Ita Line

{{about|railway line in Fukuoka Prefecture|line in Shizuoka|Itō Line}}

{{Infobox rail line

| name = Ita Line

| other_name =

| native_name = 伊田線

| native_name_lang = ja

| color = fd9827

| logo =

| logo_width =

| logo_alt =

| image = Train of Heisei Chikuho Railway at Akaike Station.jpg

| image_width = 300px

| image_alt = A Heisei Chikuhō train at Akaike Station

| caption = A Heisei Chikuhō train at Akaike Station

| type = Heavy rail

| system =

| status =

| locale = Fukuoka Prefecture

| start = {{STN|Nōgata|x}}

| end = {{STN|Tagawa-Ita|x}}

| stations = 15

| routes =

| daily_ridership =

| ridership2 =

| planopen =

| open =

| yearcommenced = {{Start date|1893|02|11|df=y}}

| yearcompleted = {{Start date|1899|03|25|df=y}}

| close =

| event1label = Privatized

| event1 = {{Start date|1989|10|01|df=y}}

| event2label =

| event2 =

| event3label =

| event3 =

| owner = File:Heisei Chikuhō Railway Logo.png Heisei Chikuhō Railway

| operator =

| character =

| depot =

| stock =

| linelength_km = 16.1

| gauge = {{Track gauge|1067 mm|allk=on}}

| electrification = None

| speed_km/h =

| website = [http://www.heichiku.net/ www.heichiku.net]

| map = 300px

| map_name =

| map_state = collapsed

| embedded =

}}

The {{Nihongo|Ita Line|伊田線|Ita-sen}} is a 16.1 km railway line owned by the third-sector company Heisei Chikuhō Railway. The line runs north from Tagawa to Nōgata, all within Fukuoka Prefecture.

History

The line was first built by the Chikuhō Kōgyō Railway, later renamed {{nihongo|Chikuhō Railway|筑豊鉄道}}, as a branch line of the Chikuhō Main Line. Used to transport coal from the Chikuhō coal mine, the line had two stations: Nōgata Station and Kanada Station. The entire Chikuhō Railway system was merged in 1897 with Kyushu Railway, where the line was extended to Ita Station (now Tagawa-Ita Station) in 1899. Kyushu Railway was nationalized in 1907 and was merged into Japanese Government Railway.

Even though the Ita Line was widened to a double-track railway in 1911, ridership suffered with the decline of the Chikuhō coal mine. Therefore, JR Kyushu, the successor of Japanese Government Railway, privatized and transferred the Ita Line, Itoda Line, and Tagawa Line to the newly founded Heisei Chikuhō Railway.

Even after privatization, the Japan Freight Railway Company still ran trains from Kanada north to Mojiko Station in Kitakyushu, transporting cement from a Mitsui Tankō plant near Kanada Station. This service ceased with the plant's closure in March 2004.

Operations

The line is not electrified and is double-tracked for the entire line. Some services continue past Kanada Station on the Itoda Line to Tagawa-Gotōji Station.{{cite web |title=平成筑豊鉄道全駅時刻表直方 → 金田 → 田川伊田 → 行橋・金田 → 田川後藤寺 |url=http://www.heichiku.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/188257a2a16a0a0d500d345a8e0c3309.pdf |website=平成筑豊鉄道 |publisher=平成筑豊鉄道 |access-date=3 May 2019 |language=ja |date=16 March 2019}}

Stations

All stations are within Fukuoka Prefecture.

class="wikitable" rules="all"
No. !colspan="2"\|Name !style="width:3em;"\|Distance (km) !Connections !Location
style="border-left:2px solid #fd9827;"\|HC1 \|{{STN\|Nōgata\|x}} \|直方 \|style="text-align:right;"\|0.0 \|20px JR Kyushu: Chikuhō Main Line {{small\|(Fukuhoku Yutaka Line)}} \|rowspan="2"\|Nōgata
style="border-left:2px solid #fd9827;"\|HC2 \|{{STN\|Minami-Nōgata-Gotenguchi\|x}} \|南直方御殿口 \|style="text-align:right;"\|1.1 \|
style="border-left:2px solid #fd9827;"\|HC3 \|{{STN\|Akaji\|x}} \|あかぢ \|style="text-align:right;"\|2.4 \| \|Kotake
style="border-left:2px solid #fd9827;"\|HC4 \|{{STN\|Fujitana\|x}} \|藤棚 \|style="text-align:right;"\|3.6 \| \|rowspan="2"\|Nōgata
style="border-left:2px solid #fd9827;"\|HC5 \|{{STN\|Nakaizumi\|x}} \|中泉 \|style="text-align:right;"\|4.3 \|
style="border-left:2px solid #fd9827;"\|HC6 \|{{STN\|Ichiba\|x\|Fukuoka}} \|市場 \|style="text-align:right;"\|6.5 \| \|rowspan="6"\|Fukuchi
style="border-left:2px solid #fd9827;"\|HC7 \|{{STN\|Fureai-Shōriki\|x}} \|ふれあい生力 \|style="text-align:right;"\|7.6 \|
style="border-left:2px solid #fd9827;"\|HC8 \|{{STN\|Akaike\|x\|Fukuoka}} \|赤池 \|style="text-align:right;"\|8.5 \|
style="border-left:2px solid #fd9827;"\|HC9 \|{{STN\|Hitomi\|x}} \|人見 \|style="text-align:right;"\|9.1 \|
style="border-left:2px solid #fd9827;"\|HC10 \|{{STN\|Kanada\|x}} \|金田 \|style="text-align:right;"\|9.8 \|{{colorbull\|#9aca27}} Itoda Line
style="border-left:2px solid #fd9827;"\|HC11 \|{{STN\|Kami-Kanada\|x}} \|上金田 \|style="text-align:right;"\|11.6 \|
style="border-left:2px solid #fd9827;"\|HC12 \|{{STN\|Hoshii\|x}} \|糒 \|style="text-align:right;"\|12.8 \| \|rowspan="4"\|Tagawa
style="border-left:2px solid #fd9827;"\|HC13 \|{{STN\|Tagawa Municipal Hospital\|x}} \|田川市立病院 \|style="text-align:right;"\|13.4 \|
style="border-left:2px solid #fd9827;"\|HC14 \|{{STN\|Shimoita\|x}} \|下伊田 \|style="text-align:right;"\|14.5 \|
style="border-left:2px solid #fd9827;"\|HC15 \|{{STN\|Tagawa-Ita\|x}} \|田川伊田 \|style="text-align:right;"\|16.1 \|{{colorbull\|#53bcfc}} Tagawa Line 20px JR Kyushu: Hitahikosan Line

class="wikitable" rules="all"

No.

!colspan="2"|Name

!style="width:3em;"|Distance (km)

!Connections

!Location

style="border-left:2px solid #fd9827;"|HC1

|{{STN|Nōgata|x}}

|直方

|style="text-align:right;"|0.0

|20px JR Kyushu: Chikuhō Main Line {{small|(Fukuhoku Yutaka Line)}}

|rowspan="2"|Nōgata