Kyūdai Main Line

Kyūdai Main Line
KiHa 58 DMU between Yufuin and Minami-Yufu
Overview
Status	In operation
Owner	JR Kyushu
Locale	Kyushu
Termini	Kurume Ōita
Stations	37
Service
Type	Heavy rail
Operator(s)	JR Kyushu
Rolling stock	KiHa 71 series DMU, KiHa 72 series DMU, KiHa 185 series DMU, KiHa 40 series DMU, KiHa 200 series DMU, KiHa 125 series DMU, DF200 Diesel locomotive, DE10 Diesel locomotive, 77 series passenger cars
History
Opened	30 October 1915 (30 October 1915)
Technical
Line length	141.5 km (87.9 mi)
Number of tracks	Entire line single tracked
Character	Mostly rural with a few urban areas
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	None
Operating speed	95 km/h (59 mph)
Signalling	Automatic block signaling
Route map

The Kyūdai Main Line (久大本線, Kyūdai-honsen) is a railway line in Kyushu, Japan, operated by the Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu). It connects Kurume Station, Kurume in Fukuoka Prefecture and Ōita Station, Ōita in Ōita Prefecture. It is also known as the Yufu Kōgen Line.

The line crosses the whole of Kyushu, approximately paralleling the Chikugo River and its tributary the Kusu River near Kurume, and along the Ōita River close to Ōita. It also traverses popular tourist resorts such as Hita (known as Little Kyoto) and spa resorts around Yufu.

Stations

Station		Distance (km)	Transfers	Location
Kurume	久留米	0.0	Kagoshima Main Line, Kyushu Shinkansen	Kurume	Fukuoka
Kurume-Kōkōmae	久留米高校前	3.4
Minami-Kurume	南久留米	4.9
Kurume-Daigakumae	久留米大学前	6.8
Mii	御井	8.0
Zendōji	善導寺	12.6
Chikugo-Kusano	筑後草野	15.7
Tanushimaru	田主丸	20.8
Chikugo-Yoshii	筑後吉井	26.4		Ukiha
Ukiha	うきは	30.0
Chikugo-Ōishi	筑後大石	33.0
Yoake	夜明	39.1	Hitahikosan Line (No service since July 2017 due to rainstorm damage, was replaced by bus rapid transit in August 2023)	Hita	Ōita
Teruoka	光岡	45.2
Hita	日田	47.6
Bungo-Miyoshi	豊後三芳	49.4
Bungo-Nakagawa	豊後中川	55.3
Amagase	天ケ瀬	59.5
Sugikawachi	杉河内	63.6		Kusu
Kita-Yamada	北山田	67.8
Bungo-Mori	豊後森	73.2
Era	恵良	77.3		Kokonoe
Hikiji	引治	80.7
Bungo-Nakamura	豊後中村	83.1
Noya	野矢	88.2
Yufuin	由布院	99.1		Yufu
Minami-Yufu	南由布	102.5
Yunohira	湯平	109.6
Shōnai	庄内	114.5
Tenjinyama	天神山	118.1
Onoya	小野屋	119.6
Onigase	鬼瀬	124.6
Mukainoharu	向之原	127.7
Bungo-Kokubu	豊後国分	131.7		Ōita
Kaku	賀来	133.9
Minami-Ōita	南大分	136.6
Furugō	古国府	138.9
Ōita	大分	141.5	Nippō Main Line, Hōhi Main Line

History

In 1915, the Daito Railway Co. opened the 22 km Oita - Onoya section. The company was nationalised in 1922, and westerly extensions were undertaken in stages from 1923 until Amagase was reached in 1933. The Kurume - Chikugoyoshi opened in 1928, and easterly extensions to Amagase opened between 1931 and 1934.

CTC signalling was commissioned over the entire line in 1984, and freight services ceased in 1987.

Typhoon damage

In 2012, a landslide disrupted services for 6 weeks.

On 5 July 2017, torrential rainfall washed out the bridge over the Oita River between Chikugo Oisha and Teruoka, resulting in the closure of the section. According to the Japanese language Wikipedia article, the line was fully re-opened on 14 July 2018.

Previous connecting/transfer lines

Higo-oguni station, ~1962

• Era Station: the 27 km Miyanoharu Line to Higo-oguni opened between 1937 and 1954. Freight services ceased in 1971, and the line closed on 1 December 1984.
• Kurume Station: the 46 km 3 ft (914 mm) gauge Chigoku Line to Mameda opened between 1904 and 1916, and was electrified at 600 V DC in 1919. It had three short branch lines (1 to 4 km long). The entire system closed in 1929.