Local train at Otoineppu Station
The northern extremity of Japanese railway
Soya Main Line (????, Soya Honsen?) is a Japanese railway line of Hokkaido Railway Company in Hokkaido, the northernmost railway line in Japan. The line is between Asahikawa Station in Asahikawa and Wakkanai Station in Wakkanai. The name comes from Soya Subprefecture.
Basic data
- Distances: 259.4 km
- Operators
- Stations: 54
- Gauge: 1067 mm
- Track
- Asahikawa - Shin-Asahikawa 3.7 km: double
- Shin-Asahikawa - Wakkanai: single
- Electrification:
- Asahikawa - Shin-Asahikawa 3.7 km: 20,000 V AC)
- For train forwarding only, to Kita-Asahikawa depot from Asahikawa Station
- Shin-Asahikawa - Wakkanai: not electrified
- Block system:
- Asahikawa - Kita-Asahikawa: Automatic, with CTC and PRC
- Kita-Asahikawa to Nagayama: Automatic (special) (?????(??)), with CTC and PRC; Only one singnal block between each station.
- Nagayama - Minami-Wakkanai: Special Automatic Electronic Signal Verification (???????); Signal blocks on each station only, none between stations, with a wireless confirmation from a train
- From Minami-Wakkanai to Wakkanai: Special Automatic Track Circuit Detection (???????); Signal blocks on each station only, none between stations, without a confirmation from a train
History
The line was originally built as a link line between Mainland Japan and the then Japanese northern frontier Karafuto (southern half of Sakhalin Island). From Wakkanai Port, ferry to then Odomari (present Korsakov) served until the end of World War II.
The first segment of the line from Asahigawa (present Asahikawa) to Nagayama was built by the Hokkaido Government Railway (???????, Hokkaido Kansetsu Tetsudo?) in 1898. The line eventually extended to Nayoro in 1903, and a railway to Wakkanai was completed in 1922 in the route of the later Tempoku Line (???, Tenpoku-sen?) via Hamatombetsu. The present route via Horonobe was first made as the Teshio Line (???, Teshio-sen?).
After Japan's defeat of the war, the line lost the function as a link to Sakhalin, but remained important as a trunk line into the northern part of Hokkaido. The heavily declining population of the surrounding area in recent decades, however, have made networked railway lines disappear one by one. The Soya "Main" Line lost all branch lines, presently it is a long branch from Hakodate Main Line.
Timeline
- August 12, 1898: Opened as Teshio Line (???, Teshio-sen?) (I) of Hokkaido Government Railway, between Asahigawa (present Asahikawa) and Nagayama
- November 25, 1898: Extended to Ranru
- November 15, 1899: Extended to Wassamu
- August 5, 1900: Extended to Shibetsu
- September 3, 1900: Extended to Nayoro
- April 1, 1905: Transferred to Imperial Japanese Government Railways (????, Kansetsu Tetsudo?)
- November 3, 1911: Extended to Onnenai
- September 21, 1912: Renamed to Soya Line (???, Soya-sen?)
- November 5, 1912: Extended to Otoineppu
- October 20, 1919: Renamed to Soya Main Line (????, Soya Honsen?)
- October 5, 1921: Renamed back to Soya Line
- November 1, 1922: Completed to Wakkanai (present Minami-Wakkanai) via later Tempoku Line
- November 4, 1922: Renamed back to Soya Main Line
- November 8, 1922: Teshio Line (II) between Otoineppu and Pompira (present Teshio-Nakagawa)
- May 1, 1923: Chihaku Ferry (?????, Chihaku Renrakusen?) commenced Wakkanai - Odomari
- November 10, 1923: Extended to Toikambetsu
- June 25, 1924: Teshio North Line (????, Teshio-hokusen?) opened Wakkanai - Kabutonuma. Teshio Line renamed to Teshio South Line (????, Teshio-nansen?)
- July 20, 1925: Teshio South Line extended to Horonobe
- September 25, 1926: Teshio South and North lines connected, renamed to Teshio Line (???, Teshio-sen?) (II), Otoineppu - Wakkanai
- December 26, 1928: Extended to Wakkanaiko (present Wakkanai)
- April 1, 1930: Entire stretch of the Teshio Line became a part of Soya Main Line. The section Otoineppu - Hamatombetsu - Wakkanai separated as Kitami Line (???, Kitami-sen?), later Tempoku Line (???, Tempoku-sen?)
- June 30, 1935: Teshio Line (III), later Haboro Line (???, Haboro-sen?) from Horonobe opened
- August 25, 1945: Chihaku Ferry ceased operation
- November 10, 1984: Automated block system introduced, ticketing of most (29) stations unmanned
- November 1, 1986: CTC implemented, above noted stations completely unmanned
- April 1, 1987: Japanese National Railways privatized, Hokkaido Railway Company succeeded the entire line as Category 1, Japan Freight Railway Company as Category 2 between Asahikawa and Nayoro. All the temporal stations (????, Kari jokojo?) classified ordinary ones
- 1995: The ferry between Wakkanai and Korsakov "resumed" after 50 years, although not directly connected to the railway
- March 2000: Tracks of Asahikawa - Nayoro upgraded for faster operation. The limited express train Super Soya (??????, Super Soya?) commenced
Services
Intercity limited expresses run from Sapporo to Wakkanai, Super Soya (??????, Super Soya?) 2 laps a day, Sarobetsu (????, Sarobetsu?) 1 lap a day.
Local train services between Asahikawa and Nayoro one per 1 to 2 hours, the Rapids Nayoro (???, Nayoro?) 4 laps a day. Between Nayoro and Wakkanai, one local per 3 to 4 hours.
Connections
Lines are of JR Hokkaido unless noted
Present
- At Asahikawa
- At Shin-Asahikawa
Past
- At Asahikawa-Yojo
- At Nayoro
- At Bifuka
- At Otoineppu
- At Horonobe
- At Minami-Wakkanai
Stations
- R: All Rapids, r: some Rapids
- L: Limited Expresses
- 1: manned station
- 2: station with passing loops
Gallery
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The "main street" leading to Hokusei Station
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A typical station applied a used caboose, Toikambetsu
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One of few surviving building since the opening, Onoppunai
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Wakkanai, the northernmost railway station in Japan
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See also
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Mass transit in Hokkaido |
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| JR lines |
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| JR trains |
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| Other railways |
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| Miscellaneous |
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