Tagawa Line
{{short description|Railway line in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan}}
{{Infobox rail line
| name = Tagawa Line
| other_name =
| native_name = 田川線
| native_name_lang = ja
| color = 53bcfc
| logo =
| logo_width =
| logo_alt =
| image = Heisei Chikuho 408 at Tagawa-Ita Station20091003.jpg
| image_width = 300px
| image_alt = A Heisei Chikuhō train at Tagawa-Ita Station bound for Yukuhashi
| caption = A Heisei Chikuhō train at Tagawa-Ita Station
| type = Heavy rail
| system =
| status =
| locale = Fukuoka Prefecture
| start = {{STN|Yukuhashi|x}}
| end = {{STN|Tagawa-Ita|x}}
| stations = 17
| routes =
| daily_ridership =
| ridership2 =
| planopen =
| open =
| yearcommenced =
| yearcompleted = {{Start date|1895|08|15|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 = 26.3
| gauge = {{Track gauge|1067 mm|allk=on}}
| electrification = None
| speed_km/h = 85
| website = [http://www.heichiku.net/ www.heichiku.net]
| map = 300px
| map_name =
| map_state = collapsed
| embedded =
}}
The {{Nihongo|Tagawa Line|田川線|Tagawa-sen}} is a 26.3 km railway line owned by the Heisei Chikuhō Railway. The line runs west along the Ima River from Yukuhashi to Tagawa, all within Fukuoka Prefecture.
History
{{more citations needed|section=yes|date=July 2019}}
The line was first built in 1895 by the {{nihongo|Hōshū Railway|豊州鉄道}}, which was merged in 1901 with Kyushu Railway. It was an important railway line to transport coal between the Chikuhō coal mine with {{nihongo|Kanda Port|苅田港}} in Kanda, north of Yukuhashi. Kyushu Railway was nationalized in 1907 and was merged into Japanese Government Railway, where it was named the Tagawa Line. In 1942, the line was extended south from Ita Station (now Tagawa-Ita Station) to Hikosan Station. The portion between Hikosan and Soeda Station was later reorganized into the Hita Line (now Hitahikosan Line) in 1956, and the section between Soeda and Ita was also merged into the same line in 1960 to form the current Tagawa Line.
Between 1899 and 1973, a short freight-only branch line ran north from Kawara Station (now Magarikane Station) to Natsuyoshi.{{cite web |title=香春駅 －現勾金駅－ |url=https://trc-adeac.trc.co.jp/WJ11E0/WJJS06U/4020605100/4020605100100010/ht000120 |website=田川市立図書館／筑豊・田川デジタルアーカイブ |publisher=ADEAC |accessdate=25 July 2019 |language=Japanese}}
Ridership suffered with the decline and closure 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 in 1997.
Operations
The line is not electrified and is single-tracked for the entire line. Some services continue past Tagawa-Ita Station on the Ita Line to Nōgata 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 |accessdate=3 May 2019 |language=Japanese |date=16 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402190121/http://www.heichiku.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/188257a2a16a0a0d500d345a8e0c3309.pdf |archive-date=2 April 2019 |url-status=live }}
The Tagawa Line runs through many historical sites, including the {{nihongo|Second Issaka Tunnel|第二石坂トンネル}}, the oldest railway tunnel in Japan, and the {{nihongo|Uchida Triple-Arch Bridge|内田三連橋梁}}, an old brick arch bridge. Both sites were registered as national cultural heritage sites in 1999.{{cite web |title=石坂トンネル（第２隧道） いしざかとんねる（だいにずいどう） |url=https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/192459 |website=Cultural Heritage Online |accessdate=24 July 2019 |language=Japanese |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190724034008/https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/192459 |archive-date=24 July 2019 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=内田三連橋梁 うちださんれんきょうりょう |url=https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/137228 |website=Cultural Heritage Online |accessdate=24 July 2019 |language=Japanese |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190724034002/https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/137228 |archive-date=24 July 2019 |url-status=live }}
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 #53bcfc;"|HC31
|{{STN|Yukuhashi|x}} |行橋 |style="text-align:right;"|0.0 |20px JR Kyushu: Nippō Main Line |rowspan="5"|Yukuhashi |
| style="border-left:2px solid #53bcfc;"|HC30
|{{STN|Reiwa Costa Yukuhashi|x}} |style="text-align:right;"|1.3 | |
| style="border-left:2px solid #53bcfc;"|HC29
|{{STN|Miyakoizumi|x}} |美夜古泉 |style="text-align:right;"|2.3 | |
| style="border-left:2px solid #53bcfc;"|HC28
|{{STN|Imagawa-Kappa|x}} |今川河童 |style="text-align:right;"|3.0 | |
| style="border-left:2px solid #53bcfc;"|HC27
|{{STN|Toyotsu|x|Fukuoka}} |豊津 |style="text-align:right;"|4.9 | |
| style="border-left:2px solid #53bcfc;"|HC26
|{{STN|Shin-Toyotsu|x}} |新豊津 |style="text-align:right;"|5.8 | |rowspan="4"|Miyako |
| style="border-left:2px solid #53bcfc;"|HC25
|{{STN|Higashi-Saigawa-Sanshirō|x}} |style="text-align:right;"|8.2 | |
| style="border-left:2px solid #53bcfc;"|HC24
|{{STN|Saigawa|x}} |犀川 |style="text-align:right;"|9.7 | |
| style="border-left:2px solid #53bcfc;"|HC23
|{{STN|Sakiyama|x}} |崎山駅 |style="text-align:right;"|12.4 | |
| style="border-left:2px solid #53bcfc;"|HC22
|{{STN|Genjiinomori|x}} |style="text-align:right;"|15.8 | |rowspan=4"|Aka |
| style="border-left:2px solid #53bcfc;"|HC21
|{{STN|Yusubaru|x}} |油須原 |style="text-align:right;"|16.9 | |
| style="border-left:2px solid #53bcfc;"|HC20
|{{STN|Aka|x}} |赤 |style="text-align:right;"|18.4 | |
| style="border-left:2px solid #53bcfc;"|HC19
|{{STN|Uchida|x}} |内田 |style="text-align:right;"|20.7 | |
| style="border-left:2px solid #53bcfc;"|HC18
|{{STN|Kakishita-Onsen-Guchi|x}} |style="text-align:right;"|22.5 | |rowspan="2"|Kawara |
| style="border-left:2px solid #53bcfc;"|HC17
|{{STN|Magarikane|x}} |勾金 |style="text-align:right;"|23.6 | |
| style="border-left:2px solid #53bcfc;"|HC16
|{{STN|Kamiita|x}} |上伊田 |style="text-align:right;"|24.9 | |rowspan="2"|Tagawa |
| style="border-left:2px solid #53bcfc;"|HC15
|{{STN|Tagawa-Ita|x}} |田川伊田 |style="text-align:right;"|26.3 |{{colorbull|orange}} Ita Line |
References
{{reflist}}
{{Heisei Chikuhō Railway Tagawa Line}}
{{Specified local lines|state=collapsed}}
Category:Railway lines in Japan
Category:Rail transport in Fukuoka Prefecture