Sōya Main Line

Sōya Main Line
Super Sōya limited express train
Overview
Type	Heavy rail
Locale	Hokkaido
Termini	Asahikawa Wakkanai
Stations	54
Operation
Opening	1898
Owner	JR Hokkaido
Technical
Line length	259.4 km (161.2 mi)
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	Not electrified
Route map

Soya Main Line

Legend Hakodate Main Line 0.0 Asahikawa ←Furano Line Asahikawa Electric Tramway→ 1.8 Asahikawa-Yojo Asahikawa Electric Tramway 3.7 Shin-Asahikawa Sekihoku Main Line 6.6 Kita-Asahikawa ↑20 kV AC/50 Hz↓Non-electrified 7.2 Nishi-Nagayama 9.3 Nagayama 11.4 Kita-Nagayama 14.7 Minami-Pippu 17.1 Pippu 20.2 Kita-Pippu 22.8 Ranru 28.4 Shiokari 36.3 Wassamu 41.4 Higashi-Rokusen 45.2 Kenbuchi 50.2 Kita-Kenbuchi 53.9 Shibetsu Shibetsu Tramway Teshiogawa 58.3 Shimo-Shibetsu 61.7 Tayoro 64.5 Mizuho 68.1 Fūren 72.6 Higashi-Fūren Shimmei Line→ ←Nayoro Main Line 76.2 Nayoro 80.2 Nisshin 84.9 Chitō 89.3 Hokusei 91.2 Chiebun 93.3 Chihoku 95.6 Minami-Bifuka Bikō Line 98.3 Bifuka 101.9 Hatsuno 105.0 Honbonai 112.1 Onnenai 117.9 Toyoshimizu 121.5 Teshiogawa-Onsen 124.7 Sakkuru 129.3 Otoineppu Tempoku Line 135.6 Osashima 143.1 Kamiji 153.6 Saku 158.2 Kotohira 161.9 Teshio-Nakagawa 165.8 Shimo-Nakagawa 170.3 Utanai 175.8 Toikambetsu Horonobe Municipal Tramway 178.0 Nukanan 181.5 Kami-Onoppunai Shimodaira Tunnel 183.7 Onoppunai 189.7 Yasuushi 191.6 Minami-Horonobe 194.6 Kami-Horonobe 199.4 Horonobe Haboro Line 205.6 Minami-Shimonuma 207.2 Shimonuma 215.9 Toyotomi 220.9 Tokumitsu 226.6 Ashikawa 230.9 Kabutonuma 236.7 Yūchi 245.0 Bakkai Tempoku Line 256.7 Minami-Wakkanai 259.4 Wakkanai - Wakkanai Pier Chihaku Ferry ↓Korsakov

Local train at Otoineppu Station

Wakkanai Station, the northern extremity of the Japanese railway system

The Sōya Main Line (宗谷本線, Sōya-honsen) is a Japanese railway line operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido) in Hokkaido. The line runs between Asahikawa Station in Asahikawa and Wakkanai Station in Wakkanai, and is the northernmost railway line in Japan. The name comes from Sōya Subprefecture.

Services

Two Super Sōya limited express services each way operate between Sapporo and Wakkanai daily, and one Sarobetsu service each way also operates between Sapporo and Wakkanai daily. The latter service does not include Green car (first class) accommodation.^[1]

All-stations "Local" train services operate between Asahikawa and Nayoro, at approximately 1 to 2 hour intervals. All-stations "Local" train services operate between Nayoro and Wakkanai, at approximately 3 to 4 hour intervals. Four Nayoro Rapid services operate in each direction daily.

Stations

L: Limited Express (Super Sōya/Sarobetsu)

R: All Rapids

r: Some Rapids

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 Hokkaido Government Railway in 1898. The line eventually extended to Nayoro in 1903, and a railway to Wakkanai was completed in 1922 along 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 in the war, the line lost its function as a link to Sakhalin, but remained important as a trunk line into the northern part of Hokkaido. The Sōya Main Line gradually lost all of its branch lines, and presently constitutes a long branch from the Hakodate Main Line.

Timeline

• August 12, 1898: Opened as Teshio Line (天塩線, Teshio-sen) (I) of Hokkaido Government Railway, between Asahigawa (present Asahikawa) and Nagayama
• November 25, 1898: Extended to Ranru
• November 15, 1899: Extended to Wassamu
• August 5, 1900: Extended to Shibetsu
• September 3, 1900: Extended to Nayoro
• April 1, 1905: Transferred to Imperial Japanese Government Railways
• November 3, 1911: Extended to Onnenai
• September 21, 1912: Renamed Sōya Line (宗谷線, Sōya-sen)
• November 5, 1912: Extended to Otoineppu
• October 20, 1919: Renamed Sōya Main Line (宗谷本線, Sōya Honsen)
• October 5, 1921: Renamed Sōya Line
• November 1, 1922: Completed to Wakkanai (present Minami-Wakkanai) via later Tempoku Line
• November 4, 1922: Renamed back to Sōya Main Line
• November 8, 1922: Teshio Line (II) between Otoineppu and Pompira (present Teshio-Nakagawa)
• May 1, 1923: Chihaku Ferry (稚泊連絡船, Chihaku Renrakusen) commenced Wakkanai - Ōdomari
• November 10, 1923: Extended to Toikambetsu
• June 25, 1924: Teshio North Line (天塩北線, Teshio-hokusen) opened Wakkanai - Kabutonuma. Teshio Line renamed Teshio South Line (天塩南線, Teshio-nansen)
• July 20, 1925: Teshio South Line extended to Horonobe
• September 25, 1926: Teshio South and North lines connected, renamed to Teshio Line (天塩線, Teshio-sen) (II), Otoineppu - Wakkanai
• December 26, 1928: Extended to Wakkanaikō (present Wakkanai).
• April 1, 1930: Entire stretch of the Teshio Line became a part of Sōya Main Line. The section Otoineppu - Hamatombetsu - Wakkanai separated as Kitami Line (北見線, Kitami-sen), later Tempoku Line (天北線, Tempoku-sen).
• June 30, 1935: Teshio Line (III), later Haboro Line (羽幌線, Haboro-sen) from Horonobe opened.
• August 25, 1945: Chihaku Ferry ceased operation when all of Sakhalin becomes part of the Soviet Union.
• November 10, 1984: Automated block system introduced, ticketing of most (29) stations unstaffed
• November 1, 1986: CTC implemented, above noted stations completely unstaffed.
• April 1, 1987: Japanese National Railways privatized, Hokkaido Railway Company succeeded the entire line as Category 1, Japan Freight Railway Company as Category 2 between Asahikawa and Nayoro. All the temporary stations were reclassified as regular stations
• 1995: The ferry between Wakkanai and Korsakov "resumed" after 50 years, although not directly connected to the railway.
• March 2000: Tracks of Asahikawa - Nayoro upgraded for faster operation. The Super Sōya limited express train commenced.

See also

• List of railway lines in Japan

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sōya Main Line.

v t e Transportation in Hokkaido JR Hokkaido lines Chitose Esashi Furano Hakodate Hidaka Kaikyō Muroran Nemuro Rumoi Sasshō Sekihoku Sekishō Semmō Sōya Temiya JR trains Cassiopeia Hakuchō Hamanasu Hokuto Hokutosei Ishikari Kitami Lilac Okhotsk Sarobetsu Super Hakuchō Super Hokuto Super Kamui Super Ōzora Super Sōya Super Tokachi Super White Arrow Suzuran Twilight Express White Arrow Other railways Hakodate Streetcar Sapporo Streetcar Sapporo Municipal Subway Namboku Tōzai Tōhō Taiheiyō Coal (freight only) Airports Asahikawa New Chitose Hakodate Kushiro Memanbetsu Monbetsu Nakashibetsu Okadama Okushiri Rishiri Tokachi-Obihiro Wakkanai Miscellaneous Kitaca SAPICA