Hokuhoku Line

Hokuhoku Line
Hokuhoku Line
	A HK100 Yumezora train, Kubiki - Saigata, September 2014
Overview
Owner	Hokuetsu Express
Locale	Niigata Prefecture
Termini	Muikamachi; Saigata;
Stations	12
Service
Operator(s)	Hokuetsu Express
History
Opened	22 March 1997; 27 years ago
Technical
Line length	59.5 km (37.0 mi)
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	1,500 V DC overhead catenary
Operating speed	130 km/h (80 mph)
Route map

The Hokuhoku Line (ほくほく線, Hokuhoku-sen) is a Japanese railway line in Niigata Prefecture that runs from Muikamachi in Minamiuonuma City to Saigata in Jōetsu City. It is the sole railway line operated by Hokuetsu Express (北越急行, Hokuetsu Kyūkō). Construction of the line first began in 1968 by the Japanese National Railways (JNR), and was initially referred to as the Hokuetsu-Kita Line (北越北線, Hokuetsu-kita-sen). However, the construction of the line was plagued by numerous delays, and was finally completed as a third sector line on 22 March 1997,^[1]^[2] including the 10,472 m (6.5 mi) Akakura Tunnel, the longest on a non-JR line.

Unlike most other third sector company lines, the Hokuhoku Line made steady profits after its opening, as the former Hakutaka Limited Express train service, which travelled using the line, served as the principal link between the Tokyo metropolitan area and the Hokuriku region until the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen in 2015. The line's former maximum speed limit of 160 km/h (99 mph) allowed the Hakutaka to become the fastest narrow gauge train service in the country, matched only by the standard gauge Keisei Skyliner services to Narita International Airport as the fastest non-Shinkansen service (also at 160 km/h (99 mph)); however, following the withdrawal of Hakutaka services on the line on 14 March 2015, the maximum speed limit of the line was reduced to 130 km/h (80 mph).^[3]

Services

Originally, the line acted as a connecting route to the Jōetsu Shinkansen at Echigo-Yuzawa Station. Upon the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen on 14 March 2015, the limited express services Hakutaka^[4]^[5] of the line, which had run from 1997 with an average daily ridership of 6,900 passengers, were withdrawn.^[6] Since then, a daily special rapid service Snow Rabbit has been served, instead of Hakutaka, until 18 March 2023, where all rapid service has been discontinued.^[7]

Trains from Muikamachi are described as down-bound, whereas those from Saigata are described as up-bound.

Active service

Local Service

17 return trips are operating each day, with additional 1 service operating on weekends and holidays. Two return trips running on Sundays are designated as Yumezora, in which movies will be played on the ceiling of the train when the trains are going through a tunnel. Since the discontinuation of Hakutaka in 2015, required trip time is reduced by 10 minutes. Through-trains to and from JR Lines do not stop at some stations of the Jōetsu Line and Shin'etsu Main Line.

Chō-Slow Service - Snow Turtle (スノータートル)

Snow Turtle is a special service with irregular schedules and available for rental by organizations. Being a comical counterpart of Snow Rabbit, the trains run at a very low speed, as slow as 10 km/h (6.2 mph), to give passengers a chance to experience winds while opening the side doors of the trains. Meals are also provided during the four-hour journey.

Discontinued (since 18 March 2023)

Rapid Service

Two down-bound and three up-bound trains are operating each day between Echigo-Yuzawa and Naoetsu.

Chō-Rapid Service - Snow Rabbit (スノーラビット)

Two down-bound and one up-bound trains are operating each day, and one of the down-bound train runs through to Arai of the Myōkōhaneuma Line. The fastest service, which stops only at Tōkamachi, only takes 57 minutes travelling from Echigo-Yuzawa to Naoetsu.

Passing loops

There are three passing loops on the Hokuhoku Line. Each has one bi-directional through track to allow full line speed. However, the passing loops has been abandoned since the discontinuation of Hakutaka service.

Akakura

Between Uonumakyūryō and Misashima in Tōkamachi, Niigata. It is in the 10472m Akakura tunnel.

Yakushitōge

Between Tōkamachi and Matsudai in Tōkamachi, Niigata. It is in the 6199m Yakushitōge tunnel.

Gimyō

Between Matsudai and Hokuhoku-Ōshima in Tōkamachi, Niigata. It is in the 9,130 m (29,954 ft) Nabetachiyama tunnel(ja:鍋立山トンネル).

Gallery

Open-floor viaduct near Kubiki Station
Nabetachiyama Tunnel
Tokamachi station
Akakura passing loops

Rolling Stock

12 HK100 series^[8]

10 HK100-0 series single-car units were built by Niigata Transys for use on local, rapid and Chō-Rapid Snow Rabbit trains between Echigo-Yuzawa and Naoetsu, and started operation since its opening in 1997. Having a maximum speed of 110 km/h operating on the 160 km/h lines, these trains feature a fast acceleration of 3.0 km/h/s to minimize disruptions of Hakutaka train services. 1 permanent 2-car set known as HK100-100 series entered service in 2003 for the Yumezora video projection and event train together with 2 units of HK100-0 refurbished in 2008 named Yumezora II.

HK100-0 train
Regular HK-100-0 series interior
Modified HK100-0 series Yumezora II
Permanent 2-car HK-100-100 train set for Yumezora video projection train
Interior of HK100 Yumezora, dream sky train
Interior of HK100 Yumezora while going through a tunnel.
Video projections are displayed on the ceiling on Sundays and holidays.^[9]

Former

681-2000 series - Hakutaka
683-8000 series - Hakutaka

18 cars of 681-2000 series and 9 cars of 683-8000 series trains, nicknamed Snow Rabbit Express (SRE) were built by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, with final assembly at Niigata Transys for operation on the Hakutaka limited express trains between Echigo-Yuzawa and Kanazawa stations. At a operating speed of 160 km/h, this was the fastest train in the country to run on narrow gauge. Following the retirement of the Hakutaka services, the trains were transferred to JR West for operation on Shirasagi limited express services.

Hokuetsu Express 681-2000 series
Hokuetsu Express 683-8000 series

Stations

The Hokuhoku line is entirely in Niigata Prefecture.

Service patterns:
- ● All trains stop
- ○ Some trains stop
- ｜ All trains pass
- ＊ Seasonal stop
Track:
- ∥: Double-track section
- ∧: Double-track section begins
- ∨: Double-track section ends
- ｜: Single-track section
- ◇: Passing loop

Line	Name		Distance	Local	Transfers	Track	Location
Jōetsu Line	Echigo-Yuzawa	越後湯沢	17.6	●	Jōetsu Shinkansen JR East: ■ Jōetsu Line (for Minakami)	∥	Yuzawa
	Ishiuchi	石打	11.2	｜		∥	Minamiuonuma
	Ōsawa	大沢	7.2	｜		∥
	Jōetsu International Skiing Ground	上越国際スキー場前	6.2	＊		∥
	Shiozawa	塩沢	3.9	○		∥
	Muikamachi	六日町	0.0	●	JR East: ■ Jōetsu Line (for Urasa)	∨
Hokuhoku Line	Uonuma-Kyūryō	魚沼丘陵	3.6	●		｜
	Misashima	美佐島	12.2	●		｜	Tōkamachi
	Shinza	しんざ	14.4	●		｜
	Tōkamachi	十日町	15.9	●	JR East: ■ Iiyama Line	◇
	Matsudai	まつだい	29.2	●		◇
	Hokuhoku-Ōshima	ほくほく大島	38.6	●		｜	Jōetsu
	Mushigawa-Ōsugi	虫川大杉	44.8	●		◇
	Uragawara	うらがわら	46.8	●		｜
	Ōike-Ikoi-no-mori	大池いこいの森	51.7	●		｜
	Kubiki	くびき	53.6	●		◇
Shin'etsu Main Line	Saigata	犀潟	59.5	●	JR East: ■ Shin'etsu Main Line {for Niigata)	∧
	Kuroi	黒井	63.9	○		∥
	Naoetsu	直江津	66.6	●	Echigo Tokimeki Railway: ■ Nihonkai Hisui Line, ■ Myōkō Haneuma Line	∥

References

This article also incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia

External links

Hokuetsu Express official website (in Japanese)
Hokuetsu Express official website (in English)

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