Hisatsu Orange Railway

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Hisatsu Orange Railway Co., Ltd. (肥薩おれんじ鉄道株式会社, Hitatsu Orenji Tetsudō Kabushiki-gaisha^?) is a third-sector railway company that operates in Kumamoto and Kagoshima prefectures. The line follows the former part of the JR Kyushu Kagoshima Main Line that connected Yatsushiro and Sendai. The length of the line is 116.9km.

Hisatsu Orange Railway went into service on March 13, 2004 when ownership was transferred from JR when the high speed Kyushu Shinkansen service began. The Hisatsu Orange Railway runs close to the Yatsushiro Sea and East China Sea and connects to the Kagoshima Main Line on both ends. The route is indirect and windy, but connects several cities along the coast.

The company has a total of 19 diesel cars, but two of them are reserved for special events. These were transferred from JR. Shareholders in the railway include Kumamoto prefecture, city of Yatsushiro, Tsunagi-Cho, Ashikita-Cho, city of Minamata, Kagoshima prefecture, city of Izumi, city of Akune, city of Satsumasendai, and the Japan Freight Railway Company.

[edit] Stations

• Yatsushiro station (northern terminus)
• Higokōda (in Yatsushiro)
• Hinagu Onsen (in Yatsushiro)
• Kamitanoura (in Yatsushiro)
• Higo-Futami (in Yatsushiro)
• Tanoura-Otachimisaki Koen (opened in March, 2005)
• Higo Tanoura
• Uminoura
• Sashiki
• Yunoura (in Yatsushiro)
• Tsunagi
• Shin-Minamata (in Minamata connects with Kyushu Shinkansen)
• Minamata
• Fukuro (in Minamata)
• Komenotsu (in Izumi)
• Izumi (connects with Kyushu Shinkansen)
• Nishi-Izumi (in Izumi)
• Takaono (in Izumi)
• Nodagō (in Izumi)
• Origuchi (in Akune)
• Akune
• Ushinohama (in Akune)
• Satsuma-Ōkawa (in Akune)
• Nishikata (in Satsumasendai)
• Satsuma-Taki (in Satsumasendai)
• Kusamichi (in Satsumasendai)
• Kami-Sendai (in Satsumasendai)
• Sendai Sendai (northern terminus in Satsumasendai – connects to Kagoshima Main Line and Kyushu Shinkansen)

[edit] External links

• Hisatsu Orange Railway home page (in Japanese)