The Tempoku Line (天北線 Tempoku-sen) was a railway line most recently operated by
Hokkaido Railway Company
The is one of the constituent companies of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group), and is often referred to using its official abbreviation of . It operates intercity and local rail services in Hokkaido, Japan. The company introduced Kitaca, a sm ...
(JR Hokkaido) in Hokkaidō, Japan. The 148.9 kilometres line connected from
Otoineppu to
Minami-Wakkanai via
Nakatonbetsu,
Hamatonbetsu
is a List of towns in Japan, town located in Sōya Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. As of September 2016, the town has an estimated population of 3,841, an area of ., and a population density, density of 9.6 persons per km². The town is in a lon ...
and
Sarufutsu
is a village located in Sōya Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan.
As of September 2014, the village has an estimated population of 2,884 and a density of 4.91 persons per km². The total area is 590.00 km².
Geography
Sarufutsu is the northe ...
until its closure in 1989. This railway line was named after
Teshio Province and
Kitami Province
was a short-lived province located in Hokkaidō. It corresponded to modern-day Sōya Subprefecture and Abashiri Subprefecture minus part of Abashiri District.
History
After 1869, the northern Japanese island was known as Hokkaido; and regional ...
.
History
The first section from Otoineppu to Shō-Tombetsu was opened in 1914. All section was opened in 1922, as the first railway line for
Wakkanai
' meaning "cold water river" is a city located in Sōya Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital of Sōya Subprefecture. It contains Japan's northernmost point, Cape Sōya, from which the Russian island of Sakhalin can be seen.
As o ...
. In 1926, Teshio line via Horonobe was opened. From Otoineppu to Wakkanai, the distance of this line was longer than Teshio line. In 1930, Teshio line was integrated into
Sōya Main Line, and this line was separated from it and renamed Kitami line.
[田中和夫（監修） 『写真で見る北海道の鉄道』上巻 国鉄・JR線 北海道新聞社（編集）2002年7月15日 。]
In 1961, Kitami line was renamed to Tempoku line. In 1987, JNR was privatized, and this line was inherited by JR Hokkaido, but abandoned on 1 May 1989.
Stations
After discontinuing
Soya Bus (Belong to
Tokyu Group
The is a railway keiretsu whose parent company is the Tokyu Corporation railway company, which links Tokyo and its suburbs. Many companies in the group are designed to enhance the value of the Tokyu rail network. In addition to the railroad syst ...
until 1999) have altered the Tenpoku Line since 1989. But the altered line was partly discontinued in 2011.
See also
*
Sōya Main Line
References
{{Specified local lines, state=collapsed
Defunct railroads
1067 mm gauge railways in Japan