The is part of the
Hokkaido Railway Company network in
Hokkaidō
is the second-largest island of Japan and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by railway via the Seikan Tunnel.
The ...
,
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
. It connects
Furano Station in the city of
Furano and
Asahikawa Station in the city of
Asahikawa
is a Cities of Japan, city in Kamikawa Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital of the subprefecture, and the second-largest city in Hokkaido, after Sapporo. It has been a Core cities of Japan, core city since April 1, 2000. The city i ...
. Popular with tourists, it has recently come to serve commuters in the bedroom towns that are developing as suburbs of Asahikawa.
History
The Furano Line opened on September 1, 1899, as the , operating between Asahikawa and
Biei Stations. In the next month, service extended to
Kami-Furano Station, and in the following year it reached Shimo-Furano Station.
In 1909 it became part of the
Nemuro Main Line from Asahikawa Station to
Kushiro Station, but in 1913 it took its present name and covered the route from Asahikawa Station to Shimo-Furano Station. The eruption of
Mount Tokachi on May 24, 1926, caused a protracted interruption of service between Biei and Kami-Furano. In 1942, Shimo-Furano Station changed its name to Furano Station.
On April 1, 1987, with the breakup of the
Japanese National Railways
The , abbreviated JNR or , was the business entity that operated Japan's national railway network from 1949 to 1987.
Network Railways
As of June 1, 1949, the date of establishment of JNR, it operated of narrow gauge () railways in all 46 pre ...
, the line became part of the Hokkaido Railways. In 2007, the station-numbering plan took effect.
On November 19, 2016, JR Hokkaido's President announced plans to rationalise the network by up to 1,237 km, or ~50% of the current network,
including the proposed conversion to
Third Sector operation of the Furano Line, but if local governments protest this decision, the line will face closure.
Former connecting lines
The private Asahikawa Electric Railway line to Higashikawa (15.5 km) branched from the Furano line south of Asahikawa station, operating from 1927-73. A 6.7 km branch to Asahiyama Park operated from 1930-73. Both lines were electrified at 600 V DC.
Operations
All trains are
local train
Regional rail is a public rail transport service that operates between towns and cities. These trains operate with more stops than inter-city rail, and unlike commuter rail, operate beyond the limits of urban areas, connecting smaller cities a ...
s within the Furano Line which operate only within the Furano Line, half covering the route between Asahikawa and Biei. Nearly all rolling stock is
KiHa 150 Diesel Multiple Units. On 18 March 2023, 38
H100 series trainsets were introduced to the Furano Line.
Stations
Station numbers, names, other lines serving the stations and line distances from Asahikawa are as follows. Other than seasonal Lavender Farm, trains may also randomly skip stations marked "◌".
References
External links
Route MapJR Hokkaido.
The Hokkaido Shimbun Press.
{{Hokkaidō transit
Rail transport in Hokkaido
Lines of Hokkaido Railway Company