Sanriku Railway

(Redirected from Kita-Rias Line)

The Sanriku Railway (三陸鉄道, Sanriku Tetsudō) is a railway company in Iwate Prefecture in northern Japan. The company and its lines are also known as Santetsu (三鉄). The company was founded in 1981, as the first "third sector" (half public, half private) railway line in the country, excluding special cases such as freight railways in seaports. Its lines are former Japanese National Railways (JNR) lines, that were going to be closed. Santetsu acquired these lines in 1984. The company also operates a travel agency and other businesses.

Santetsu 36-700 series DMU

Lines edit

Rias Line edit

Rias Line
 
A train crossing the Ōsawa Viaduct, September 2015
Overview
Native nameリアス線
StatusIn operation
OwnerSanriku Railway
LocaleIwate Prefecture
Termini
Stations41
Service
TypeHeavy rail
Operator(s)Sanriku Railway
Rolling stockSanriku Railway 36 series DMU
History
OpenedFormer JR East Yamada Line joined with Kita-Rias and Minami-Rias Line on 23 March 2019 to make Rias Line
Technical
Line length163.0 km (101.3 mi)
Number of tracksEntire line single tracked
CharacterRural
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
ElectrificationNone
Operating speed90 km/h (56 mph)
Route map

Rias Line
km
 
 
 
0.0
Sakari  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sano tunnel
 
 
3.7
Rikuzen-Akasaki
 
Ryōri tunnel
 
 
9.1
Ryōri
 
9.8
Shirahama Coast
(
closed
c.1992
)
 
 
 
2nd Shirahama tunnel
 
12.0
Koishihama
 
Koishihama tunnel
 
 
14.3
Horei
 
Horei tunnel
 
 
Tomari River
 
 
17.0
Sanriku
 
 
Rasho tunnel
 
 
 
 
 
21.6
Yoshihama
 
 
 
Hodai tunnel
 
 
Kumaki tunnel
 
27.7
Tōni
 
 
Ishizuka tunnel
 
33.1
Heita
 
Kamaishi tunnel
 
 
 
Owatari River (Kasshi River)
 
 
 
 
 
36.6
Kamaishi
 
 
 
 
 
 
Kamaishi tunnel
 
3rd Mizuumi River bridge
 
2nd Mizuumi River bridge
 
1st Mizuumi River bridge
 
3rd Mizuumi tunnel
 
2nd Mizuumi tunnel
 
1st Mizuumi tunnel
 
42.7
Ryōishi
 
Koi no Toge tunnel
 
2nd Unosumai bridge
 
44.9
Unosumai
 
1st Unosumai bridge
 
Katagishi bridge
 
Ōtsuchi tunnel
 
Kozuchi River
 
48.9
Ōtsuchi
 
Ōtsuchi River bridge
 
Kirikiri tunnel
 
52.3
Kirikiri
 
Namiita River bridge
 
54.1
Namiitakaigan
 
3rd Osawa tunnel
 
2nd Osawa tunnel
 
1st Osawa tunnel
 
60.5
Iwate-Funakoshi
 
Funakoshi tunnel
 
2nd plant tunnel
 
1st plant tunnel
 
2nd Orikasa River bridge
 
1st Orikasa River bridge
 
Orikasa tunnel
 
64.3
Orikasa
 
65.5
Rikuchū-Yamada
 
Yamada tunnel
 
 
Sekiguchi tunnel
 
Matsuri no kami tunnel
 
 
76.6
Toyomane
 
 
80.7
Haraigawa
 
82.8
Tsugaruishi
 
88.2
Yagisawa Miyakotandai
 
90.0
Sokei
 
Sokei tunnel
 
 
Rasa Industries
Miyako factory dedicated line
 
Hei River bridge
 
 
Miyako Port
(
closed
1984
)
 
92.0
Miyako
 
 
 
Nagane tunnel
562
 
93.6
Yamaguchi Danchi
 
Yamaguchi Danchi tunnel
137
 
2nd Yamaguchi tunnel
213
 
Saru-tōge
(Monkey Pass) tunnel
2,870
 
98.2
Ichinowatari
 
Ichinowatari tunnel
2,245
 
1st Sabane tunnel
62
 
101.1
Sabane
 
2nd Sabane tunnel
308
 
Horino tunnel
35
 
1st Shoko tunnel
43
 
2nd Shoko tunnel
169
 
Ainoyama tunnel
489
 
104.7
Tarō
 
1st Taro tunnel
55
 
105.2
Shin-Tarō
 
2nd Taro tunnel
255
 
3rd Taro tunnel
357
 
Masaki tunnel
6,532
 
113.5
Settai
 
Settai tunnel
2,446
 
Omoto River
 
117.1
Iwaizumi-Omoto
 
Omoto tunnel
5,174
 
Kiriushi tunnel
1,824
 
Hamako tunnel
529
 
125.6
Shimanokoshi
 
Matsumae River
 
1st Shimanokoshi tunnel
216
 
Koikorobe bridge
 
2nd Shimanokoshi tunnel
723
 
 
Hirai tunnel
655
 
127.6
Tanohata
 
Raga tunnel
1,271
 
Akito tunnel
140
 
Fudai tunnel
4,700
 
136.9
Fudai
 
3rd power tunnel
862
 
2nd power tunnel
58
 
 
140.3
Shiraikaigan
 
3rd Shirai tunnel
371
 
2nd Shirai tunnel
35
 
1st Shirai tunnel
1,540
 
Osawa bridge
 
Osawa tunnel
69
 
Hiroshi Mukai tunnel
180
 
Horinai tunnel
225
 
143.4
Horinai
 
2nd Anke tunnel
381
 
Akegawa bridge
 
1st Anke tunnel
687
 
Zenigami tunnel
191
 
Sekimon tunnel
510
 
147.9
Noda-Tamagawa
 
Tamagawa tunnel
222
 
Yoneda tunnel
300
 
Tofugaura tunnel
290
 
149.6
Tofugaura-Kaigan
 
149.6
Tofugaura
(1986-94)
 
151.9
Rikuchū-Noda
 
155.3
Rikuchū-Ube
 
Ube tunnel
887
 
Nagauchi River
 
163.0
Kuji
 
km
length
in m
 
Line map
Red:Kita-Riasu Line
Blue:Minami-Riasu Line

Station list edit

Station Distance
(km)
Transfers Location
Name Japanese Between
Stations
Total
Sakari - 0.0 Ōfunato Line BRT service Ōfunato, Iwate
Rikuzen-Akasaki 陸前赤崎 3.7 3.7
Ryōri 綾里 5.4 9.1
Koishihama 恋し浜 2.9 12.0
Horei 甫嶺 2.3 14.3
Sanriku 三陸 2.7 17.0
Yoshihama 吉浜 4.6 21.6
Tōni 唐丹 6.1 27.7 Kamaishi, Iwate
Heita 平田 5.4 33.1
Kamaishi 釜石 3.5 36.6 Kamaishi Line
Ryōishi 両石 6.1 42.7
Unosumai 鵜住居 2.2 44.9
Ōtsuchi 大槌 4.0 48.9 Ōtsuchi, Iwate
Kirikiri 吉里吉里 3.4 52.3
Namiita-Kaigan 浪板海岸 1.8 54.1
Iwate-Funakoshi 岩手船越 6.4 60.5 Yamada, Iwate
Orikasa 織笠 3.8 63.3
Rikuchū-Yamada 陸中山田 1.2 65.5
Toyomane 豊間根 11.1 76.6
Haraigawa 払川 4.1 80.7 Miyako, Iwate
Tsugaruishi 津軽石 2.1 82.8
Yagisawa Miyakotandai 八木沢・宮古短大駅 5.4 88.2
Sokei 磯鶏 1.8 90.0
Miyako 宮古 2.0 92.0 Yamada Line
Yamaguchi Danchi 山口団地 1.6 93.6
Ichinowatari 一の渡 4.6 98.2
Sabane 佐羽根 2.9 101.1
Tarō 田老 3.6 104.7
Shin-Tarō 新田老 0.5 105.2
Settai 摂待 8.3 113.5
Iwaizumi-Omoto 岩泉小本 3.6 117.1 Iwaizumi, Iwate
Shimanokoshi 島越 8.5 125.6 Tanohata, Iwate
Tanohata 田野畑 2.0 127.6
Fudai 普代 9.3 136.9 Fudai, Iwate
Shiraikaigan 白井海岸 3.4 140.3
Horinai 堀内 3.1 143.4
Noda-Tamagawa 野田玉川 4.5 147.9 Noda, Iwate
Tofugaura-Kaigan 十府ヶ浦海岸 1.7 149.6
Rikuchū-Noda 陸中野田 2.3 151.9
Rikuchū-Ube 陸中宇部 3.4 155.3 Kuji, Iwate
Kuji 久慈 7.7 163.0 Hachinohe Line

History edit

Kita-Rias Line edit

The Japanese National Railways (JNR) opened the Miyako to Taro section in 1972 and the Kuji to Fudai section in 1975. It constructed the Taro to Fudai section, and transferred the entire line to Sanriku on the day it opened in 1984. The line features 42 tunnels, including the Masaki (6,532 m) and Omoto (5,174 m) tunnels, both opened in 1984.

Minami-Rias Line edit

JNR opened the Sakari to Ryori section in 1970, extending the line to Yoshihama in 1973. It constructed the section to Kamaishi and transferred the entire line to Sanriku on the day it opened in 1984. The line features 20 tunnels. [citation needed]

2011 earthquake and tsunami damage edit

Both lines were heavily damaged by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.[1] The two lines suffered damage at 300 locations, including damage to station buildings and bridges. The tsunami washed away 5.8 km of railway tracks on the lines. Full restoration of service on the lines was completed in April 2014.[2]

Diesel railcars damaged by the earthquake and tsunami were replaced by three new diesel railcars funded by Kuwait. The new cars were introduced in January 2014.[3]

The two sections of the Sanriku Railway were for a long time separated by a destroyed segment of the Yamada Line.

On 23 March 2019, the Yamada Line section from Miyako to Kamaishi was reopened and transferred to Sanriku Railway. This joined up with the Kita-Rias Line on one side and the Minami-Rias Line on the other, which together constitutes the entire Rias Line restored. The result is a resumption of continuous rail service between Kuji and Sakari Station where it links with the Ōfunato Line.[4][5]

Typhoon Hagibis damage edit

Following the Typhoon Hagibis in 2019 which caused further damage to the railway, the operator Sanriku Railway Co,.Ltd. have received around ¥40 million in donations to help with repairs.[6]

See also edit

References edit

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

  1. ^ [1] [dead link]
  2. ^ "Tsunami-hit Sanriku line fully operational". The Japan Times. 5 April 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
  3. ^ 三陸鉄道、新車両3両投入へ [Sanriku Railway to introduce 3 new cars]. Tetsudo.com (in Japanese). Japan: Asahi Interactive. 22 June 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
  4. ^ 三陸鉄道はいま、ひとつにつながるリアス線 (in Japanese). Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  5. ^ 東日本大震災 復興鉄路つながった 8年ぶり宮古-釜石、三陸鉄道に [Great East Japan Earthquake Railway have been rebuilt and connected after 8 years reconstruction between Miyako-Kamaishi, Sanriku Railway]. mainichi.jp (in Japanese). Japan: The Mainichi Newspapers Co., Ltd. 23 March 2019. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  6. ^ "Sanriku Railway, icon of 3/11 recovery, back to full service after typhoon". The Japan Times. 20 March 2020. Retrieved 10 March 2021.

External links edit