The is a regional railway line in
Saga Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. Saga Prefecture has a population of roughly 780,000 and has a geographic area of . Saga Prefecture borders Fukuoka Prefecture to the northeast and Nagasaki Prefect ...
, Japan, owned and operated by
Kyushu Railway Company
The , also referred to as , is one of the seven constituent companies of Japan Railways Group (JR Group). It operates intercity rail services within Kyushu, Japan. It formerly operated the Beetle (JR Kyushu), Beetle hydrofoil service across th ...
(JR Kyushu). It connects in
Saga City
270px, Saga City Hall
is the capital city of Saga Prefecture, located on the island of Kyushu, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 227,138 in 104354 households, and a population density of 530 persons per km2. The total area of the ...
to in
Karatsu City
is a city located in Saga Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. Its name, formed from the Japanese word roots 唐 ''kara'' (China, or continental East Asia in general), and 津 ''tsu'' (port), signifies its historical importance as an ancie ...
, both in
Saga Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. Saga Prefecture has a population of roughly 780,000 and has a geographic area of . Saga Prefecture borders Fukuoka Prefecture to the northeast and Nagasaki Prefect ...
, Japan.
The line was originally constructed to carry coal from the Karatsu coal fields to the Port of Karatsu for export and had many branch lines to coal mines which have since closed.
Operation
All trains running on the Karatsu Line stop at all stations along the line, including through services from both sections of the
Chikuhi Line
The is a railway line in Kyushu, Japan, connecting Meinohama Station in Fukuoka, Fukuoka (and via a subway through service, Fukuoka itself) to Karatsu Station in Karatsu, Saga, and from Yamamoto Station in Karatsu to Imari Station in Imari, ...
. All trains that run to/from
Kubota Station use the
Nagasaki Main Line
The , or simply known as the Nagasaki Line, is a railway line owned by the Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu) connecting Tosu Station in Saga Prefecture to Nagasaki Station in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. There is a separate branch of this line ...
to terminate at
Saga Station
is a junction passenger railway station located in the city of Saga, Saga Prefecture, Japan, operated by the Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu).
Lines
The station is served by the Nagasaki Main Line, located 25.0 km from the starting poin ...
instead.
Station list
Station numbering has not been introduced for the Karatsu Line, but both and use the station numbering from the eastern section of the Chikuhi Line.
Rolling stock
*KiHa 40/47 DMUs
*
KiHa 125 DMUs
*
103 series
The is a DC electric multiple unit (EMU) commuter train type introduced in 1963 by Japanese National Railways (JNR), and currently operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) and Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu). They were also operate ...
EMUs
*
303 series
The is a DC electric multiple unit (EMU) commuter train type operated by Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu) on Chikuhi Line and Fukuoka Subway Kuko Line through-running services in Kyushu, Japan, since 22 January 2000.
Design
The 303 series t ...
EMUs
*
305 series
The is a DC electric multiple unit (EMU) commuter train type operated by Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu) on Chikuhi Line and Fukuoka Subway Kuko Line through-running services in Kyushu, Japan, since 5 February 2015. The entire fleet of 6 si ...
EMUs
History
The Karatsu Kogyo Railway opened a line from (today to in 1898, on an alignment paralleling the west bank of the Matsuura River, and extended the line to Taku the following year. In 1902, the company merged with the Kyushu Railway Co., which extended the line to Kubota in 1903. The company was nationalised in 1907. From 1898 to 1912, a number of freight only branch lines were also built.
The
Chikuhi Line
The is a railway line in Kyushu, Japan, connecting Meinohama Station in Fukuoka, Fukuoka (and via a subway through service, Fukuoka itself) to Karatsu Station in Karatsu, Saga, and from Yamamoto Station in Karatsu to Imari Station in Imari, ...
from Higashi-Karatsu was extended to Yamamoto in 1929 on an alignment paralleling the east bank of the Matsuura River.
In 1983, the Chikuhi line was rebuilt so it branched at Karatsu,
[ with the Karatsu - Nishi-Karatsu section being electrified at 1,500 V DC at the same time in conjunction with the electrification of the Chikuhi line, together with CTC signalling from Nishi-Karatsu to Kubota.
The last of the freight only branch lines closed in 1982. Freight services ceased in 1986.][
]
References
{{Kyushu Railway Company Lines
Lines of Kyushu Railway Company
1067 mm gauge railways in Japan
Railway lines opened in 1898