The Minato Line (湊線 Minato-sen) is a Japanese railway line between Katsuta and Ajigaura, all within Hitachinaka, Ibaraki. This is the only railway line Hitachinaka Seaside Railway (ひたちなか海浜鉄道 Hitachinaka Kaihin Tetsudō) operates. The railway company took over operation of the line on April 1, 2008 from Ibaraki Kōtsū.
The line is variously referred to as Minato Railway (湊鉄道 Minato Tetsudō), Minato Railway Line (湊鉄道線 Minato Tetsudō-sen), or Nakaminato Line (那珂湊線 Nakaminato-sen).
Minato Line was the only railway line of Ibaraki Kōtsū, or Ibakō, whose main business was bus transport. Because of the severe business condition, Ibaraki Kōtsū decided to withdraw from the railway operation. In September 2007, Ibaraki Kōtsū and Hitachinaka City agreed to transfer the line to a third sector (funded jointly by local government and private sector) company, later incorporated as Hitachinaka Seaside Railway.
Contents |
| Name | Between (km) | Distance (km) | Passengers per day | Connections | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Katsuta | 勝田 | - | 0.0 | JR East: Jōban Line | Hitachinaka Ibaraki |
|
| Nikkōmae | 日工前 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 6 | ||
| Kaneage | 金上 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 116 | ||
| Nakane | 中根 | 3.0 | 4.8 | 8 | ||
| Nakaminato | 那珂湊 | 3.4 | 8.2 | 508 | ||
| Tonoyama | 殿山 | 1.4 | 9.6 | 196 | ||
| Hiraiso | 平磯 | 1.2 | 10.8 | 146 | ||
| Isozaki | 磯崎 | 2.5 | 13.3 | 93 | ||
| Ajigaura | 阿字ヶ浦 | 1.0 | 14.3 | 39 | ||