Hidaka Main Line

The nihongo|Hidaka Main Line|日高本線|Hidaka Honsen is a railway line in Hokkaidō operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaidō), between Tomakomai Station in Tomakomai and Samani Station in Samani, running through the coast of Hidaka Subprefecture.

Basic Data

*Operator: Hokkaidō Railway Company
*Distance: Tomakomai - Samani; 146.5 km
*Stations: 29
*Gauge: 1067 mm
*Track: single
*Traction: internal combustion
*Block system:
**Tomakomai - Tomakomai Freight Station: automatic
**Tomakomai F.S. - Samani: special automatic (, electronic signal verification); a simplified automatic system
*Stations with passing loops: 4; Mukawa, Hidaka-mombetsu, Shizunai, and Honkiri

History

nihongo|Tomakomai Light Railway|苫小牧軽便鉄道|Tomakomai Keiben Tetsudō opened the line between Tomakomai and Saruta (now Tomikawa) in 1913, and nihongo|Hidaka Takushoku Railway|日高拓殖鉄道|Hidaka Takushoku Tetsudō opened the line between Saruta and Atsuga, in 1924, both funded by Oji Paper Company in Tomakomai. The two lines were light railways with 762 mm gauge. The lines were nationalized in 1927, merged into one as Hidaka Line. The rail gauge was widened in 1929 and 1931, and the line was extended to Samani in 1937. There was a plan to link Hidaka Main Line and nihongo|Hiroo Line|広尾線|Hiroo-sen, via Cape Erimo. However, the plan never came into reality. Instead, Hiroo line ceased its operation in 1987.

ervices

All the regular trains make stop at all the stations.

tations

ee also

*List of railway lines in Japan

External links

* [http://www.jrhokkaido.co.jp/ JR Hokkaidō official website]
* [http://www2.jrhokkaido.co.jp/global/ JR Hokkaidō official website]