Ban'etsu East Line
{{Short description|Railway line in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan}}
{{unreferenced|date=October 2024}}{{Expand Japanese}}
{{Infobox rail line
| box_width =
| name = Ban'etsu East Line
| native_name = 磐越東線
| color = 800080
| logo =
| logo_width =
| image = Ban'etsu East Line in Tamura City 05.jpg
| image_width = 300px
| caption = A KiHa 110 series DMU near Kanmata Station, September 2018
| type = Heavy rail
| system =
| status = In operation
| locale = Fukushima Prefecture
| start = {{STN|Iwaki|x|Fukushima}}
| end = {{STN|Kōriyama|x|Fukushima}}
| stations = 16
| routes =
| daily_ridership =
| open = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1915}}
| close =
| owner = JR East
| operator = JR East
| character = Rural
| depot = Kōriyama
| stock = KiHa 110 series DMU
| linelength = 85.6 km (53.2 mi)
| tracklength =
| tracks = Entire line single tracked
| gauge = {{RailGauge|1067mm|lk=on}}
| old_gauge =
| minradius =
| racksystem =
| routenumber =
| electrification = None
| speed = 100 km/h (62 mph)
| elevation =
| map = 200px
| map_state = collapsed
}}
The {{nihongo|Ban'etsu East Line|磐越東線|Ban'etsu-tō-sen}} is a railway line in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It connects Iwaki Station in Iwaki and Kōriyama Station in Kōriyama. The name "Ban'etsu" is taken from the first characters of the names of the ancient provinces of {{nihongo|Iwaki|磐城}} and {{nihongo|Echigo|越後}}, which the Ban'etsu East and Ban'etsu West lines connect. {{nihongo|"Tō"|東}} means "east" in Japanese.
The line's nickname is the {{nihongo|Yūyū Abukuma Line|ゆうゆうあぶくまライン}}, taken from the Abukuma River that flows nearby.
File:Ban'etsu East Line train Mogi station-2017-12-2.webm, 2017.]]
Service
All trains are operated as local services in 2-, 3-, or 5-car formations. Service between Kōriyama and Ononiimachi is provided once every 30 minutes to two hours, but between Ononiimachi and Iwaki, there is a period of five hours where no trains operate. One reason for the few continuous services between Iwaki and Kōriyama is the opening of the parallel Ban-etsu Expressway in 1995; as a result, most long distance passengers use highway bus services.
The last express service, Iwaki, stopped running in 1982. During peak holiday periods such as Golden Week, Obon, and New Year, the rapid Abukuma makes a single round trip with a 2-car train.
Station list
- All stations are located in Fukushima Prefecture.
- Trains can pass one another at stations marked "◇", "∨", or "∧". Trains cannot pass at stations marked "｜".
| class="wikitable" rules="all" | |
| rowspan="2"|Station
!rowspan="2"|Japanese !colspan="2"|Distance (km) !rowspan="2"|Rapid !rowspan="2"|Transfers !rowspan="2"| !rowspan="2"|Location | |
|---|---|
| Between stations !Total | |
| {{STN|Iwaki|x|Fukushima}}
|いわき |style="text-align:right;"| - |style="text-align:right;"|0.0 |style="text-align:center;"|● |∨ |rowspan="5"|Iwaki | |
| {{STN|Akai|x}}
|赤井 |style="text-align:right;"|4.8 |style="text-align:right;"|4.8 |style="text-align:center;"|｜ | |｜ | |
| {{STN|Ogawagō|x}}
|小川郷 |style="text-align:right;"|5.5 |style="text-align:right;"|10.3 |style="text-align:center;"|● | |◇ | |
| {{STN|Eda|x|Fukushima}}
|江田 |style="text-align:right;"|8.0 |style="text-align:right;"|18.3 |style="text-align:center;"|｜ | |｜ | |
| {{STN|Kawamae|x}}
|川前 |style="text-align:right;"|8.0 |style="text-align:right;"|26.3 |style="text-align:center;"|｜ | |◇ | |
| {{STN|Natsui|x}}
|夏井 |style="text-align:right;"|10.4 |style="text-align:right;"|36.7 |style="text-align:center;"|｜ | |｜ |rowspan="2"|Ono, Tamura District | |
| {{STN|Ononiimachi|x}}
|小野新町 |style="text-align:right;"|3.4 |style="text-align:right;"|40.1 |style="text-align:center;"|● | |◇ | |
| {{STN|Kanmata|x}}
|神俣 |style="text-align:right;"|6.5 |style="text-align:right;"|46.6 |style="text-align:center;"|● | |◇ |rowspan="6"|Tamura | |
| {{STN|Sugaya|x}}
|菅谷 |style="text-align:right;"|3.3 |style="text-align:right;"|49.9 |style="text-align:center;"|｜ | |｜ | |
| {{STN|Ōgoe|x}}
|大越 |style="text-align:right;"|4.4 |style="text-align:right;"|54.3 |style="text-align:center;"|● | |◇ | |
| {{STN|Iwaki-Tokiwa|x}}
|磐城常葉 |style="text-align:right;"|4.4 |style="text-align:right;"|58.7 |style="text-align:center;"|｜ | |◇ | |
| {{STN|Funehiki|x}}
|船引 |style="text-align:right;"|3.8 |style="text-align:right;"|62.5 |style="text-align:center;"|● | |◇ | |
| {{STN|Kanameta|x}}
|要田 |style="text-align:right;"|7.0 |style="text-align:right;"|69.5 |style="text-align:center;"|｜ | |◇ | |
| {{STN|Miharu|x}}
|三春 |style="text-align:right;"|4.2 |style="text-align:right;"|73.7 |style="text-align:center;"|● | |◇ |Miharu, Tamura District | |
| {{STN|Mōgi|x}}
|舞木 |style="text-align:right;"|6.1 |style="text-align:right;"|79.8 |style="text-align:center;"|｜ | |◇ |rowspan="2"|Kōriyama | |
| {{STN|Kōriyama|x|Fukushima}}
|郡山 |style="text-align:right;"|5.8 |style="text-align:right;"|85.6 |style="text-align:center;"|● | Tōhoku Shinkansen, Yamagata Shinkansen, Tōhoku Main Line, Ban'etsu West Line, Suigun LineAlthough the official start of the Suigun Line is {{STN|Asakanagamori|x}}, all trains run through to/from Kōriyama.
|∧ |
{{Reflist|group="*"}}
Rolling stock
As of February 2009, the following rolling stock is used on the East Ban'etsu Line.
- KiHa 110 series DMUs
History
The line was planned by the Railway Construction Act in 1892. The Japanese Government Railways opened the first section as the {{nihongo|Heigun West Line|平郡西線}} between Koriyama and Miharu in 1914. The Iwaki - Ogawagō opened in 1915 as the {{nihongo|Heigun East Line|平郡東線}}, the same year Miharu - Ononiimachi section opened. When the two sections were connected in 1917, the line became the Ban'etsu East Line.
Freight services ceased in 1987.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category-inline}}
- [http://www.jreast.co.jp/estation/result.aspx?mode=2&rosen=61=1=%E7%A3%90%E8%B6%8A%E6%9D%B1%E7%B7%9A Stations of the Ban'etsu East Line] (JR East) {{in lang|ja}}
{{East Japan Railway Company Lines}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Banetsu East Line}}
Category:Lines of East Japan Railway Company
Category:Rail transport in Fukushima Prefecture