Shin'etsu Main Line: Difference between revisions

| name = ShinetsuShin'etsu Main Line

| caption = A [[115 series]] train (Ōmigawa - KujiranamiŌmigawa–Kujiranami)

*Yokokawa - KaruizawaYokokawa–Karuizawa: 1 October 1997

*Karuizawa - ShinonoiKaruizawa–Shinonoi: 1 October 1997<br />(→[[File:Shinano Railway Symbolmark.svg|15px]][[Shinano Railway Line]])

*Nagano - NaoetsuNagano–Naoetsu: 14 March 2015<br />(→ [[File:Shinano Railway Symbolmark.svg|15px]][[Shinano Railway Kita-Shinano Line|Kita-Shinano Line]], <br />[[File:Echigo-TOKImeki logomark.svg|20px]][[Echigo Tokimeki Railway Myōkō Haneuma Line|ETR Myōkō Haneuma Line]])

| map = [[File:JR Shinetsu Main Line linemap.svg|300px]]<{{center>|'''Map Legendlegend'''<br />{{color|red|Red}}: Shin-etsu Main Line<br />{{color|blue|Blue}}: Shinano Railway Line, Kita-Shinano Line and Myōkō Haneuma Line</center>}}

{{BS-colspan}}-5-style=text-align:left;

{{BS3|STR|\STR|STR+l||\~~[[JōshinJōetsu DentetsuShinkansen]], Jōshin[[Takasaki Line]]}}

{{BS5|vLSTRvSTR-|\STR|\STR||||\\~~[[HokurikuJōetsu Shinkansen]]}}

{{BS|BHF|17~~10.6|Isobe}}~~Annaka

{{BS3|exKBHFaq|eABZg+r|||''BHF~~22.7~~Matsuida''||Until~~ ~~Since 1962}}

{{BS3|STR|BHF||0.0|\ABZg+l\~~[[Shinonoi}} Line]]

{{BS3|STR|\BHF||2\~~0.1|Imai}}0~~Shinonoi

{{BS3|STR|\BHF||4\~~2.3|Kawanakajima}}1~~Imai

{{BS3|STR|\STR|||\tSTRl~~[[HokurikuNagano ShinkansenElectric Railway]],}}

{{BS3|exSTR+1|ABZg+l|O2=exSTRc4|STRq|exSTRc2\eABZg3\~~[[Echigo Tokimeki Railway|ETR]]-[[Echigo Tokimeki Railway#NihonkaiMyōkō HisuiHaneuma Line|NihonkaiMyōkō HisuiHaneuma Line]]}}

{{BS3|exKBHFe|STR||''exSTR\BHF\~~0.2''|''0~~Naoetsu''||Until~~ ~~Since 1899}}

{{BS3||eABZgl|exKDSTeq|exKBHFe\STR\~~''10.42''|~~''Naoetsu Port''||~~ ~~Until 1959}}1899

{{BS3|exSTRr|exBHF\BHF|STR|75\BHF~~73.5|Kita-0~~Nagaoka}}

The {{nihongo|'''Shinetsu Main Line''' ({{lang-ja|信越本線}}, {{IPA-ja|Shin'etsu-honsen|lead=yes}}) is a railway line, consisting of three geographically separated sections, operated by the [[East Japan Railway Company]] (JR East) in [[Japan]]. It was originally one continuous line connecting {{STN|Takasaki}} and {{STN|Niigata}} via {{STN|Nagano}}. Since the opening and later extension of the [[Hokuriku Shinkansen]], sections running in parallel have either been abandoneddiscontinued or transferred to [[Public–private partnership#Japan|third-sector]] railway companies.

The name of the line refers to the old names for Nagano and Niigata prefectures, [[Shinano Province|Shinano]] ({{lang-langx|ja|'''信'''濃|links=no}}), and [[Echigo Province|Echigo]] ({{lang-langx|ja|'''越'''後|links=no}}).

The abandoneddiscontinued section through the [[Usui Pass]] was famous for its steep 66.7[[Per mille|‰]] (6.67[[Percent sign|%]]) [[Grade (slope)|gradient]].<ref>{{Cite web |url= http://d-arch.ide.go.jp/je_archive/society/wp_je_unu36.html|title= Technological independence and progress of standardization in the Japanese railways|access-date=January 2, 2009 |last= Harada|first= Katsumasa|year= 1981|publisher= [[JETRO]]|quote=it was eventually decided to build the track at a steep grade of 66.7/1,000}}</ref>

There are three small freight branches; from Echigo-Ishiyama Station to Niigata Freight Terminal, from Kami-Nuttari Junction to Nuttari Station (discontinued on 25 March 2010), and from Kami-Nuttari Junction to Higashi-Niigata-kō Station.

*[[Excursion train]]: ''SL Gunma Yokokawa'' and ''SL YOGISHA Yokokawa'' ({{ill|SL Gunma Yokokawa and SL YOGISHA Yokokawa|ja|SLぐんま よこかわ}})

{{As of|20182023|0305|1703}}, the following services are operated.<ref>{{Cite web |url= httphttps://www.jrniigata.cojreast-timetable.jp/timetable2305/pdf/06_nagaokatimetable-mitsuke_03_sinetsu-uv/231u1p.pdfhtml|title= Timetable Nagaoka up (20182023.3-5)|access-date=MarchMay 193, 20182023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url= httphttps://www.jrniigata.cojreast-timetable.jp/timetable2305/pdf/06_nagaokatimetable-mitsuke_04_sinetsu-dv/231d1p.pdfhtml|title= Timetable Nagaoka down (20182023.3-5)|access-date=MarchMay 193, 20182023}}</ref>

|({{STN|Jōetsumyōkō}}/{{STN|Arai|Niigata}}) – Naoetsu – Niigata–Naoetsu–Niigata

|54 returnround trips

|1 returnround trip

|2 down3 trips to Nagaoka<br />12 trips upto tripNaoetsu

|1 returnround trip

:Naoetsu–Nagaoka: every 60-12060–120 minutes

:Niitsu–Niigata: every 20 minutes (every 5-105–10 minutes during peaks)

!colspan="2"|Location

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

* [[File:Shinkansen-E jre.pngsvg|18px]] [[Joetsu Shinkansen]]

* [[File:Shinkansen-E jre.pngsvg|18px]] [[Hokuriku Shinkansen]]

| rowspan="3" |[[Takasaki, Gunma|Takasaki]]

| style="text-align:right;" |2.4

| style="text-align:right;" |6.4

| style="text-align:right;" |10.6

| rowspan="5" |[[Annaka, Gunma|Annaka]]

| style="text-align:right;" |17.6

| style="text-align:right;" |22.7

| style="text-align:right;" |23.9

| style="text-align:right;" |29.7

|[[JR Bus Kanto ]] Usui Line

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

* [[File:Shinano Railway Symbolmark.svg|20px]] [[Shinano Railway Line]]

| style="text-align:right;" |2.1

| style="text-align:right;" |4.3

| style="text-align:right;" |6.4

| style="text-align:right;" |9.3

* [[File:Shinkansen-E jre.pngsvg|18px]] [[Hokuriku Shinkansen]]

!D

!colspan="2"|Location

|[[File:Shinkansen-E jre.pngsvg|18px]] Jōetsu Shinkansen

* [[File:Shinkansen-E jre.pngsvg|18px]] [[Jōetsu Shinkansen]]

<gallery widths=180>

<gallery widths=180>

[[File:JGR-10001-EL.jpg|thumb|Abt rack railway loco used on the Usui Pass line,; note the 'shoe' ahead of the nearest wheel to collect power via a third rail.]]

The [[Japanese Government Railways]] opened the Takasaki to Yokokawa section in 1885, the Naoetsu to Sekiyama section the following year, and the Sekiyama - Nagano - KaruizawaSekiyama–Nagano–Karuizawa section in 1888. In order to surmount the 552 metre altitude difference between Yokokawa and Karuizawa (which are {{Cvt|10&nbsp;|km}} apart), it then constructed an [[Abt rack system|Abt]] [[cog railway|rack]] section through the [[Usui Pass]], which opened in 1893, and was double-tracked for {{Cvt|1&nbsp;|km}} from Karuizawa to the top of the rack section. A horse-drawn tramway operated between Yokokawa and Karuizawa until the rack section opened.

[[File:Usui-toge railway- electric 1914.png|thumb|left|An electric train with both head and center locomotives in 1914]]

The Hokuetsu Railway opened the Naoetsu to Nagaoka section in 1897, extending the line to Niigata in 1904. That company was nationalised in 1907. In 1909, the Imperial Japanese Railway authorities invited bids for the electrification of the route. A German company was selected to provide the engines and [[General Electric]] supplied the turbines at the power station. In 1912, the rack section was electrified using [[third rail]] at 600 V DC, this being the first use of this method in Japan. The electrification allowed for the use of faster and longer trains which reduced journey times and also pollution from the steam engines.<ref>''[[Electric Railway Journal]]'', June 20, 1914, Electrification of the Usui-Toge Railway, Japan, pgp. 1393, https://archive.org/stream/electricrailway431914newy/electricrailway431914newy#page/1393/mode/1up/search/power+company</ref> [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6dxAem6apI A link to archival footage of the rack section operation is available here]

The Karuizawa to Nagano section was double-tracked between 1917 and 1920, with the Nagaoka to Miyauchi section double-tracked in 1931, and the Niitsu - KamoNiitsu–Kamo section in 1944. Double-tracking of the remainder of the Niigata to Naoetsu line was undertaken in sections between 1958 and 1973.

* Nagano Station: The Zenkoji Hakuba Railway Co. opened a {{Cvt|7&nbsp;|km}} line to Susohana Guchi in 1936. A proposal for the line to be extended to Hakuba on the [[Oito Line]] did not eventuate, and the line closed in 1944.

* Kuroi Station: The Kubiki Railway Co. opened a {{Cvt|15&nbsp;|km}} {{RailGauge|762mm|lk=on|allk=on}} gauge line to Uragawara between 1914 and 1916, with the line closing in 1971.

*Raikoji Station: The Nagaoka Railway Co. opened a {{Cvt|39&nbsp;|km}} line to Teradomari (on the [[Echigo Line]]) between 1915 and 1921. This company introduced Japan's first diesel railcar in 1928, and in 1951 electrified {{Cvt|31&nbsp;|km}} of the line at 750 V DC in 70 days, completing the balance the following year. Significant typhoon damage occurred in 1966, and in 1972, passenger services ceased between Raikoji and Nishinagaoka, with the entire line becoming freight-only three years later. The line closed in 1995.