Hidaka Main Line
Overview
Native name
日高本線
Status
Operational
(As a railway between Tomakomai and Mukawa)
(As a bus route between Mukawa and Samani)
Owner
Locale
Termini
Stations
29 (until January 2015)
5 (after January 2015)
4 (after March 2023)
Service
Type
Operator(s)
JR Hokkaido
Rolling stock
History
Opened
October 1913
Closed
1 April 2021 (section between Mukawa and Samani was replaced by a bus service in January 2015 but only formally closed as a railway on 1 April 2021)
Technical
Line length
146.5 km (91.0 mi) (until January 2015)
30.5 km (19.0 mi) (after January 2015)
Number of tracks
Entire line single tracked
Character
Rural
1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Old gauge
762 mm (2 ft 6 in)
None
Operating speed
95 km/h (59 mph)
Route map
The Hidaka Main Line (日高本線, Hidaka-honsen) is a railway line in Hokkaido, Japan, operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido), between Tomakomai StationinTomakomai and Samani StationinSamani, running along the coast of Hidaka Subprefecture. Services on the 116.0 km (72.1 mi) section of the line beyond Mukawa Station were suspended indefinitely since January 2015 due to storm damage. This section was closed on 1 April 2021 and replaced by a bus service. The closure of this section made the line the second shortest in Japan to be classified as a 'main line', at just 30.5 km (19.0 mi), after the Rumoi Main Line's length of 14.4 km (8.9 mi).
All regular trains are local trains, which stop at all stations.
Station
Distance
(km)
Transfers
Location
H18
苫小牧
0.0
■ Muroran Main Line
■ Chitose Line
勇払
13.1
浜厚真
22.7
浜田浦
27.0
Mukawa, Yūfutsu District
鵡川
30.5
汐見
34.5
富川
43.6
日高門別
51.3
豊郷
56.3
清畠
61.1
厚賀
65.6
大狩部
71.1
節婦
73.1
新冠
77.2
静内
82.1
東静内
90.9
春立
97.0
日高東別
99.4
日高三石
105.8
蓬栄
109.8
本桐
113.0
荻伏
120.2
絵笛
125.1
浦河
130.3
東町
132.4
日高幌別
136.9
鵜苫
141.1
西様似
143.6
様似
146.5
The first section was opened in October 1913 by the Tomakomai Light Railway (苫小牧軽便鉄道, Tomakomai Keiben Tetsudō), operating between Tomakomai and Sarufuto (佐瑠太) (present-day Tomikawa).[1] The section between Sarufuto and Shizunai was operated by the Hidaka Takushoku Railway (日高拓殖鉄道, Hidaka Takushoku Tetsudō). Both lines were light railways with a track gaugeof762 mm (2 ft 6 in).[2]
The lines were nationalized on 1 August 1927, and merged into one, becoming the Hidaka Line.[2] The track gauge was widened to 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) between Tomakomai and Sarufuto on 26 November 1929, and between Sarafuto and Shizunai on 10 November 1931.[2] The line was extended from Shizunai to Hidaka-Mitsuishi on 15 December 1933, to Urakawa on 24 October 1935, and to Samani on 10 August 1937.[2]
With the privatization of JNR on 1 April 1987, the line came under the control of JR Hokkaido.[2]
Following storm damage between Atsuga and Ōkaribe stations on 8 January 2015,[3] rail services had been suspended on the 116.0 km (72.1 mi) section beyond Mukawa station, with buses providing a substitute service. Further damage was caused to the line by Typhoon 17 on 12 September 2015, and no date had been set for the resumption of rail services beyond Mukawa. In December 2016, JR Hokkaido announced that it had abandoned plans to reopen the suspended section of the line, and was in discussion with the local governments involved.[1]
Due to low ridership and very high repair costs, including coastal defences between Atsuga and Ōkaribe, JR Hokkaido held several meetings with the 7 towns along the suspended segment of the line, suggesting to abandon plans to restore the line and replace it with a bus service. In November 2019, 6 out of the 7 towns agreed to replace the damaged section with a bus service. However, the town of Urakawa still strongly requested for the whole line to be restored; Urakawa's mayor reasoned that it would still take a while for the 'developing' Hidaka Expressway to reach the town, therefore it being necessary to retain the rail service.
In September 2020, after 5 years of meetings and discussions, many of which involved extensive arguments and disagreements, all 7 towns eventually agreed with JR Hokkaido to abandon the line's damaged section and replace it with a bus service. The 116.0 km (72.1 mi) section was formally closed on 1 April 2021.[4]
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Discontinued JR named trains
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