Aizu Line
| Aizu Line | |
|---|---|
|
Aizu Railway AT-150 series DMU at Ashinomaki-Onsen Station, April 2001 | |
| Overview | |
| Type | Heavy rail |
| Locale | Fukushima Prefecture |
| Termini |
Nishi-Wakamatsu Aizukōgen-Ozeguchi |
| Stations | 21 |
| Operation | |
| Owner | Aizu Railway |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 57.4 km (35.7 mi) |
| Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) |
| Electrification | 1,500 V DC (Aizu-Tajima — Aizukōgen-Ozeguchi) |
The Aizu Railway Aizu Line (会津鉄道会津線 Aizu Tetsudō Aizu-sen) is a 57.4 km railway line from Nishi-Wakamatsu Station in Aizuwakamatsu to Aizukōgen-Ozeguchi Station in Minamiaizu, Fukushima, Japan. It is owned and operated by Aizu Railway.
Services
The train operation is divided at Aizu-Tajima Station. The electrified southern part has through service beyond the Aizukōgen-Ozeguchi terminus onto the Yagan Railway Aizu Kinugawa Line, Tobu Railway and JR East all the way to Tokyo. The non-electrified northern part runs diesel service beyond Nishi-Wakamatsu Station to Aizu-Wakamatsu Station on the JR East Tadami Line.
Stations
- All stations located in Fukushima Prefecture.
- All trains stop at stations marked "●"; some stop at those marked "▲". Open-car "torokko" trains pass Yōson-Kōen Station in the winter.
- Rapid, section rapid, and section express trains to/from Asakusa Station stop at all stations on the Aizu Line.
| Station | Japanese | Distance (km) | Rapid | Trains to/from Asakusa |
Open-car "torokko" |
Transfers | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Between stations |
Total | |||||||
| through operation to/from Aizu-Wakamatsu on the Tadami Line | ||||||||
| Nishi-Wakamatsu | 西若松 | - | 0.0 | ● | ● | Tadami Line (for Koide) | Aizuwakamatsu | |
| Minami-Wakamatsu | 南若松 | 3.0 | 3.0 | ▲ | ｜ | |||
| Monden | 門田 | 1.9 | 4.9 | ▲ | ｜ | |||
| Amaya | あまや | 2.8 | 7.7 | ▲ | ｜ | |||
| Ashinomaki-Onsen | 芦ノ牧温泉 | 2.8 | 10.5 | ● | ● | |||
| Ōkawadamukōen | 大川ダム公園 | 5.7 | 16.2 | ▲ | ｜ | |||
| Ashinomaki-Onsen-Minami | 芦ノ牧温泉南 | 1.5 | 17.7 | ▲ | ｜ | |||
| Yunokami-Onsen | 湯野上温泉 | 5.0 | 22.7 | ● | ● | Shimogō, Minamiaizu District | ||
| Tō-no-Hetsuri | 塔のへつり | 3.8 | 26.5 | ▲ | ● | |||
| Yagoshima | 弥五島 | 1.5 | 28.0 | ▲ | ｜ | |||
| Aizu-Shimogō | 会津下郷 | 3.1 | 31.1 | ● | ● | |||
| Furusato-Kōen | ふるさと公園 | 1.4 | 32.5 | ▲ | ｜ | |||
| Yōson-Kōen | 養鱒公園 | 2.6 | 35.1 | ▲ | * | |||
| Aizu-Nagano | 会津長野 | 2.2 | 37.3 | ▲ | ｜ | Minamiaizu, Minamiaizu District | ||
| Tajimakōkōmae | 田島高校前 | 2.2 | 39.5 | ▲ | ｜ | |||
| Aizu-Tajima | 会津田島 | 2.5 | 42.0 | ● | ● | ● | ||
| Nakaarai | 中荒井 | 3.8 | 45.8 | ▲ | ● | |||
| Aizu-Arakai | 会津荒海 | 3.4 | 49.2 | ▲ | ● | |||
| Aizu-Sanson-Dōjō | 会津山村道場 | 0.9 | 50.1 | ▲ | ● | |||
| Nanatsugatake-Tozanguchi | 七ヶ岳登山口 | 3.0 | 53.1 | ▲ | ● | |||
| Aizukōgen-Ozeguchi | 会津高原尾瀬口 | 4.3 | 57.4 | ● | ● | Yagan Railway Aizu Kinugawa Line (through operation) | ||
| through operation to/from Yagan Railway Aizu Kinugawa Line | ||||||||
History
The Aizu Line was constructed between 1927 and 1953 by the Japanese National Railways (JNR) as part of a plan to build a direct line from Aizu-Wakamatsu to Tokyo. The Aizu line was the northern section, whilst the Yagan Railway Aizu Kinugawa Line was to be the southern section. Despite the Kinugawa line connecting to the Aizu line in 1986, the Aizu Line was deemed an unprofitable secondary line and transferred to a company established by local governments in 1987.
The Aizukōgen-Ozeguchi - Aizu-Tajima section was electrified at 1500 VDC in 1990 to facilitate through-running onto the Kinugawa line.
Timeline
- November 1, 1927: Nishi-Wakamatsu - Ashimomaki-Onsen section (10.5 km) opens
- December 22, 1932: Ashimomaki-Onsen - Yunokami-Onsen section opens
- December 27 1934: Yunokami-Onsen - Aizu-Tajima section opens
- December 12 1947: Aizu-Tajima - Nanatsugatake-Tozanguchi section opens
- November 8 1953: Nanatsugatake-Tozanguchi - Aizukōgen-Ozeguchi
- December 1 1980: The 12.2km deviation between Ashimomaki-Onsen and Yunokami-Onsen opens as part of the construction of the Okawa Dam
- April 1, 1987: Line transferred to East Japan Railway Company (JR East) upon privatization of JNR
- July 16, 1987: Line transferred to Aizu Railway
- October 12, 1990: Aizu-Tajima — Aizukōgen-Ozeguchi section electrified (1500 V DC), direct service to the Yagan Railway Aizu Kinugawa Line begins
- April 1, 1999: Japan Freight Railway Company (JR Freight) ends operations
References
This article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aizu Railway. |
- Aizu Railway Aizu Line Station Guide (Japanese)