Ōminato Line

Ōminato Line
A KiHa 100 series DMU at Ominato Station on a Shimokita rapid service in October 2009
Overview
Native name	大湊線
Type	Heavy rail
Termini	Noheji Ōminato
Stations	11
Operation
Opened	1921
Owner	East Japan Railway Company
Rolling stock	KiHa 100 series
Technical
Line length	58.4 km (36.3 mi)
Track gauge	3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)
Electrification	none
Route map Nambu Jūkan Railway (defunct) Aoimori Railway Line 0.0 Noheji 2.8 Kita-Noheji 9.6 Arito 23.0 Fukkoshi 30.1 Mutsu-Yokohama 26.0 Arihata 42.7 Chikagawa 47.7 Kanayasawa 53.2 Akagawa Ōhata Line (defunct) 55.5 Shimokita 58.4 Ōminato

The Ōminato Line (大湊線^?, Ōminato-sen) is a railway route operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It connects Noheji Station and Ōminato Station on the Shimokita Peninsula in eastern Aomori Prefecture.

On March 20, 1921, the Ōminato Light Railway (大湊軽便線^?, Ōminato-keibensen) began operations between Noheji Station and Mutsu-Yokohama Station. The line was extended to its present terminus of Ōminato Station by September 25, 1921. In 1922, the line was nationalized, and renamed the Ōminato Line of the Japanese Government Railway (JGR, later JNR).

Express Natsudomari operations began from Aomori Station on a seasonal basis began in 1968. The express was later downgraded to rapid service and renamed the Usori, and later the Shimokita. All freight operations were suspended from February 1, 1984. With the dissolution and privatization of the JNR on April 1, 1984, the line came under the control of the East Japan Railway Company. On December 4, 1999 a new centralized traffic control (CTC) system became operational. In 2002, seasonal excursion trains, Kirakira Michinoku operations were started, and a limited number of Shimokita trains were extended to terminate at Hachinohe Station instead of Noheji.