Koumi Line
| Koumi Line | |||
|---|---|---|---|
JR East KiHa 110 series DMU on the Koumi Line
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| Overview | |||
| Type | Regional rail | ||
| Locale | Yamanashi, Nagano prefectures | ||
| Termini |
Kobuchizawa Komoro |
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| Stations | 31 | ||
| Operation | |||
| Opened | 1919 | ||
| Owner | JR East | ||
| Rolling stock | KiHa E200, KiHa 110 series DMUs | ||
| Technical | |||
| Line length | 78.9 km (49.0 mi) | ||
| Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) | ||
| Electrification | None | ||
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The Koumi Line (小海線 Koumi-sen?) is a railway line in Japan operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It links Kobuchizawa Station in Hokuto, Yamanashi with Komoro Station in Komoro, Nagano, and extends 78.9 km through the mountains with a total of 31 stations. It roughly follows the route of National Route 141, paralleling the road at some places and crossing it twice.
All trains stop at all stations.
Some of the stations along the Koumi Line are among the highest in Japan, with Nobeyama Station reaching 1,345 meters above sea level. Because of the frequent stops and winding route the full 78.9 kilometre journey often takes as long as two and a half hours to traverse, however the journey is well known for its beautiful scenery.
Legend
A two-car KiHa 110 series train on the Koumi Line, April 2008
A two-car KiHa E200 series train on the Koumi Line, April 2009
In February 2015, to mark the 80th anniversary of the opening of the Koumi Line, a single-car KiHa 110 series unit was repainted into the "Metropolitan" all-over red livery carried by KiHa 52 DMUs formerly used on the line. This was followed in March 2015 by a two-car KiHa 110 series unit repainted into the vermillion and cream livery carried by KiHa 58 series DMUs formerly used on the line.
Koumi Line KiHa 110-121 in "Metropolitan" all-over red livery, February 2015
The Saku Railway opened the section from Komoro to Haguroshita in 1915, and extended the line to Koumi in 1919. The company planned a railway network extending from Kōfu in the south to Naoetsu and Nagaoka in the north, linking up with the Fuji Minobe Railway to create a coast-to-coast rail line. North of Komoro, Saku Railway obtained a construction permit for a section between Yashiro and Suzaka, but this was transferred to the local Katō Railway (predecessor of the Nagano Electric Railway). Due to World War I construction of the line south of Koumi was not undertaken. Diesel railcars were introduced on the line in 1930.
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Wikipedia