shikagoe	東鹿越	94.8 km		*
T36	Ikutora	幾寅	98.8 km		+
T37	Ochiai	落合	108.2 km		*
	Kami-Ochiai Junction	上落合(信)	112.2 km		-
	Shin-Karikachi Signal Ground	新狩勝(信)	117.8 km		-		Shintoku, Kamikawa
	Hirouchi Signal Ground	広内(信)	124.0 km		-
	Nishi-Shintoku Signal Ground	西新得(信)	129.5 km		-
K23	Shintoku	新得	136.3 km	+	+	JR: ■ Sekishō Line
K24	Tokachi-Shimizu	十勝清水	145.4 km	*	+		Shimizu, Kamikawa
	Hiranogawa Signal Ground	平野川(信)	151.6 km	-	-
K25	Haobi	羽帯	152.9 km	-	-
K26	Mikage	御影	155.9 km	-	*
	Kami-Memuro Signal Ground	上芽室(信)	160.6 km	-	-
K27	Memuro	芽室	166.5 km	*	+		Memuro, Kasai
K28	Taisei	大成	168.6 km	-	-
K29	Nishi-Obihiro	西帯広	173.4 km	-	*		Obihiro
	Obihiro (freight)	帯広(貨)	176.0 km	-	-
K30	Hakurindai	柏林台	176.6 km	-	-
K31	Obihiro	帯広	180.1 km	+	+
K32	Satsunai	札内	184.9 km	-			Makubetsu, Nakagawa
K33	Inashibetsu	稲士別	188.5 km	-
K34	Makubetsu	幕別	194.3 km	-
K35	Toshibetsu	利別	200.8 km	-			Ikeda, Nakagawa
K36	Ikeda	池田	204.3 km	+
	Shōei Signal Ground	昭栄(信)	208.5 km	-
K37	Tōfutsu	十弗	212.8 km	-			Toyokoro, Nakagawa
K38	Toyokoro	豊頃	218.2 km	-
K39	Shin-Yoshino	新吉野	225.3 km	-			Urahoro, Tokachi
K40	Urahoro	浦幌	231.7 km	*
	Tsunetoyo Signal Ground	常豊(信)	236.0 km	-
K41	Kami-Atsunai	上厚内	243.5 km	-
K42	Atsunai	厚内	250.1 km	-
K43	Chokubetsu	直別	257.3 km	-			Kushiro City
K44	Shakubetsu	尺別	261.3 km	-
K45	Onbetsu	音別	265.1 km	-
K46	Furuse	古瀬	274.8 km	-			Shiranuka, Shiranuka
K47	Shiranuka	白糠	281.1 km	*
K48	Nishi-Shoro	西庶路	286.5 km	-
K49	Shoro	庶路	288.6 km	-
	Higashi-Shoro Signal Ground	東庶路(信)	293.8 km	-
K50	Otanoshike	大楽毛	299.0 km	-			Kushiro City
K51	Shin-Otanoshike	新大楽毛	300.8 km	-
K52	Shin-Fuji	新富士	305.7 km	-
K53	Kushiro	釧路	308.4 km	+	+
B54	Higashi-Kushiro	東釧路	311.3 km		*	JR: ■ Senmō Main Line
	Musa	武佐	312.5 km		*
	Beppo	別保	317.0 km		*		Kushiro Town, Kushiro
	Kami-Oboro	上尾幌	331.7 km		*		Akkeshi, Akkeshi
	Oboro	尾幌	340.9 km		-
	Monshizu	門静	350.1 km		-
	Akkeshi	厚岸	355.0 km		+
	Itoizawa	糸魚沢	365.6 km		-
	Chanai	茶内	375.2 km		+		Hamanaka, Akkeshi
	Hamanaka	浜中	382.2 km		+
	Anebetsu	姉別	392.3 km		-
	Attoko	厚床	398.9 km		+		Nemuro
	Hattaushi	初田牛	406.0 km		-
	Bettoga	別当賀	414.5 km		-
	Ochiishi	落石	424.8 km		*
	Konbumori	昆布盛	428.8 km		-
	Nishi-Wada	西和田	433.6 km		-
	Hanasaki	花咲	438.2 km		-
	Higashi-Nemuro	東根室	442.3 km		-
	Nemuro	根室	443.8 km		+

Gallery

• 

  Higashi-Nemuro Station is the easternmost railway station in Japan.

• 

  Obihiro Station.

• 

  Kami-Atsunai Station.

• 

  Hanasaki Station.

• 

  Nemuro Station.

See also

• List of railway lines in Japan

External links

• (Japanese) JR Hokkaidō official website
• (English) JR Hokkaidō official website

References