Banetsu West Line | |||
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719 series EMU at Kōriyama Station, March 2008
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Overview | |||
Native name | 磐越西線 | ||
Type | Regional rail | ||
Locale | Fukushima, Niigata prefectures | ||
Termini |
Kōriyama Niitsu |
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Stations | 44 | ||
Operation | |||
Opened | 1898 | ||
Operator(s) | JR East | ||
Technical | |||
Line length | 175.6 km (109.1 mi) | ||
Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | ||
Electrification | 20 kV AC, 50 Hz overhead catenary (Kōriyama – Kitakata) | ||
Operating speed | 100 km/h (60 mph) | ||
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The Banetsu West Line (磐越西線 Ban'etsu-sai-sen?) is a railway line in Japan operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It connects Kōriyama Station in Kōriyama, Fukushima and Niitsu Station in Niigata, Niigata. The name "Banetsu" is taken from the first characters of the names of the ancient provinces of Iwaki (磐城?) and Echigo (越後?), which the Banetsu East and Banetsu West lines connect. "Sai" (西?) means "west" in Japanese.
The line's nickname is the Mori to Mizu to Roman no Tetsudō (森と水とロマンの鉄道 lit. "the water, forest, and nostalgia railway"?).