Agatsuma Line

The is a local rail line in Gunma, Japan, and is part of the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) network. Approximately following the Agatsuma River, it is 55.6 km between and stations.

Operations

Although the official start of the line is at Shibukawa, all trains run through on the Jōetsu Line to/from either or .

Local trains run approximately once every hour, terminating at either or .

Limited Express Kusatsu/Shima trains operate between in Tokyo and on the Agatsuma Line, stopping only at and . Depending on the day of the week, between 2 and 4 round trips operate each day, operating towards Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi in the morning, and towards Ueno in the afternoon.

Stations

All stations are in the Gunma Prefecture. Local trains stop at all stations.

Legend:

* ● : Limited Express Kusatsu/Shima stops
* ｜: Limited Express Kusatsu/Shima does not stop
* ∥ : Limited Express Kusatsu/Shima does not travel within this section

Rolling stock

Present

* 211-3000 series 4-car EMUs (since August 2016)
* E257-5000 series
* E257-5500 series

Former

* 115-1000 series 4-car EMUs (until March 2018)
* 185 series 7-car EMUs (''Kusatsu'' limited express services until March 2014)
* 651-1000 series

Four-car 211 series EMUs entered service on the line from 22 August 2016.

File:JNR 211-3000 02.JPG, A 211-3000 series EMU

History

The line opened on 2 January 1945 as the freight-only operating between and (present-day Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi Station). Passenger services were introduced as far as from 5 August 1945, to from 20 November 1945, and to Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi from 20 April 1946.

On 1 October 1952, the line was extended to , initially for freight only, but passengers services were also introduced from 21 June 1954. Freight services between Shibukawa and Ōshi ceased as of 1 October 1966.

Services on the section between Naganohara and Ōshi were suspended as of 1 November 1970, and on 7 March 1971, a new line was opened beyond Naganohara to , with the entire line renamed Agatsuma Line at the same time. The Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi to Ōshi line was formally closed as of 1 May 1971. CTC signalling on the entire line was also commissioned at the same time.

With the privatization of JNR on 1 April 1987, the Agatsuma Line came under the ownership of JR East.

It had been proposed to extend the line to Nagano, but geological exploratory drilling revealed extensive faulting beyond Ōmae, and as any extension would have required extensive tunnelling, this was considered impractical.

Yamba Dam construction

The construction of the Yamba Dam required the realignment of the Agatsuma line between and . Work on the diversion was well advanced when a change of government in 2009 resulted in the project being halted. Another change of government in 2012 revived the project. Services on the old section of the line were suspended following the last scheduled service on 24 September 2014 to allow commissioning of the new alignment. The new alignment opened for passenger services on 1 October 2014. The new route is shorter, resulting in the shortest tunnel in Japan, the Tarusawa Tunnel, being abandoned, although it is not inundated by the new dam."Farewell to Japan’s shortest rail tunnel"
Nippon TV, September 25, 2014 (video).

Points of interest

The Agatsuma Line is noted for numerous ''onsen'' hot springs along the route. The famous hot springs at Kusatsu are some distance north of the line, but several rural ''onsen'' such as those at Shima, Sawatari, Kawarayu, and Shiriyaki are more accessible.

Mount Asama, Mount Kusatsu-Shirane, and the Agatsuma Canyon can all be seen from the Agatsuma Line, though the canyon will be inundated when the Yamba Dam is commissioned.

References

{{East Japan Railway Company Lines

Lines of East Japan Railway Company
Rail transport in Gunma Prefecture
Railway lines opened in 1945
1067 mm gauge railways in Japan