Meitetsu Chita New Line

Meitetsu Chita New Line
A 6800 series EMU at Chita Okuda Station
Overview
Other name(s)	Chita Line
Native name	名鉄知多新線
Owner	Meitetsu
Locale	Taketoyo Mihama Minamichita
Termini	Fuki Utsumi
Stations	6
Service
Type	Commuter rail
History
Opened	June 5, 1980 (1980-06-05)
Technical
Line length	13.9 km (8.64 mi)
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	1,500 V DC, overhead catenary
Operating speed	100 km/h (60 mph)
Route map Meitetsu Kōwa Line to Ōtagawa (太田川) 0.0 Fuki (富貴) Meitetsu Kōwa Line to Kōwa (河和) 5.8 Kami Noma (上野間) 6.7 Mihama-ryokuen (美浜緑苑) 8.1 Chita Okuda (知多奥田) 9.8 Noma (野間) 13.9 Utsumi (内海)

The Meitetsu Chita New Line (名鉄知多新線, Meitetsu Chita-shin-sen) is a Japanese railway line connecting Taketoyo with Minamichita within Aichi Prefecture. It is owned and operated by the private railway operator Nagoya Railroad (Meitetsu). The line features seven tunnels and a maximum grade of 3.4% (approximately 1 in 29). It is the fourth railway line to be constructed in the Chita Peninsula, and the only railway line owned by Meitetsu to be named as a "New Line".

History

Before construction

There has been several attempts to build a railway line into southern Chita peninsula before the World War II, such as Japan Governmental Railways attempt to extend Taketoyo Line to Morozaki, Aichi Electric Railways (Current Meitetsu) attempt to build a line to Utsumi, and the local investors' plan to build a Light railway from Taketoyo in 1913. However, due to the low Population density in the area, and the lack of industry, all three plans have failed before being constructed.

Meitetsu, in a part of an effort to develop the southern Chita peninsula planned building a line to Utsumi. Three potential routes were suggested. Extending the Meitetsu Tokoname Line down south, extending the Meitetsu Kōwa Line southwest from Kōwa Station, and the route branching off Kōwa Line southwest. The Tokoname route was rejected due to the length of the line needed to extend to Utsumi, and the Fuki route was preferred by the line as it was easier to develop the central part of the peninsula. For the route running west of the peninsula, the hillside route was taken to allow housing developments. In 1969, Meitetsu gained permits to construct the first section of the line from Fuki Station to Bessouike signaling station. Meitetsu gained permit to build the rest of the line from Bessouike to Utsumi in 1971, and started extending the line. The line was extended to Kaminoma Station in 1974.

Stations

No.	Station	Japanese	Between (km)	Distance (km)	Local	Express	Rapid Express	Limited Express	Transfers	Location
	Fuki	富貴	-	0.0	●	●	●	●	Meitetsu Kōwa Line	Taketoyo, Chita District
	Kami Noma	上野間	2.8	5.8	●	●	●	●		Mihama, Chita District
	Mihama-ryokuen	美浜緑苑	0.9	6.7	●	●	●	●
	Chita Okuda	知多奥田	1.4	8.1	●	●	●	●
	Noma	野間	1.7	9.8	●	●	●	●
	Utsumi	内海	4.1	13.9	●	●	●	●		Minamichita, Chita

References

Bibliography

• 名古屋鉄道百年史 [Hundred years of Nagoya Railroad] (in Japanese). Nagoya Railroad. 1994.
• Nakamura, Takeyoshi (1995). 鉄路風雪の百年―なるほど・ザ・名鉄 [100 years of railways-The Meitetsu] (in Japanese). Chubu Economic Newspaper.