Yamada Line

This article is about the railway line in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. For the railway line in Mie Prefecture, Japan, see Kintetsu Yamada Line.
     Yamada Line

Yamada Line Train at Kawauchi Station, 2004
Overview
Type Heavy rail
Locale Iwate Prefecture
Termini Morioka
Kamaishi
Stations 30
Operation
Owner JR East
Technical
Line length 157.5 km (97.9 mi)
Track gauge 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification None
Route map
Old type Yamada Line diesel cars (right) and new type ones (left) at Miyako Station, 2002

The Yamada Line (山田線 Yamada-sen) is a railway line in Japan operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It originally connected Morioka Station in Morioka, Iwate to Kamaishi Station in Kamaishi, Iwate via Miyako Station in Miyako, Iwate. The tracks from Morioka Station to Miyako parallel the Hei River through a mountain valley.

The Miyako to Kamaishi section, which parallels the Sanriku-Kaigan Sea, was extensively damaged by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. Service has not resumed on this portion of the Yamada Line, and in February 2012, JR East officially proposed that this section of the line be scrapped and the right-of-way used as a bus rapid transit (BRT) route.[1]

Stations

Stations in greyed out cells have been closed since the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.

Station Japanese Distance (km) Transfers Location
Morioka 盛岡 0.0 Tōhoku Shinkansen, Akita Shinkansen, Tōhoku Main Line, Tazawako Line, Iwate Ginga Line Morioka Iwate Prefecture
Kami-Morioka 上盛岡 2.8
Yamagishi 山岸 4.9
Kami-Yonai 上米内 9.9
Ōshida 大志田 19.2
Asagishi 浅岸 27.6
Kuzakai 区界 35.6 Miyako
Matsukusa 松草 43.6
Hiratsuto 平津戸 52.2
Kawauchi 川内 61.5
Hakoishi 箱石 65.7
Rikuchū-Kawai 陸中川井 73.5
Haratai 腹帯 82.6
Moichi 茂市 87.0 Iwaizumi Line
(A few through services to Miyako)
Hikime 蟇目 91.5
Kebaraichi 花原市 94.2
Sentoku 千徳 98.8
Miyako 宮古 102.1 Sanriku Railway Kita-Rias Line
(A few through services to Kamaishi and Sakari)
Sokei 磯鶏 104.1
Tsugaruishi 津軽石 111.3
Toyomane 豊間根 117.5 Yamada
Rikuchū-Yamada 陸中山田 128.6
Orikasa 織笠 130.8
Iwate-Funakoshi 岩手船越 133.6
Namiita-Kaigan 浪板海岸 140.0 Ōtsuchi
Kirikiri 吉里吉里 141.8
Ōtsuchi 大槌 145.2
Unosumai 鵜住居 149.2 Kamaishi
Ryōishi 両石 151.4
Kamaishi 釜石 157.5 Kamaishi Line (suspended), Sanriku Railway Minami-Rias Line
(A few through services from Yamada Line)

History

The Morioka - Kami-Yonai section opened in 1923, and the line was opened to Kamaishi in sections between 1928 and 1939.

Freight services ceased between 1984 and 1986.

The 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami closed the Morioka - Miyako section for one month. The Miyako - Kamaishi section has not been reopened, and the route is proposed for conversion to a busway.

Ōshida and Asagishi stations were closed from January until 15 March 2013 due to low utilization during the winter months.[2]

References

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

  1. ↑ 被災２路線、廃止しバス専用道提案へ　ＪＲ東、岩手県に [JR East proposes to scrap two lines and convert to bus routes]. The Asahi Shimbun Digital (in Japanese). Japan: The Asahi Shimbun Company. 8 February 2012. Retrieved 11 March 2012.
  2. ↑ "奥羽・山田線駅を冬季休止へ" [Ou & Yamada Line stations to be closed during winter season]. Japan Railfan Magazine (Japan: Kōyūsha Co., Ltd.) 53 (622): p.163. February 2013.