Iida Line

Iida Line
Iida Line
	JR Central 313 Series train crossing the Nakatagiri River, near Tagiri Station
Overview
Owner	JR Central
Locale	Aichi, Shizuoka, Nagano prefectures
Termini	Toyohashi; Tatsuno (through to Okaya);
Stations	94
Service
Type	Heavy rail
History
Opened	15 July 1897; 127 years ago
Last extension	20 August 1937; 87 years ago
Technical
Line length	195.7 km (121.6 mi)
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	1,500 V DC (overhead catenary)
Operating speed	85 km/h (53 mph) (maximum); 40–50 km/h (25–31 mph) (curves); 25–35 km/h (16–22 mph) (diverging junctions)
Train protection system	ATS-PT
Maximum incline	4.0%
Route map
Route map

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 of four different private railway lines, the first of which opened in 1897.

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 (121.6 mi) line by local trains takes six hours.^[1]

Basic data

Operators, distances:
- Central Japan Railway Company (Services and tracks)
  - Toyohashi – Tatsuno: 195.7 km (121.6 mi)
- Japan Freight Railway Company (Services)
  - Toyohashi – Toyokawa: 8.7 km (5.4 mi)
  - Motozenkōji – Tatsuno: 61.9 km (38.5 mi)
Double-tracked section: Toyohashi – Toyokawa
Railway signalling:
- Toyokawa – Tatsuno: Special Automatic, a simplified automatic system.
CTC center: Iida Operation Control Center

Services

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	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	●	●		●		Matsukawa, Shimoina District
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	●		●	●		Minamiminowa, Kamiina District
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	Okaya	Nagano

Rolling stock

211 series 3-car EMUs (from 15 March 2015, on JR East inter-running services)^[2]
213-5000 series 2-car EMUs
313-3000 series EMUs
373 series 3-car EMUs (on Inaji limited express and some all-stations "Local" services)^[3]

A Nagano-based JR East 211 series
A JR Central 2-car 213-5000 series EMU, April 2021
313-3000 series EMU, April 2021
A JR Central 373 series EMU on an Inaji limited express, February 2012

Past rolling stock

115 series EMUs (until 14 March 2014, on JR East inter-running services)^[2]
119 series EMUs (1983 – 31 March 2012)^[4]

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.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e KOIZUMI, SHINICHI (2 August 2018). "Remote stations have great views if you know where to look：The Asahi Shimbun". The Asahi Shimbun. Archived from the original on 27 February 2019. Retrieved 11 August 2018.
^ ^a ^b 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.
^ 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.
^ 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.

External links

JR Central official website (in Japanese)
JR Central official website

[AsahiShimbum2018Aug-1] KOIZUMI, SHINICHI (2 August 2018). "Remote stations have great views if you know where to look：The Asahi Shimbun". The Asahi Shimbun. Archived from the original on 27 February 2019. Retrieved 11 August 2018.

[railfan20140315-2] 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.

[railfan20140318-3] 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.

[railfan20120401-4] 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.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

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