Rumoi_Main_Line

Rumoi Main Line

Rumoi Main Line

Railway line in Hokkaido, Japan

The Rumoi Main Line (留萌本線, Rumoi-honsen) is a Japanese railway line in Hokkaido operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido) which connects Fukagawa Station in Fukagawa and Ishikari-Numata Station in Numata. Following the discontinued service from Rumoi to Ishikari-Numata on April 1, the Rumoi Main Line is the shortest railway line in Japan, to be classified as a 'main line' at 14.4 kilometers.

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On 19 November 2016, JR Hokkaido's president announced plans to further rationalize the network by up to 1,237 km (769 mi), or approximately 50% of the network,[1] including closure of the remaining section of the Rumoi Main Line (the Rumoi to Mashike section closed on 5 December 2016). This section of track from Ishikari-Numata to Rumoi was closed on 1 April 2023, with the final train running on the 31 March 2023.

Stations

Stops legend: ●: All trains stop, ◆: some trains skip bidirectionally, ▼: some down trains skip

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Closed section

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History

The initial section of the line, between Fukagawa and Rumoi opened on 23 October 1910, and was extended to Mashike on 5 November 1921.[2] The line was reclassified as a "main line" from 10 October 1931.[2] With the privatization of Japanese National Railways (JNR) on 1 April 1987, the line came under the control of JR Hokkaido.[2]

Closure plans

On 10 August 2015, JR Hokkaido informed the mayors of Rumoi and Mashike of its plans to close the 16.7 km (10.4 mi) section of the line from Rumoi to Mashike in 2016.[3] In April 2016, it was officially announced that the section from Rumoi to Mashike would close, and the last service operated on 4 December of that year.[4]

The 4 towns and cities along the remaining line, Rumoi, Numata, Chippubetsu and Fukagawa were in discussion with JR Hokkaido regarding the line's future, but Rumoi left the group as the city was already well-equipped so they didn't see keeping the railway open as necessary.

In September 2022, JR Hokkaido submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to close an additional 35.7 km (22.2 mi) between Ishikari-Numata and Rumoi.[5][6] As the closure was approved on 9 December 2022,[7] the end of service was announced for 31 March 2023, and the closure occurred on 1 April 2023.[8][9]

The remaining 14.4 km (8.9 mi) section to Fukagawa is slated to be closed in March 2026.[6]

KiHa 54 DMU 513 taken at Rumoi Station on 4 December 2022, a few months before the Rumoi Main line was discontinued beyond Ishikari-Numata.

References

  1. [1]
    "JR Hokkaido says it can't maintain half of its railways". 10 May 2013. Archived from the original on 20 November 2016. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  2. [2]
    Ishino, Tetsu, ed. (1998). 停車場変遷大辞典 国鉄・JR編 [Station Transition Directory - JNR/JR] (in Japanese). Vol. I. Japan: JTB. pp. 83, 129. ISBN 4-533-02980-9.
  3. [3]
    留萌線（留萌～増毛間）の鉄道事業廃止について [Closure of Rumoi Line between Rumoi and Mashike]. Tetsudo Hobidas (in Japanese). Japan: Neko Publishing Co., Ltd. 10 August 2015. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  4. [4]
    ＪＲ留萌線留萌―増毛間１２月４日に廃止 増毛町が同意 [Mashike agrees to closure of JR Rumoi Line between Rumoi and Mashike on 4 December]. Doshin Web (in Japanese). Japan: The Hokkaido Shimbun Press. 8 April 2016. Archived from the original on 8 April 2016. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  5. [5]
    "JR北海道，留萌本線 石狩沼田—留萌間の鉄道事業廃止届を提出" [JR Hokkaido Rumoi Main Line Ishikari-Numata - Rumoi service discontinuation proposal submitted]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). 10 September 2022. Archived from the original on 11 September 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  6. [6]
    "留萌本線「一部廃止」来春にも JR北海道が国交相に届出、残る区間も3年半後まで" [Rumoi Main Line "Partially abolished": JR Hokkaido will notify the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism next spring, and the remaining section will be closed 3 and a half years later]. news.railway-pressnet.com (in Japanese). 9 September 2022. Archived from the original on 9 September 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  7. [7]
    "留萌本線の一部廃止「来年4月1日」確定 朝ドラ『すずらん』明日萌駅も消滅 | 鉄道ニュース【鉄道プレスネット】" (in Japanese). 9 December 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
  8. [8]
    "鉄道事業の一部廃止の日を繰り上げる届出について" (PDF). 国土交通省北海道運輸局鉄道部. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  9. [9]
    "留萌線（石狩沼田・留萌間）の廃止日繰上げの届出について" (PDF). 北海道旅客鉄道. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
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