Yahiko Line

Yahiko Line
300px Kita-Sanjō Station
Overview
Type	Regional rail
Locale	Niigata Prefecture
Termini	Higashi-Sanjō Yahiko
Stations	8
Operation
Opened	1916
Owner	JR East
Technical
Line length	17.5 km (10.9 mi)
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	1,500 V DC overhead catenary
Operating speed	85 km/h (55 mph)

The Yahiko Line (弥彦線, Yahiko-sen) is a Japanese railway line operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) which connects Yahiko in the village of Yahiko and Higashi-Sanjō in the city of Sanjo, both in Niigata Prefecture. The line shares its name with both Yahiko Village and nearby Mt. Yahiko.

Stations

Name	Japanese	Distance (km)	Transfers	Location
Yahiko	弥彦	0.0		Yahiko	Niigata Prefecture
Yahagi	矢作	2.3
Yoshida	吉田	4.9	Echigo Line	Tsubame
Nishi-Tsubame	西燕	8.0
Tsubame	燕	10.3
Tsubame-Sanjō	燕三条	12.9	Joetsu Shinkansen	Sanjō
Kita-Sanjō	北三条	15.4
Higashi-Sanjō	東三条	17.4	Shinetsu Main Line

Rolling stock

New E129 series EMUs are scheduled to be introduced on local services on the line from fiscal 2014.

History

The Echigo Railway Co. opened the Yahiko - Yoshida section in 1916 and extended the line to Higashi-Sanjo in 1926. The company was nationalised in 1927.

Freight services ceased in 1960, and the line was electrified in 1984.

Former connecting lines

• Tsubame station - The Niigata Kotsu Co. opened a 34 km line electrified at 1500 VDC to Sekiya on the Echigo Line in 1933. Freight services ceased in 1982, and the line closed between 1993 and 1999.
• Higashi-Sanjo station - An 8 km line to Echigo Nagasawa operated 1927 - 1985.

References

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

External links

• Yahiko Line stations (JR East) (Japanese)
• Yahiko Line timetable (JR East) (Japanese)
• Yahiko Line information (Japanese)
• Yahiko Line (Japanese)