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Hisatsu Line

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Hisatsu Line
A train (KiHa 31 series) on the Kuma River bridge in 2007
Overview
Native name肥薩線ひさつせん
StatusIn operation
LocaleKyushu, Japan
Termini
Stations28
Service
TypeHeavy rail
Operator(s)Logo of the Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu). JR Kyushu
Rolling stockKiHa 40 series DMU, KiHa 200 series DMU, JGR Class 8620 steam locomotive, JNR 50 series passenger cars
History
Opened15 January 1903; 121 years ago (1903-01-15)
Technical
Line length124.2 km (77.2 mi)
Number of tracksSingle-track
CharacterRural and scenic
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
ElectrificationNone
Operating speed85 km/h (53 mph)
SignallingSpecial automatic closed block
Route map

Legend
↑ Kagoshima Main Line for Kumamoto
Shin-Yatsushiro
↔ Kyushu Shinkansen
← Industrial Railway
← old Yatsushiro Station
0.0
 Yatsushiro
6 m
← Hisatsu Orange Railway Line
for Sendai
↔ Kyushu Shinkansen
5.2
 Dan
16 m
6.6
7.1
10.2
→ Industrial Railway
11.0
 Sakamoto
26 m
12.2
14.3
 Haki
34 m
16.8
 Kamase
38 m
17.1
 Kuma River
Route 219
19.6
 Setoishi
42 m
→ old Track
23.4
 Kaiji
53 m
26.6
 Yoshio
56 m
29.8
 Shiroishi
63 m
32.0
33.1
33.6
34.5
34.5
34.9
 Kyūsendō
73 m
36.9
39.4
39.8
 Isshōchi
86 m
40.9
42.4
 Naraguchi
91 m
44.3
 Kuma River
178 m
45.2
 Watari
95 m
Route 219
46.2
48.4
 Nishi-Hitoyoshi
111 m
49.1
51.7
 Hitoyoshi
107 m
52.6
→ Yunomae Line
53.8
 Kuma River
170 m
Route 219
59.9
61.1
 Yokohira Tunnel
503 m
62.2
 Okoba
294 m
63.0
66.5
68.9
71.1
 Yatake
537 m
Kumamoto ↔ Miyazaki
72.3
 Yatake Tunnel 1
2096 m
75.1
 Yatake Tunnel 2
143 m
75.4
 Yatake Tunnel 3
131 m
75.8
78.5
 Masaki
380 m
79.7
 Yamagami Tunnel 2
618 m
Miyazaki ↔ Kagoshima
→ Kitto Line for Miyakonojō
85.8
 Yoshimatsu
225 m
90.1
92.4
Route 268
93.4
 Kurino
188 m
← old Yamano Line
97.1
99.8
 Ōsumi-Yokogawa
187 m
100.6
102.7
 Uemura
169 m
102.8
105.5
 Kirishima-Onsen
160 m
106.9
107.3
 Akamizu Tunnel
634 m
109.9
111.3
 Kareigawa
167 m
113.4
 Nakafukura
141 m
115.8
 Hyōkiyama
117.4
118.6
Route 223
120.7
 Hinatayama
12 m
→ Nippō Main Line for Miyazaki
123.2
 Hayato
15 m
↓ Nippō Main Line for Kagoshima
A KiHa 140 DMU operating from Hayato to Yoshimatsu

The Hisatsu Line (肥薩線ひさつせん, Hisatsu-sen) is a railway line in Kyushu, Japan, operated by the Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu). It connects Yatsushiro on the Kagoshima Main Line to Hayato station, Kirishima on the Nippo Main Line. From 1909 the line was the original rail connection from Yatsushiro to Kagoshima (and via the Kitto Line, Miyazaki) until the Yatsushiro – Kagoshima coastal route via Sendai opened in 1927.

The major part of the line is in the mountainous Kirishima range. No through trains are operated on this line, rather, trains go from Yatsushiro to Hitoyoshi, from Hitoyoshi to Yoshimatsu, and from Yoshimatsu to Hayato. Until 2000, some trains operated direct from Kumamoto to Miyazaki via the Yatsushiro to Yoshimatsu section of the line.

Stations[edit]

Station Distance
(km) 		Connections Location
Yatsushiro 八はち代だい 0.0
Yatsushiro Kumamoto
Dan 段だん 5.2  
Sakamoto 坂本さかもと 11.0  
Haki 葉木はき 14.4  
Kamase 鎌瀬かませ 16.8  
Setoishi 瀬戸石せといし 19.6  
Kaiji 海路かいろ 23.5   Ashikata
Yoshio 吉尾よしお 26.7  
Shiroishi 白石しらいし 29.8  
Kyūsendō 球泉洞きゅうせんどう 34.9   Kuma
Isshōchi 一勝地いっしょうち 39.8  
Naraguchi 那良口ならぐち 42.4  
Watari 渡わたり 45.3  
Nishi-Hitoyoshi 西にし人吉ひとよし 48.4   Hitoyoshi
Hitoyoshi 人吉ひとよし 51.8 Kumagawa Railway Yunomae Line
Okoba 大畑おおはた 62.2  
Yatake 矢岳やたけ 71.7  
Masaki 真幸まさき 79.0   Ebino Miyazaki
Yoshimatsu 吉松きちまつ 86.8 Kitto Line (Ebino Kōgen Line) Yūsui Kagoshima
Kurino 栗野くりの 94.3  
Ōsumi-Yokogawa 大隅横川おおすみよこがわ 100.8   Kirishima
Uemura 植村うえむら 102.8  
Kirishima-Onsen 霧島きりしま温泉おんせん 106.5  
Kareigawa 嘉例川かれいがわ 112.3  
Nakafukura 中福良なかふくら 114.4  
Hyōkiyama 表おもて木山きやま 116.8  
Hinatayama 日にち当山とうざん 121.6  
Hayato 隼人はやと 124.2 Nippō Main Line

History[edit]

JNR Class D51 steam locomotives 545 & 890 double heading a train on the Hisatsu Line between Okoba and Yatake, 8 March 1970

The entire line was built by the government railways. The Hayato – Yoshimatsu section was opened in 1903, followed by the Yatsushiro – Hitoyoshi section in 1908. When the line names were officially designated in October 1909, the former became a part of the Kagoshima Main Line and the latter the Hitoyoshi Main Line. In November 1910, with the Hitoyoshi – Yoshimatsu section (which included the Okoba switchback and spiral) opening, both sections were connected and the Hitoyoshi Main Line was merged to the Kagoshima Main Line.[1]

In 1927, following the opening of the current 'west coast' Kagoshima Main Line via Sendai, the line was renamed the Hitatsu Line.[1]

Freight services ceased the day the line (and the entire JNR system) was privatised in 1987.

Former connecting lines[edit]

Kurino station – the Yamano Line junctioned here. The first 24 km section of the Yamano Line was opened to Yamano in 1921. The 14 km Minamata (on the Kagoshima Main Line) – Kugino section opened in 1934, and the 10 km Yamano – Satsuma-Fuke section the following year. In 1937, the 8 km Kugino – Satsuma-Fuke section, including the Okawa spiral opened, connecting the two sections. Freight services ceased in 1986, and the line closed in 1988.[1]

Flood damage[edit]

Since 4 July 2020, no trains have operated on the 86.8 km section of the line between Yatsushiro and Yoshimatsu, due to catastrophic damage caused by the 2020 Kyushu floods, including much of the track being completely destroyed, especially in areas where the line runs directly parallel to the Kuma River.[2]

JR Kyushu has not announced a set date for resumption of rail service on this section, apart from stating that services would be suspended for an indefinite period. JR Kyushu's president Toshihiko Aoyagi has stated that the restoration cost can not be determined until agreements have been made amongst local communities, prefectures and the national government, regarding management of the Kuma River. On 17 March 2022, the restoration cost was estimated to be about 23 billion yen.[2]

In popular culture[edit]

The track section between Yatsushiro and Yoshimatsu was featured in Microsoft Train Simulator. A Hisatsu Line-based layout is available for the Japanese model train simulator VRM.[3]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Ishino, Tetsu; et al., eds. (1998). 停車場ていしゃじょう変遷へんせん大だい事典じてん 国鉄こくてつ・JR編へん [Station Transition Directory – JNR/JR] (in Japanese). Vol. I. Tokyo: JTB Corporation. p. 222. ISBN 4-533-02980-9.
  2. ^ a b "肥薩線ひさつせんの復旧ふっきゅう費ひ230億おく円えん ＪＲ九州じぇいあーるきゅうしゅう試算しさん 熊本くまもと地震じしん被害ひがいを大おおきく上回うわまわる" [23 billion yen for restoration of the Hisatsu Line - JR Kyushu estimate, damage from the Kumamoto earthquake far exceeds the cost of restoring the line]. kumanichi.com (in Japanese). 17 March 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2022. ２０２０年ねん７月がつ豪雨ごううで被災ひさいし、熊本くまもと県内けんないの全ぜん区間くかんが不通ふつうになっているＪＲ肥薩線ひさつせんの復旧ふっきゅう費ひについて、ＪＲ九州じぇいあーるきゅうしゅうが概算がいさんで２３０億おく円えんと試算しさんしていることが１７日にち、関係かんけい者しゃへの取材しゅざいで分わかった。豊肥線ほうひせんなどが被災ひさいした１６年ねんの熊本くまもと地震じしん時じの総額そうがく約やく９０億おく円えんを大おおきく上回うわまわり、同社どうしゃの災害さいがい復旧ふっきゅう費ひとしては過去かこ最大さいだいとなる ["On July 17, JR Kyushu estimated the cost of restoring the JR Hisatsu Line, which was damaged by the July 2020 torrential rains and has been closed for the entire length of the line in Kumamoto Prefecture, to be 23 billion yen. On July 17, we learned from an interview with an official that JR Kyushu estimates the cost of restoring the JR Hisatsu Line, which was damaged by the July 2020 torrential rains that have crippled all sections in Kumamoto Prefecture, at 23 billion yen. This is significantly higher than the 9 billion yen spent at the time of the Kumamoto Earthquake in 2004, when the Hohi Line and other lines were damaged, and is the largest ever spent by the company for disaster restoration."]
  3. ^ "うつみさん 「肥薩線ひさつせんレイアウト」". Archived from the original on 2009-01-09. Retrieved 2009-03-27.

Bibliography[edit]

Route diagram: Nippon Rettō - Tetsudō-kigen (にっぽん列島れっとう - 鉄道てつどう紀元きげん) pp. 12–14, Vol. 14, October 25, 2006 - JTB Publishing.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hisatsu_Line&oldid=1223717370"