Minato Line
Minato Line | |
|---|---|
 A two-car DMU train, March 2010 | |
| Overview | |
| Locale | Ibaraki Prefecture |
| Termini |
Katsuta Ajigaura |
| Stations | 9 |
| Operation | |
| Opening | 1913 |
| Owner | Hitachinaka Seaside Railway |
| Depot(s) | Nakaminato |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 14.3 km (8.9 mi) |
| No. of tracks | Single |
| Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) |
| Minimum radius | 200 m |
| Electrification | None |
| Operating speed | 60 km/h (35 mph) |
The Minato Line (湊線 Minato-sen) is a 14.3 km Japanese railway line operated by the third-sector railway operator Hitachinaka Seaside Railway (ひたちなか海浜鉄道 Hitachinaka Kaihin Tetsudō) between Katsuta and Ajigaura, all within Hitachinaka, Ibaraki. It is the only railway line operated by the Hitachinaka Seaside Railway. The railway company took over operation of the line on April 1, 2008, from Ibaraki Kōtsū.
Operations
Train services are normally formed of single-car diesel units, increased to two-car formations during the morning peak.[1]
Stations
| Name | Between (km) | Distance (km) | Connections | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Katsuta | 勝田 | - | 0.0 | Jōban Line | Hitachinaka, Ibaraki |
| Nikkōmae | 日工前 | 0.6 | 0.6 | ||
| Kaneage | [金上 | 1.2 | 1.8 | ||
| Nakane | 中根 | 3.0 | 4.8 | ||
| (Takadanotekkyō) | 高田の鉄橋 | 2.3 | 7.1 | ||
| Nakaminato | 那珂湊 | 1.1 | 8.2 | ||
| Tonoyama | 殿山 | 1.4 | 9.6 | ||
| Hiraiso | 平磯 | 1.2 | 10.8 | ||
| Isozaki | 磯崎 | 2.5 | 13.3 | ||
| Ajigaura | 阿字ヶ浦 | 1.0 | 14.3 | ||
- Takadanotekkyō Station is scheduled to open on 1 October 2014.[2]
History
The Minato Railway (湊鉄道 Minato Tetsudō) was established on 18 November 1907, and the line was opened from Katsuta to Nakaminato on 25 December 1913, using steam haulage.[1] The entire line to Ajigaura was completed on 17 July 1928.[1] From 1 August 1944, the line was taken over by Ibaraki Kōtsū (茨城交通), becoming the Ibaraki Kōtsū Minato Line.[1]
The Minato Line was the only railway line operated by Ibaraki Kōtsū, whose main business was bus transport. Because of its severe financial situation, Ibaraki Kōtsū decided to withdraw from railway operation. In September 2007, Ibaraki Kōtsū and the city of Hitachinaka agreed to transfer the line to a third-sector (funded jointly by local government and private sector) company, later incorporated as Hitachinaka Seaside Railway. From 1 April 2008, the line became the Hitachinaka Seaside Railway Minato Line.[1]
From 6 April 2010, all train services became wanman driver-only operation.[1]
The line was damaged by the 11 March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, but the entire line was reopened for business from 23 July of the same year.[1]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Terada, Hirokazu (19 January 2013). データブック日本の私鉄 [Databook: Japan's Private Railways]. Japan: Neko Publishing. p. 39. ISBN 978-4-7770-1336-4.
- ↑ "ひたちなか海浜鉄道新駅の名称決まる" [Name fixed for new Hitachinaka Seaside Railway station]. Tetsudo Hobidas (in Japanese). Japan: Neko Publishing Ltd. 19 December 2013. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
External links
- Official website (Japanese)