West Ban'etsu Line
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The West Ban'etsu Line (磐越西線 Ban'etsu-saisen) is a rail line in Japan operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It runs from Kōriyama Station in Kōriyama in Fukushima Prefecture to Niitsu Station in Niigata Prefecture. The name "Ban'etsu" refers to the Meiji-era province of Iwaki (磐城) and the ancient province of Echigo (越後), which the East and West Lines together connect. "Sai" means "west" in Japanese.
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Route data
- Total distance: 175.6 km
- Stations: 44
- Tracks: Single
- Rail gauge: 1,067 mm
- Electrification: Kōriyama - Kitakata (20 kV AC 50Hz)
- Block system: Special Automatic Block System
History
This line was planned in the Railway Construction Act in 1892, and a private railway company "Gan'etsu Railway" began to serve its first section, Kōriyama - Nakayamajuku on July 26, 1898. In 1906, when this line was extended to Kitakata, Japanese Government Railways nationalized this company by the Railway Nationalization Act, and named its line as "Gan'etsu Line". The remaining sections were constructed in 1914, and the name "West Ban'etsu Line" was used after 1917.
Japan National Railways started to be modernized in 1960's, so it served first Limited express on this line in 1965, between Ueno Station in Tokyo and Aizu-Wakamatsu, via Tohoku Main Line. This train was renamed "Aizu" in 1968, but only ran on the West Ban'etsu Line portion of the route after 1993 (as "Viva Aizu"), and ceased in 2003.
In 1967, JNR electrified Kōriyama - Nakayamajuku using the AC 20kV system. The non-electrified portion of the line has been upgraded through the addition of newer DMU units.
Station list
- ↑ Run through from Asakanagamori Station.
- ↑ Run through from Nishi-wakamatsu Station.
- ↑ Most of Ban'etsu West Line trains from/to Niitsu run through from/to Niigata Station on Shin'etsu Main Line.
Rolling stock
Present
As of February 2009, the following rolling stock is used on the West Ban'etsu Line.
- 719 series EMUs (since June 2007)
- 485 series EMUs (Aizu Liner services)
- KiHa 47 DMUs
- KiHa 52 DMUs
- KiHa 58 DMUs
- KiHa 110 series DMUs
- KiHa E120 DMUs (since November 2008)[1]
Past
- 455 series EMUs (from 1967 until March 2008)
References
- ↑ JR East Niigata Area press release, (16 October 2008). Retrieved on 19 February 2009. (Japanese)
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