Sōya Main Line

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"Super Sōya" limited express train
"Super Sōya" limited express train
Local train at Otoineppu Station
Local train at Otoineppu Station
The northern extremity of Japanese railway
The northern extremity of Japanese railway

Sōya Main Line (宗谷本線 Sōya Honsen?) is a Japanese railway line of Hokkaido Railway Company in Hokkaidō, the northernmost railway line in Japan. The line is between Asahikawa Station in Asahikawa and Wakkanai Station in Wakkanai. The name comes from Sōya Subprefecture.

Contents

[edit] Basic data

  • Distances: 259.4 km
  • Operators
  • Stations: 54
  • Gauge: 1067 mm
  • Track
    • Asahikawa - Shin-Asahikawa 3.7 km: double
    • Shin-Asahikawa - Wakkanai: single
  • Electrification:
    • Asahikawa - Shin-Asahikawa 3.7 km: 20,000 V AC)
      For train forwarding only, to Kita-Asahikawa depot from Asahikawa Station
    • Shin-Asahikawa - Wakkanai: not electrified
  • Block system:
    • Asahikawa - Kita-Asahikawa: Automatic, with CTC and PRC
    • Kita-Asahikawa to Nagayama: Automatic (special) (自動閉塞式(特殊)), with CTC and PRC; Only one singnal block between each station.
    • Nagayama - Minami-Wakkanai: Special Automatic Electronic Signal Verification (電子符号照査式); Signal blocks on each station only, none between stations, with a wireless confirmation from a train
    • From Minami-Wakkanai to Wakkanai: Special Automatic Track Circuit Detection (軌道回路検知式); Signal blocks on each station only, none between stations, without a confirmation from a train

[edit] History

The line was originally built as a link line between Mainland Japan and the then Japanese northern frontier Karafuto (southern half of Sakhalin Island). From Wakkanai Port, ferry to then Ōdomari (present Korsakov) served until the end of World War II.

The first segment of the line from Asahigawa (present Asahikawa) to Nagayama was built by the Hokkaidō Government Railway (北海道官設鉄道 Hokkaidō Kansetsu Tetsudō?) in 1898. The line eventually extended to Nayoro in 1903, and a railway to Wakkanai was completed in 1922 in the route of the later Tempoku Line (天北線 Tenpoku-sen?) via Hamatombetsu. The present route via Horonobe was first made as the Teshio Line (天塩線 Teshio-sen?).

After Japan's defeat of the war, the line lost the function as a link to Sakhalin, but remained important as a trunk line into the northern part of Hokkaidō. The heavily declining population of the surrounding area in recent decades, however, have made networked railway lines disappear one by one. The Sōya "Main" Line lost all branch lines, presently it is a long branch from Hakodate Main Line.

[edit] Timeline

[edit] Services

Intercity limited expresses run from Sapporo to Wakkanai, Super Sōya (スーパー宗谷?) 2 laps a day, Sarobetsu (サロベツ?) 1 lap a day.

Local train services between Asahikawa and Nayoro one per 1 to 2 hours, the Rapids Nayoro (なよろ?) 4 laps a day. Between Nayoro and Wakkanai, one local per 3 to 4 hours.

[edit] Connections

Lines are of JR Hokkaidō unless noted

[edit] Present

[edit] Past

  • At Asahikawa-Yojō
  • At Nayoro
    • Nayoro Main Line
    • Shimmei Line
  • At Bifuka
  • At Otoineppu
    • Tempoku Line
  • At Horonobe
    • JNR: Haboro Line
  • At Minami-Wakkanai
    • Tempoku Line

[edit] Stations

R: All Rapids, r: some Rapids
L: Limited Expresses
1: manned station
2: station with passing loops
Station Distance R L Location
A28 Asahikawa 1 旭川 0.0 R L Asahikawa
A29 Asahikawa-Yojō 旭川四条 1.8 r  
A30 Shin-Asahikawa 新旭川 3.7    
  Kita-Asahikawa (freight) 北旭川(貨) 6.6    
W31 Nagayama 1 2 永山 9.3 R  
W32 Kita-Nagayama 北永山 11.4    
W33 Minami-Pippu 南比布 14.7     Pippu, Kamikawa
W34 Pippu 2 比布 17.1 R  
W35 Kita-Pippu 北比布 20.2    
W36 Ranru 2 蘭留 22.8    
W37 Shiokari 2 塩狩 28.4     Wassamu, Kamikawa
W38 Wassamu 2 和寒 36.3 R L
W39 Higashi-Rokusen 東六線 41.4     Kenbuchi, Kamikawa
W40 Kembuchi 2 剣淵 45.2 R  
W41 Kita-Kembuchi 北剣淵 50.2    
W42 Shibetsu 1 2 士別 53.9 R L Shibetsu
W43 Shimo-Shibetsu 下士別 58.3    
W44 Tayoro 多寄 61.7 r  
W45 Mizuho 瑞穂 64.5    
W46 Fūren 2 風連 68.1 r   Nayoro
W47 Higashi-Fūren 東風連 72.6    
W48 Nayoro 1 2 名寄 76.2 R L
W49 Nisshin 日進 80.2    
W50 Hokusei 北星 89.3    
W51 Chiebun 智恵文 91.2    
W52 Chihoku 智北 93.3    
W53 Minami-Bifuka 南美深 95.6     Bifuka, Nakagawa
W54 Bifuka 1 2 美深 98.3   L
W55 Hatsuno 初野 101.9    
W56 Momponai 紋穂内 105.0    
W57 Onnenai 恩根内 112.1    
W58 Toyoshimizu 2 豊清水 117.9    
W59 Teshiogawa-Onsen 天塩川温泉 121.5     Otoineppu, Nakagawa
W60 Sakkuru 咲来 124.7    
W61 Otoineppu 1 2 音威子府 129.3   L
W62 Osashima 筬島 135.6    
W63 Saku 2 佐久 153.6     Nakagawa, Nakagawa
W64 Teshio-Nakagawa 2 天塩中川 161.9   L
W65 Utanai 歌内 170.3    
W66 Toikanbetsu 問寒別 175.8     Horonobe, Teshio
W67 Nukanan 糠南 178.0    
W68 Onoppunai 2 雄信内 183.7    
W69 Yasuushi 安牛 189.7    
W70 Minami-Horonobe 南幌延 191.6    
W71 Kami-Horonobe 上幌延 194.6    
W72 Horonobe 1 2 幌延 199.4   L
W73 Shimonuma 下沼 207.2    
W74 Toyotomi 2 豊富 215.9   L Toyotomi, Teshio
W75 Tokumitsu 徳満 220.9    
W76 Kabutonuma 2 兜沼 230.9    
W77 Yūchi 勇知 236.7     Wakkanai
W78 Bakkai 2 抜海 245.0    
W79 Minami-Wakkanai 1 2 南稚内 256.7   L
W80 Wakkanai 1 稚内 259.4   L

[edit] Gallery

Asahikawa Station

Nayoro Station

The "main street" leading to Hokusei Station

A typical station applied a used caboose, Toikambetsu

One of few surviving building since the opening, Onoppunai

Wakkanai, the northernmost railway station in Japan

Mizuho Station, one of "Nothing around here"

[edit] See also


v • d • e
Mass transit in Hokkaidō
JR lines
Chitose · Esashi · Furano · Hakodate · Hidaka · Kaikyō · Muroran · Nemuro · Rumoi · Sasshō · Sekihoku · Sekishō · Semmō · Sōya · (Temiya)
JR trains
Cassiopeia · Hakuchō · Hamanasu · Hokuto · Hokutosei · Okhotsk · Sarobetsu · Super Hakuchō · Super Hokuto · Super Kamui · Super Ōzora · Super Sōya · Super Tokachi · (Super White Arrow) · Suzuran · Tokachi · Twilight Express
Other railways
Miscellaneous