Muroran Main Line

Muroran Main Line
A KiHa 183 series DMU on a Hokuto limited express service
Overview
Type	Regional rail
Locale	Hokkaido
Termini	Oshamambe Iwamizawa
Stations	45
Operation
Opened	1892
Owner	JR Hokkaido
Technical
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Route map

The Muroran Main Line (室蘭本線, Muroran Honsen^?) is a railway line in Hokkaido operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido), between Oshamambe Station in Oshamambe and Iwamizawa Station in Iwamizawa, approximately paralleling the coast of Iburi Subprefecture. There also is a branch line within Muroran, between Higashi-muroran and Muroran Station.

The 28.7 km (17.8 mi) section between Shiraoi and Numanohata is the longest straight railway section in Japan.

On 19 November 2016, JR Hokkaido's President announced plans to rationalise the network by up to 1,237 km, or ~50% of the current network, including the proposed conversion to Third Sector operation of the Tomakomai - Iwamizawa section of the Muroran Main Line, but if local governments are not agreeable, the section may face closure.

The section between Oshamambe and Numanohata is the part of the main link route between Sapporo and Hakodate. As such, the limited express trains Super Hokuto and Hokuto run between two cities once per 1 to 2 hours, as well as Suzuran between Sapporo and Muroran.

As for the local service, the line is roughly divided into four sections, namely the section between Oshamambe and Higashi-Muroran, between Higashi-Muroran and Muroran, between Higashi-Muroran and Tomakomai, and between Tomakomai and Iwamizawa. The last section was once an important freight route, but became a quiet local line after coal mines closed.