Iida Line

The Iida Line (飯田線, Iida-sen) is a Japanese railway line connecting Toyohashi Station in Toyohashi, Aichi with Tatsuno Station in Tatsuno, Nagano, operated by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central). The line links eastern Aichi Prefecture and southern Nagano Prefecture through northwestern Shizuoka Prefecture. It goes through steep mountains as well as cities such as Iida and Ina. The line was originally four different private railway lines, the first of which opened in 1897.

Iida Line
JR Central 119 Series train at Inakita Station
Overview
OwnerJR Central
LocaleAichi, Shizuoka, Nagano prefectures
TerminiToyohashi
Tatsuno (through to Okaya)
Stations94
Service
TypeHeavy rail
History
Opened1897
Technical
Line length195.7 km (121.6 mi)
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification1,500 V DC overhead catenary
Operating speed85 km/h (53 mph) (maximum); 40-50 km/h (curves); 25-35 km/h (diverging junctions)
Route map

The line has an unusually high number of so-called Hikyō stations, or hikyo-eki, which have since lost their nearby communities due to depopulation.[1] There are 94 such stations along the route.[1] The line has been described as the “holy land for those who love touring hikyo-eki.”[1] The phrase was coined in 1999 by Takanobu Ushiyama and friends, for railroad stations that are isolated and little used.[1]

Traveling the entire length of the 195.7 km line by local trains takes six hours.[1]

Basic data

Services
Limited express Inaji

The limited express Inaji (伊那路) runs between Toyohashi and Iida twice a day. The rapid Misuzu (みすず) runs between Iida and Okaya. Local service is generally divided into three parts by Hon-Nagashino and Tenryūkyō stations. The section near Toyohashi functions as commuter rail for the city, while the section between Hon-Nagashino and Tenryūkyō is a mountain railway with fewer passengers.

Stations

From Toyohashi to Iida
L: Local (普通, Futsū)
R: Rapid (快速, Kaisoku)
I: Limited Express Inaji (特急伊那路, Tokkyū Inaji)

All trains stop at stations marked "●" and pass stations marked "-", "↓", or "↑". Arrows indicate the direction of rapid trains. Some trains stop at stops marked "▲".

No. Station Japanese Distance
(km)		 L R I Transfers Location
Iida Line
CD00 Toyohashi 豊橋駅 0.0 ● ● ● ● Tōkaidō Main Line, Tōkaidō Shinkansen
■ Meitetsu Nagoya Line
Toyotetsu Atsumi Line (Shin-Toyohashi), Azumada Main Line (Ekimae)		 Toyohashi Aichi
CD01 Funamachi 船町 1.5 ▲ ↑ ↑ -  
CD02 Shimoji 下地 2.2 ▲ ↑ ↑ -  
Hirai Junction 平井信号場 3.9 - ↑ ↑ -   Toyokawa
CD03 Kozakai 小坂井 4.4 ● ● ● -  
CD04 Ushikubo 牛久保 6.6 ● ● ● -  
CD05 Toyokawa 豊川 8.7 ● ● ● ● ■ Meitetsu Toyokawa Line (Toyokawa-Inari)
Mikawa-Ichinomiya 三河一宮 12.0 ● ● ● -  
Nagayama 長山 14.4 ● ● ↑ -  
Ejima 江島 15.4 ● ● ↑ -  
Tōjō 東上 17.0 ● ● ↑ -  
Nodajō 野田城 19.7 ● ● ↑ -   Shinshiro
Shinshiro 新城 21.6 ● ● ● ●  
Higashi-Shimmachi 東新町 22.6 ● ●   -  
Chausuyama 茶臼山 23.8 ● ●   -  
Mikawa-Tōgō 三河東郷 25.0 ● ●   -  
Ōmi 大海 27.9 ● ●   -  
Torii 鳥居 29.3 ● ↑   -  
Nagashinojō 長篠城 30.8 ● ↑   -  
Hon-Nagashino 本長篠 32.1 ● ●   ●  
Mikawa-Ōno 三河大野 35.6 ● ●   -  
Yuya-Onsen 湯谷温泉 38.0 ● ●   ●  
Mikawa-Makihara 三河槙原 40.6 ● ●   -  
Kakidaira 柿平 42.9 ▲ ↑   -  
Mikawa-Kawai 三河川合 45.2 ● ●   -  
Ikeba 池場 50.1 ▲ ↑   -  
Tōei 東栄 51.2 ● ●   -   Tōei, Kitashitara District
Izumma 出馬 55.4 ▲ ↑   -   Tenryū-ku, Hamamatsu Shizuoka
Kamiichiba 上市場 56.0 ● ↑   -  
Urakawa 浦川 57.3 ● ●   -  
Hayase 早瀬 58.5 ● ↑   -  
Shimokawai 下川合 59.9 ● ↑   -  
Chūbu-Tenryū 中部天竜 62.4 ● ●   ●  
Sakuma 佐久間 63.5 ● ●   -  
Aizuki 相月 68.5 ● ↑   -  
Shironishi 城西 70.5 ● ↑   -  
Mukaichiba 向市場 73.3 ● ↑   -  
Misakubo 水窪 74.3 ● ●   ●  
Ōzore 大嵐 80.8 ● ↑   -  
Kowada 小和田 83.8 ● ↑   -  
Nakaisamurai 中井侍 87.8 ● ↑   -   Tenryū, Shimoina District Nagano
Ina-Kozawa 伊那小沢 90.1 ● ↑   -  
Ugusu 鶯巣 91.7 ● ↑   -  
Hiraoka 平岡 93.8 ● ●   ●  
Shiteguri 為栗 98.5 ▲ ●   -  
Nukuta 温田 102.2 ● ●   ●   Yasuoka, Shimoina District
Tamoto 田本 104.2 ▲ ●   -  
Kadoshima 門島 107.9 ● ●   -  
Karakasa 唐笠 111.3 ● ●   -  
Kinno 金野 113.6 ▲ ●   -   Iida
Chiyo 千代 114.8 ● ●   -  
Tenryūkyō 天竜峡 116.2 ● ●   ●  
Kawaji 川路 117.5 ● ●   -  
Tokimata 時又 119.3 ● ●   -  
Dashina 駄科 121.1 ● ●   -  
Kega 毛賀 122.5 ● ●   -  
Ina-Yawata 伊那八幡 123.6 ● ●   -  
Shimoyamamura 下山村 124.7 ● ●   -  
Kanae 鼎 125.7 ● ●   -  
Kiriishi 切石 127.7 ● ●   -  
Iida 飯田 129.3 ● ●   ●  

From Iida to Okaya
L: Local (普通, Futsū)
R: Rapid (快速, Kaisoku)
M: Rapid Misuzu (快速みすず, Kaisoku Misuzu)

All trains stop at stations marked "●" and pass stations marked "-", "↓", or "↑". Arrows also indicate the directions the rapid trains run.

Station Japanese Distance
(km)		 L R M Transfers Location
Iida Line
Iida 飯田 129.3 ● ●   ●   Iida Nagano
Sakuramachi 桜町 130.1 ● ●   ▲  
Ina-Kamisato 伊那上郷 131.1 ● ●   ▲  
Motozenkōji 元善光寺 133.8 ● ●   ●  
Shimoichida 下市田 135.6 ● ●   -   Takamori, Shimoina District
Ichida 市田 136.8 ● ●   ●  
Shimodaira 下平 139.5 ● ●   -  
Yamabuki 山吹 140.5 ● ●   -  
Ina-Ōshima 伊那大島 143.1 ● ●   ●   Matsukawa, Shimoina District
Kamikatagiri 上片桐 146.9 ● ●   ●  
Ina-Tajima 伊那田島 148.2 ● ●   -   Nakagawa, Kamiina District
Takatōbara 高遠原 150.7 ● ●   -   Iijima, Kamiina District
Nanakubo 七久保 152.3 ● ●   ●  
Ina-Hongō 伊那本郷 155.1 ● ●   ▲  
Iijima 飯島 157.9 ● ●   ●  
Tagiri 田切 160.1 ● ●   -  
Ina-Fukuoka 伊那福岡 162.9 ● ●   ●   Komagane
Komachiya 小町屋 164.4 ● ●   -  
Komagane 駒ヶ根 165.6 ● ● ● ●  
Ōtagiri 大田切 167.0 ●   ↓ ▼  
Miyada 宮田 169.1 ●   ● ●   Miyada, Kamiina District
Akagi 赤木 170.4 ●   ↓ ▼   Ina
Sawando 沢渡 173.4 ●   ● ●  
Shimojima 下島 174.5 ●   ↓ ▼  
Inashi 伊那市 178.0 ●   ● ●  
Ina-Kita 伊那北 178.9 ●   ● ●  
Tabata 田畑 181.0 ●   ↓ ▼   Minamiminowa, Kamiina District
Kitatono 北殿 183.2 ●   ● ●  
Kinoshita 木ノ下 185.6 ●   ↓ ●   Minowa, Kamiina District
Ina-Matsushima 伊那松島 187.1 ●   ● ●  
Sawa 沢 189.7 ●   ● ●  
Haba 羽場 191.6 ●   ● ●   Tatsuno, Kamiina District
Ina-Shimmachi 伊那新町 193.4 ●   ● ▼  
Miyaki 宮木 194.6 ●   ↓ ●  
Tatsuno 辰野 195.7 ●   ● ● Chūō Main Line (Tatsuno Branch)
Chūō Main Line (Tatsuno Branch)
Kawagishi 川岸 201.7 ●   ● ●   Okaya Nagano
Okaya 岡谷 205.2 ●   ● ● Chūō Main Line

Rolling stock
  • A Nagano-based JR East 211 series
  • A JR Central 2-car 213-5000 series EMU, February 2012
  • A JR Central 313-3000 series EMU
  • A JR Central 373 series EMU on an Inaji limited express, August 2008

Past rolling stock
  • A Nagano-based JR East 115 series, March 2006
  • A JR Central 2-car 119 series EMU, March 2008

History

The Toyokawa Railway opened the section from Toyohashi to Toyokawa in 1897, extending the line to Omi in 1900. At the northern end, the Ina Electric Railway opened the Tatsuno to Ina-Matsushima section (electrified at 1,200 V DC) in 1909, extending the line to Tenryukyo in sections between 1911 and 1927. The Horaitera Railway opened the Omi to Mikawa-Kawai section in 1923, and electrified it at 1,500 V DC in 1925 in conjunction with the electrification of the Toyohashi to Omi section the same year. The Toyohashi to Toyokawa section was double-tracked the following year. The Sanshin Railway opened the Tenryukyo to Kadoshima section as an electrified (1,500 V DC) line in 1932, the Mikawa-Kawai to Toei section (and all subsequent stages) as an electrified line in 1933, and connected the two sections (completing the line) in 1936. All four companies were nationalised in 1943.

In 1955, the overhead line voltage of the Tatsuno to Tenryukyo section was increased to 1,500 V DC.

CTC signalling was commissioned on the line between 1983 and 1984, and freight services ceased in 1996.

Former connecting lines
  • Hon-Nagashino Station: A 23 km line to Mikawa-Taguchi, electrified at 1,500 V DC, opened between 1930 and 1932. Two 762mm gauge forest railways connected to this line: the Damine forest railway, which connected at the station of the same name, consisted of a 19 km 'main line' (including a tunnel) and a 7 km branch, operated between 1932 and 1960; the Taguchi forest railway connected at the terminus station, consisted of a 10 km 'main line' and a 6 km branch, operated between 1934 and 1963. Both forest railways were notable for initially employing people and "large dogs" to haul the empty wagons upgrade, which then rolled downhill when loaded. The Mikawa-Taguchi line closed following flood damage in 1968.

Proposed connecting line
  • Chubu-Tenryu Station: Construction started on a 35 km line to Tenryu-Futamata on the Hamanako Line in 1967. Proposed to involve 20 bridges and 14 tunnels, about 13 km of roadbed, and about 50% of the overall work had been completed when construction was abandoned in 1980.

See also

References
  1. KOIZUMI, SHINICHI (2 August 2018). "Remote stations have great views if you know where to look：The Asahi Shimbun". The Asahi Shimbun. Retrieved 11 August 2018.
  2. 飯田線での長野色115系運用終了，211系運用開始 [Nagano-livery 115 series withdrawn from Iida Line; 211 series introduced] (in Japanese). Japan. 15 March 2014. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  3. 飯田線で373系の普通列車登場 [373 series used on Iida Line local services]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 18 March 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
  4. 119系電車が引退 [119 series EMUs withdrawn]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 1 April 2012. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
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