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Hidaka Main Line

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Hidaka Main Line
A local train on the Hidaka Main Line between Okaribe and Seppu in October 2011
Overview
Native name日高本線
StatusOperational
(As a railway between Tomakomai and Mukawa)
(As a bus route between Mukawa and Samani)
OwnerJR Hokkaido
LocaleHokkaido
Termini
Stations29 (until January 2015)
5 (after January 2015)
4 (after March 2023)
Service
TypeHeavy rail
Operator(s)JR Hokkaido
Rolling stockKiHa 40 series DMU, Bus
History
OpenedOctober 1913
Closed1 April 2021 (section between Mukawa and Samani was replaced by a bus service in January 2015 but only formally closed as a railway on 1 April 2021)
Technical
Line length146.5 km (91.0 mi) (until January 2015)
30.5 km (19.0 mi) (after January 2015)
Number of tracksEntire line single tracked
CharacterRural
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Old gauge762 mm (2 ft 6 in)
ElectrificationNone
Operating speed95 km/h (59 mph)
Route map

The Hidaka Main Line (日高本線, Hidaka-honsen) is a railway line in Hokkaido, Japan, operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido), between Tomakomai Station in Tomakomai and Samani Station in Samani, running along the coast of Hidaka Subprefecture. Services on the 116.0 km (72.1 mi) section of the line beyond Mukawa Station were suspended indefinitely since January 2015 due to storm damage. This section was closed on 1 April 2021 and replaced by a bus service. The closure of this section made the line the second shortest in Japan to be classified as a 'main line', at just 30.5 km (19.0 mi), after the Rumoi Main Line's length of 14.4 km (8.9 mi).

Services

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The coastline near Hidaka-Mombetsu

All regular trains are local trains, which stop at all stations.

Stations

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Station Distance
(km) 		Transfers Location
H18 Tomakomai 苫小牧 0.0 ■ Muroran Main Line
■ Chitose Line 		Tomakomai
Yūfutsu 勇払 13.1  
Hama-Atsuma 浜厚真 22.7   Atsuma, Yūfutsu District
Hama-Taura 浜田浦 27.0   Mukawa, Yūfutsu District
Mukawa 鵡川 30.5  
Shiomi 汐見 34.5  
Tomikawa 富川 43.6   Hidaka, Saru District
Hidaka-Mombetsu 日高門別 51.3  
Toyosato 豊郷 56.3  
Kiyohata 清畠 61.1  
Atsuga 厚賀 65.6  
Ōkaribe 大狩部 71.1   Niikappu, Niikappu District
Seppu 節婦 73.1  
Niikappu 新冠 77.2  
Shizunai 静内 82.1   Shinhidaka, Hidaka District
Higashi-Shizunai 東静内 90.9  
Harutachi 春立 97.0  
Hidaka-Tōbetsu 日高東別 99.4  
Hidaka-Mitsuishi 日高三石 105.8  
Hōei 蓬栄 109.8  
Honkiri 本桐 113.0  
Ogifushi 荻伏 120.2   Urakawa, Urakawa District
Efue 絵笛 125.1  
Urakawa 浦河 130.3  
Higashichō 東町 132.4  
Hidaka-Horobetsu 日高幌別 136.9  
Utoma 鵜苫 141.1   Samani, Samani District
Nishi-Samani 西様似 143.6  
Samani 様似 146.5  

History

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The first section was opened in October 1913 by the Tomakomai Light Railway (苫小牧軽便鉄道, Tomakomai Keiben Tetsudō), operating between Tomakomai and Sarufuto (佐瑠太) (present-day Tomikawa).[1] The section between Sarufuto and Shizunai was operated by the Hidaka Takushoku Railway (日高拓殖鉄道, Hidaka Takushoku Tetsudō). Both lines were light railways with a track gauge of 762 mm (2 ft 6 in).[2]

The lines were nationalized on 1 August 1927, and merged into one, becoming the Hidaka Line.[2] The track gauge was widened to 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) between Tomakomai and Sarufuto on 26 November 1929, and between Sarafuto and Shizunai on 10 November 1931.[2] The line was extended from Shizunai to Hidaka-Mitsuishi on 15 December 1933, to Urakawa on 24 October 1935, and to Samani on 10 August 1937.[2]

With the privatization of JNR on 1 April 1987, the line came under the control of JR Hokkaido.[2]

Service suspension

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Following storm damage between Atsuga and Ōkaribe stations on 8 January 2015,[3] rail services had been suspended on the 116.0 km (72.1 mi) section beyond Mukawa station, with buses providing a substitute service. Further damage was caused to the line by Typhoon 17 or Typhoon Kilo on 12 September 2015, and no date had been set for the resumption of rail services beyond Mukawa. In December 2016, JR Hokkaido announced that it had abandoned plans to reopen the suspended section of the line, and was in discussion with the local governments involved.[1]

Due to low ridership and very high repair costs, including coastal defences between Atsuga and Ōkaribe, JR Hokkaido held several meetings with the 7 towns along the suspended segment of the line, suggesting to abandon plans to restore the line and replace it with a bus service. In November 2019, 6 out of the 7 towns agreed to replace the damaged section with a bus service. However, the town of Urakawa still strongly requested for the whole line to be restored; Urakawa's mayor reasoned that it would still take a while for the 'developing' Hidaka Expressway to reach the town, therefore it being necessary to retain the rail service.

In September 2020, after 5 years of meetings and discussions, many of which involved extensive arguments and disagreements, all 7 towns eventually agreed with JR Hokkaido to abandon the line's damaged section and replace it with a bus service. The 116.0 km (72.1 mi) section was formally closed on 1 April 2021.[4]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b 日高本線・鵡川～様似間の復旧を断念 JR北海道、地元と協議へ [JR Hokkaido abandons reopening of Hidaka Main Line between Mukawa and Samani]. Traffic News (in Japanese). Japan: Mediavague Co. Ltd. 22 December 2016. Archived from the original on 22 December 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d e Ishino, Tetsu, ed. (1998). 停車場変遷大辞典 国鉄・JR編 [Station Transition Directory - JNR/JR] (in Japanese). Vol. I. Japan: JTB. p. 128. ISBN 4-533-02980-9.
  3. ^ 日高線 厚賀～大狩部間 67k506m 付近における盛土流出について [Trackbed damage on Hidaka Line between Atsuga and Ōkaribe] (PDF). News release (in Japanese). Japan: Hokkaido Railway Company. 13 January 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  4. ^ "鉄道事業の一部廃止の日を繰上げる届出について" (PDF). MLIT. 5 January 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 January 2021.
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