Ōfunato Line

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The Ōfunato Line (大船渡線, Ōfunato-sen) is a local railway line in Iwate Prefecture, Japan, operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It originally connected Ichinoseki Station in Ichinoseki to Sakari Station in Ōfunato, on the Tohoku coast.

Ōfunato Line
KiHa 100 DMU at Kesennuma Station, October 2006
Overview
Native name大船渡線
StatusIn operation
(Ichinoseki – Kesennuma as a railway)
(Kesennuma – Sakari as a BRT route)
OwnerJR East
LocaleIwate Prefecture
Termini
Stations25 (14 are railway stations following the 2011 disaster)
Service
TypeHeavy rail
Operator(s)JR East
Rolling stockKiHa 100 series DMU, Hino Blue Ribbon City Bus, Isuzu Erga Bus
History
Opened26 July 1925
Closed1 April 2020 (Section between Kesennuma – Sakari was replaced by bus rapid transit in 2013 but was only formally closed in 2020)
Technical
Line length105.7 km (65.7 mi) (Until 2011)
62.0 km (38.5 mi) (After 2011)
Number of tracksEntire line single tracked
CharacterRural
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
ElectrificationNot electrified
Operating speed85 km/h (53 mph)
Route map
Line map
Ōfunato Line
km
0.0
Ichinoseki
Tōhoku Main Line
5.7
Mataki
13.7
Rikuchū-Kanzaki
17.5
Iwanoshita
21.3
Rikuchū-Matsukawa
23.3
Geibikei
26.1
Shibajuku
30.6
Surisawa
39.8
Senmaya
43.4
Konashi
47.6
Yagoshi
49.7
Orikabe
55.3
Niitsuki
62.0
Kesennuma
64.2
Shishiori-Karakuwa
65.3
Hachiman-Ōhashi
69.5
Kami-Shishiori
77.8
Osabe
79.5
Rikuzen-Yahagi
82.4
Kiseki-no-Ippon-Matsu
82.5
Takekoma
85.4
Rikuzen-Takata
Machinaka-Rikuzen-Takata
86.2
Takatakōkōmae
87.6
Takata Hospital
88.3
Wakinosawa
92.8
Otomo
95.4
Goishikaiganguchi
97.1
Hosoura
100.2
Shimofunato
101.7
Ōfunato Fish Market
103.1
Ōfunato
Iwate Development Railway
Hikoroichi Line
105.7
Sakari
Iwate Development Railway
Hikoroichi Line
Key
BRT service area
services suspended indefinitely

The eastern section of the line was significantly damaged by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 2011. In January 2012, services resumed on the western 62.0 km (38.5 mi) portion of the route between Ichinoseki and Kesennuma. The eastern section between Kesennuma and Sakari remains closed, and in February 2012, JR East officially proposed that this section of the line be scrapped and the right-of-way used as a bus rapid transit (BRT) route.[1] The section was routinely replaced by BRT, and this section of the line was formally closed as a railway on 1 April 2020.

The line connects with the Kesennuma Line at Kesennuma Station and formerly connected with the privately owned Sanriku Railway's Minami-Riasu Line at Sakari Station in Ōfunato.

History

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The Ichinoseki – Kesennuma section opened in stages between 1925 and 1929, with the Kesennuma – Sakari section opening between 1932 and 1935.

Freight services ceased in 1983/4.

Following the 2011 disaster, services resumed on the Ichinoseki – Kesennuma section on 1 April, but were suspended again between 7–18 April due to aftershocks.

The first section of the busway replacing the Kesennuma – Sakari section opened in March 2013.

Operations

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In April 2005, there were 27 services daily using this line (14 eastbound, 13 westbound).

Following the 2011 disaster, operations were reduced to ten eastbound local trains and one Super Dragon rapid service, with westbound services consisting of nine local trains and one rapid. In March 2013 the rapid services were withdrawn.

On 22 December 2012, a special Pokémon With You train began running on the line.[2] The train operates on selected days, departing eastbound at 11:01am and returning westbound at 2:37pm. The train stops at most stations on the way for between six and thirteen minutes. All seats are reserved and a seat fee is payable in addition to the basic fare.[3]

Station list

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Stations in greyed out cells have been closed since the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.

Station name Japanese Distance (km) from Local train BRT Connections Location
previous
station
Ichinoseki
Ichinoseki 一ノ関 0.0 Local buses Tōhoku Main Line,
Tōhoku Shinkansen
Ichinoseki, Iwate
Mataki 真滝 5.7 5.7
Rikuchū-Kanzaki 陸中門崎 8.0 13.7
Iwanoshita 岩ノ下 3.8 17.5
Rikuchū-Matsukawa 陸中松川 3.8 21.3
Geibikei 猊鼻渓 2.0 23.3
Shibajuku 柴宿 2.8 26.1
Surisawa 摺沢 4.5 30.6
Senmaya 千厩 9.2 39.8
Konashi 小梨 3.6 43.4
Yagoshi 矢越 4.2 47.6
Orikabe 折壁 2.1 49.7
Niitsuki 新月 5.6 55.3
Kesennuma 気仙沼 6.7 62.0 Kesennuma Line Kesennuma, Miyagi
Shishiori-Karakuwa 鹿折唐桑 2.2 64.2 No service
Kami-Shishiori 上鹿折 5.3 69.5
Rikuzen-Yahagi 陸前矢作 10.0 79.5 Rikuzen-Takata, Iwate
Takekoma 竹駒 3.0 82.5
Rikuzen-Takata 陸前高田 2.9 85.4
Wakinosawa 脇ノ沢 2.9 88.3
Otomo 小友 4.5 92.8
Hosoura 細浦 4.3 97.1 Ōfunato, Iwate
Shimofunato 下船渡 3.1 100.2
Ōfunato 大船渡 2.9 103.1
Sakari 2.6 105.7 Sanriku Railway Rias Line

References

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

  1. ^ 被災2路線、廃止しバス専用道提案へ JR東、岩手県に [JR East proposes to scrap two lines and convert to bus routes]. The Asahi Shimbun Digital (in Japanese). Japan: The Asahi Shimbun Company. 8 February 2012. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
  2. ^ "ポケモンウィズユートレイン:JR東日本". jreast.co.jp.
  3. ^ "POKÉMON with YOU Train | Joyful Trains | JR-EAST". jreast.co.jp.
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