The Tosa Kuroshio Railway Nakamura Line (土佐くろしお鉄道中村線, Tosa Kuroshio Tetsudō Nakamura-sen) is a 43.0 km Japanese railway line operated by the third-sector railway operator Tosa Kuroshio Railway. It connects Kubokawa Station in the town of Shimanto with Nakamura Station in the city of Shimanto in Kōchi Prefecture.
| Tosa Kuroshio Railway Nakamura Line | |
|---|---|
 A Tosa Kuroshio Railway DMU at Kubokawa Station, September 2007 | |
| Overview | |
| Native name | 土佐くろしお鉄道中村線 |
| Status | Operational |
| Owner | Tosa Kuroshio Railway |
| Locale | Kōchi Prefecture |
| Termini | |
| Stations | 15 |
| Service | |
| Type | Regional rail |
| Operator(s) | Tosa Kuroshio Railway |
| Rolling stock | TKT-8000 series DMU, JR Shikoku 2000 series DMU, JR Shikoku 2700 series DMU |
| History | |
| Opened | 18 December 1963 |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 43.0 km (26.7 mi) |
| Number of tracks | Entire line single tracked |
| Character | Rural |
| Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) |
| Minimum radius | 250 m |
| Electrification | None |
| Operating speed | 110 km/h (68 mph) |
Stations edit
| No. | Name | Japanese | Distance (km) | Transfers | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TK26 | Kubokawa | 窪川 | 0.0 | Dosan Line (K26) | Shimanto, Takaoka | Kōchi |
| TK27 | Wakai | 若井 | 4.4 | Yodo Line(G27) | ||
| TK28 | Kaina | 荷稲 | 13.8 | Kuroshio, Hata | ||
| TK29 | Iyoki | 伊与喜 | 18.1 | |||
| TK30 | Tosa-Saga | 土佐佐賀 | 20.8 | |||
| TK31 | Saga-Kōen | 佐賀公園 | 22.9 | |||
| TK32 | Tosa-Shirahama | 土佐白浜 | 24.1 | |||
| TK33 | Ariigawa | 有井川 | 27.6 | |||
| TK34 | Tosa-Kamikawaguchi | 土佐上川口 | 29.2 | |||
| TK35 | Uminoōmukae | 海の王迎 | 30.1 | |||
| TK36 | Ukibuchi | 浮鞭 | 31.7 | |||
| TK37 | Tosa-Irino | 土佐入野 | 34.3 | |||
| TK38 | Nishi-Ōgata | 西大方 | 37.2 | |||
| TK39 | Kotsuka | 古津賀 | 40.9 | Shimanto | ||
| TK40 | Nakamura | 中村 | 43.0 | Tosa Kuroshio Railway Sukumo Line (TK40) | ||
History edit
The first section of the line, from Kobokawa to Tosa-Saga was opened by Japanese National Railways (JNR) on 18 December 1963, and operated using diesel trains, functioning as an extension of the Dosan Line.[1] The section from Tosa-Saga to Nakamura opened on 1 October 1970.[1]
Freight operations ceased in 1984, and from 1 April 1988, operation of the line was transferred to the Tosa Kuroshio Railway.[1] With the opening of the Tosa Kuroshio Railway Sukumo Line in October 1997, the maximum line speed was raised from 85 km/h to 110 km/h.[1]