Yodo Line

Yodo Line

JR Shikoku KiHa 32 series DMU at Ekawasaki Station
Overview
Type Heavy rail
Locale Kōchi, Ehime Prefectures
Termini Wakai
Kita-Uwajima
Stations 20
Operation
Opened 1914
Operator(s) JR Shikoku
Rolling stock KiHa 32 series, KiHa 54 series, KiHa 185 series DMUs
Technical
Line length 76.3 km (47.4 mi)
Track gauge 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Old gauge 762 mm (2 ft 6 in)
Electrification None
Operating speed 110 km/h (70 mph)
Route map

The Yodo Line (予土線 Yodo-sen) is a railway line in Shikoku, Japan, operated by Shikoku Railway Company (JR Shikoku). It connects Shimanto in Kōchi Prefecture and Uwajima in Ehime Prefecture. Its name comes from the ancient provinces of Iyo () (now Ehime Prefecture) and Tosa () (now Kōchi Prefecture), which the line connects.

Services

Trains follow the Shimanto River between Kubokawa and Ekawasaki

The Yodo Line is a quiet, rural line with only local trains providing service. Except for a single round-trip between Ekawasaki and Uwajima, all trains are wanman driver-only operated.

Kubokawa Station on the Dosan Line serves as the departure point for nearly all trains, which travel over the Tosa Kuroshio Railway Nakamura Line to Wakai before entering the Yodo Line proper. Since this section is not owned by JR Shikoku, customers are required to pay an additional 200 yen fare. Passengers, especially those using the Seishun 18 Kippu, are reminded of this by conductor announcements.

In addition to trains between Kubokawa and Uwajima, other trains between Uwajima and Ekawasaki & Chikanaga are operated approximately once every one to three hours.

Stations

Station No. Station Japanese Distance (km) Transfers   Location
Between
stations
From
Wakai
TK26 Kubokawa 窪川 - 4.4 Dosan Line (K26) Shimanto, Takaoka District Kōchi
Via the Tosa Kuroshio Railway Nakamura Line
TK27
G27
Wakai 若井 4.4 0.0 Tosa Kuroshio Railway Nakamura Line (TK27) (for Nakamura) Shimanto, Takaoka District Kōchi
  Kawaoku Junction 川奥信号場 - (3.6) Official branch point for Nakamura Line and Yodo Line Kuroshio, Hata District
G28 Iejigawa 家地川 5.8 5.8   Shimanto, Takaoka District
G29 Utsuigawa 打井川 4.9 10.7  
G30 Tosa-Taishō 土佐大正 6.9 17.6  
G31 Tosa-Shōwa 土佐昭和 8.9 26.5  
G32 Tōkawa 十川 4.5 31.0  
G33 Hage 半家 7.9 38.9   Shimanto
G34 Ekawasaki 江川崎 3.8 42.7  
G35 Nishigahō 西ヶ方 2.7 45.4  
G36 Matsuchi 真土 5.9 51.3   Matsuno, Kitauwa District Ehime
G37 Yoshinobu 吉野生 1.7 53.0  
G38 Matsumaru 松丸 2.3 55.3  
G39 Izume 出目 3.5 58.8   Kihoku, Kitauwa District
G40 Chikanaga 近永 1.6 60.4  
G41 Fukata 深田 2.1 62.5  
G42 Ōuchi 大内 2.9 65.4   Uwajima
G43 Futana 二名 1.5 66.9  
G44 Iyo-Miyanoshita 伊予宮野下 2.2 69.1  
G45 Muden 務田 0.9 70.0  
G46 Kita-Uwajima 北宇和島 6.3 76.3 Yosan Line (U27) (for Matsuyama)
Through to Uwajima via the Yosan Line
G47 Uwajima 宇和島 1.5 77.8   ^ Uwajima Ehime

History

In 1914, the Uji Light Railway Co. opened a 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) gauge line 18 km between Uwajima and Chikanaga. In 1923, the line was extended 7 km from Chikanaga to Yoshino. In 1931 the Uwajima Railway began operating a single gasoline-powered locomotive.

The Uwajima Railway was nationalised by Japanese Government Railways in 1933, becoming the Uwajima Line; Miyanoshita Station was renamed Iyo-Miyanoshita Station, Nakano renamed Futana, and Yoshino renamed Yoshinobu.

In 1941, the line was re-gauged to 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in), the section between Uwajima and Muden replaced by a new route, Kita-Uwajima became the line's starting point and Takagushi and Mitsuma stations on the old section were closed.

The 10 km Yoshinobu - Ekawasaki section opened in 1953, and the 43 km Ekawasaki - Wakai section opened in 1974, linking to the Dosan Line with the line renamed as the Yodo Line. In the same year, CTC signalling was commissioned, and freight operations ceased.

References

This article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia

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