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Furusato Ginga Line
Furusato Ginga Line
	Furusato Ginga Line CR70 series DMU; February 2006, near Nishitomi Station
Overview
Status	Ceased operation
Owner	Hokkaidō Chihoku Kōgen Railway
Locale	Hokkaidō, Japan
Termini	Ikeda; Kitami;
Stations	33
Service
Type	Heavy rail
Operator(s)	Hokkaidō Chihoku Kōgen Railway
Rolling stock	CR70 series DMU, CR75 series DMU
History
Opened	September 22, 1910
Closed	April 21, 2006
Technical
Line length	140.0 km (87.0 mi)
Number of tracks	Single
Character	Rural
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	Not electrified
Operating speed	85 km/h (53 mph)

Furusato Ginga Line

Legend

km

Nemuro Main Line

5.7

11.5

16.5

20.8

23.5

27.3

29.8

36.2

44.6

50.7

54.0

55.9

58.4

62.2

66.5

70.7

77.4

83.1

87.2

93.5

Senpoku

temporary stop

closed 1957

109.4

113.8

116.6

118.4

121.4

123.5

125.3

127.4

129.4

132.2

135.5

Sekihoku Main Line

km

The Furusato Ginga Line (ふるさと銀河線, Furusato Ginga-sen) was a railway line operated by the third-sector Hokkaidō Chihoku Kōgen Railway Company in Hokkaidō, Japan. The 140 km (87 mi) line connected the municipalities of Ikeda and Kitami until its closure in 2006.

History

The first segment of the line, originally called the Abashiri Line (網走線, Abashiri-sen) and operated by Japanese Government Railways, was opened on September 22, 1910, and ran for 77.4 km, connecting Ikeda and Rikunbetsu (later renamed to Rikubetsu). The line was then extended further north, and on September 25, 1911, the segment connecting Rikunbetsu and Nokkeushi (present-day Kitami) was opened. In 1912 the Abashiri Line was further extended to Abashiri, and the line was renamed the Abashiri Main Line (網走本線, Abashiri-honsen).^[1]

Once the Sekihoku Line was extended to Nokkeushi in 1932, traffic largely shifted to the shorter Sekihoku Line. On April 1, 1961, the section of the Abashiri Main Line from Ikeda to Kitami (renamed from Nokkeushi in 1942) was named the Chihoku Line (池北線, Chihoku-sen), and the rest of the Abashiri Main Line was absorbed into the Sekihoku Main Line. The name "Chihoku Line" was created from the on'yomi of each of the first characters for Ikeda (池田) and Kitami (北見).^[1]

In 1987 Japanese National Railways (JNR), the successor to Japanese Government Railways, was privatized and JR Hokkaido took over management of the line. However, on June 4, 1989, JR Hokkaido ceased operation of the Chihoku Line. Unlike all other lines shut down by JNR and JR Hokkaido, in the Chihoku Line's case a successor company was established by local governments and private investors. The new company, Hokkaidō Chihoku Kōgen Railway Company, renamed the Chihoku Line to the Furusato Ginga Line ("Hometown Galaxy Line") and introduced new cars. However 17 years later, the company came to the decision to close the line, which thus ceased operations on April 21, 2006.^[2]

Stations

Station		Distance (km)	Connections	Location
Ikeda	池田駅	0.0	JR Hokkaido: Nemuro Main Line	Ikeda	Hokkaidō
Samamai	様舞駅	5.7
Takashima	高島駅	11.5
Ōmori	大森駅	16.5
Yūtari	勇足駅	20.8		Honbetsu
Minami-Honbetsu	南本別駅	23.5
Okamedō	岡女堂駅	27.3
Honbetsu	本別駅	29.8
Senbiri	仙美里駅	36.2
Ashoro	足寄駅	44.6		Ashoro
Aikappu	愛冠駅	50.7
Nishiissen	西一線駅	54.0
Shiohoro	塩幌駅	55.9
Kamitoshibetsu	上利別駅	58.4
Sasamori	笹森駅	62.2
Oyochi	大誉地駅	66.5
Kunbetsu	薫別駅	70.7		Rikubetsu
Rikubetsu	陸別駅	77.4
Bunsen	分線駅	83.1
Kawakami	川上駅	87.2
Shōtoshibetsu	小利別駅	93.5
Oketo	置戸駅	109.4		Oketo
Toyozumi	豊住駅	113.8
Sakaino	境野駅	116.6
Nishi-Kunneppu	西訓子府駅	118.4		Kunneppu
Nishitomi	西富駅	121.4
Kunneppu	訓子府駅	123.5
Honami	穂波駅	125.3
Hinode	日ノ出駅	127.4
Hirosato	広郷駅	129.4		Kitami
Kami-Tokoro	上常呂駅	132.2
Hokkōsha	北光社駅	135.5
Kitami	北見駅	140.0	JR Hokkaido: Sekihoku Main Line

References

^ ^a ^b Ishino, Tetsu; et al., eds. (1998). 停車場変遷大事典国鉄・JR編 [Station Transition Directory – JNR/JR] (in Japanese). Vol. I. Tokyo: JTB Corporation. p. 249. ISBN 4-533-02980-9.
^ "4/20，"ふるさと銀河線"，最後の日を迎える" [April 20, Furusato Ginga Line's last day]. Japan Railfan Magazine. No. July 2006. p. 166.