Rumoi Main Line

Rumoi Main Line
Overview
Type Regional rail
Locale Hokkaido
Termini Fukagawa
Mashike
Operation
Opening 1910
Owner JR Hokkaido
Technical
Line length 66.8 km (41.5 mi)
Track gauge 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Route map

The Rumoi Main Line (留萌本線 Rumoi-honsen) is a Japanese railway line in Hokkaido operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido) which connects Fukagawa Station in Fukagawa and Mashike Station in Mashike.

Stations

Stops ... ●: All trains stop, ◆: some trains stop, ▼: down trains pass, ▲: up trains pass

Station name Japanese Between
(km)		 Distance
(km)		 Stop Transfers Location
Fukagawa 深川 - 0.0 ● Hakodate Main Line Fukagawa
Kita-Ichiyan 北一已 3.8 3.8 ▼  
Chippubetsu 秩父別 5.0 8.8 ▼   Chippubetsu,
Uryū District
Kita-Chippubetsu 北秩父別 2.4 11.2 ◆  
Ishikari-Numata 石狩沼田 3.2 14.4 ●   Numata,
Uryū District
Mappu 真布 3.4 17.8 ◆  
Ebishima 恵比島 2.9 20.7 ▼  
Tōgeshita 峠下 7.6 28.3 ●   Rumoi
Horonuka 幌糠 6.2 34.5 ◆  
Fujiyama 藤山 5.5 40.0 ◆  
Ōwada 大和田 4.2 44.2 ▲  
Rumoi 留萌 5.9 50.1 ●  
Segoshi 瀬越 2.1 52.2 ▲  
Reuke 礼受 4.0 56.2 ●  
Afun 阿分 1.3 57.5 ▲   Mashike,
Mashike District
Nobusha 信砂 2.7 60.2 ▲  
Shaguma 舎熊 0.8 61.0 ●  
Shumonbetsu 朱文別 1.7 62.7 ▲  
Hashibetsu 箸別 1.3 64.0 ▲  
Mashike 増毛 2.8 66.8 ●  

History

The initial section of the line opened as an isolated railway connecting coalmines near Ebishima to the port at Rumoi in 1910, and was extended to Mashike in 1921.

The Ebishima - Fukagawa section opened in 1931, in conjunction with the opening of the first section of the Sassho Line, providing connection to Asahikawa.

Former connecting lines

Train at the Showa coal mine, 1935
Osawa tunnel on the Haboro line

The Teshio private railway opened in 1941, connecting a coal mine situated 30 km north of the junction until it closed in 1967. A 25km logging line connected to this line at the mine, operating from 1945-58.

The initial southern section of the Haboro line from Rumoi opened in 1927. The initial northern section from Horonobe on the Soya Main Line opened in 1935, and the sections were linked in 1958. The line closed in 1987. The Haboro Coal Co. opened a 17km line from Chikubetsu on that line in 1941, closing in 1970. A 51.2km line was proposed from Chikubetsu to Shumarinai on the (now closed) Shinmei (Fukagawa - Nayoro) line with construction commencing in 1959. A substantial steel truss bridge was constructed before work was abandoned in 1962.

Accidents

In 1946, a train derailed near Shaguma due to an avalanche, killing 17 passengers.

Avalanches also caused derailments on the line in 2012 and 2013, fortunately with no deaths.

References

This article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia