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Shimabara Railway Line
A train on the Shimabara line at Shirahama beach in 2008
Overview
Locale	Shimabara Peninsula, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan
Termini	Isahaya Shimabarakō Kazusa (until 31 March 2008)
Stations	24
Service
Rolling stock	Kiha 2500 type
History
Opened	20 June 1911; 112 years ago (1911-06-20)
Technical
Line length	43.2 km (26.8 mi)
Number of tracks	single
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Route map Legend km elev in m Ōmura Line to Haiki 0.0 Isahaya Nagasaki Main Line 16 0.7 tunnel 42 1.5 Honisahaya 8 2.9 Saiwai 4 3.6 44 m 4.8 Onohonmachi 5 5.5 Kantakunosato 4 7.5 Moriyama 4 9.6 Kamanohana 3 11.4 Isahaya-higashi-kōkōmae 3 11.7 42 m Unzentetsu Line ( closed 1938 ) 12.4 Aino 4 14.4 Abozaki 6 16.6 Azuma 6 19.6 Kobe 5 20.8 Taishō 5 21.7 29 m 23.0 Saigō 8 National Route 57 25.5 Kōjiromachi 5 29.0 41 m 29.4 Tairamachi Ariake Ferry to Nagasu 5 31.6 26 m 31.8 Shimatetsu-yue 8 National Route 57 34.1 Ōmisaki 5 35.2 Matsuomachi 7 37.5 Mie 6 40.5 Shimabara 4 41.5 Shimatetsu-honshamae 5 42.3 Minami-shimabara 4 National Route 57 Kyūshū and Kumamoto Ferry to Kumamoto 43.2 Shimabara-gaikō Shimatetsu Ferry to Miike 8 National Route 57 44.3 Chichibu-ga-ura 12 45.4 Antoku 31 45.4 225 46.3 68 m 47.5 Seno-fukae 33 49.6 Fukae 25 50.0 23 m National Route 251 52.0 Futsu-shinden 3 53.9 Futsu 6 National Route 251 56.9 Dōzaki 6 58.4 Kamaga 8 59.9 Arie 20 60.2 30 m National Route 251 61.2 Nishi-arie 9 63.4 Tatsuishi 5 63.5 20 m National Route 251 65.3 Kita-arie 5 65.5 61 m 66.1 Jōkōjimae 10 67.1 Uratakannon 6 68.2 Harajō 5 70.6 Arimayoshikawa 8 73.5 272 m 74.6 Higashi-ōya 7 75.8 Kuchinotsu Shimatetsu Ferry to Oniike 3 National Route 251 76.8 Shirahama-kaisui-yokujōmae 11 78.5 Kazusa 7 km elev in m This diagram: view talk

The Shimabara Railway Line (島原鉄道線, Shimabara Tetsudō-sen) is a Japanese railway line connecting Isahaya Station, Isahaya and Shimabarakō. The line parallels the coast of Shimabara Peninsula, Nagasaki Prefecture. The third-sector railway company Shimabara Railway owns the line and also operates buses and ships. The first section of the line opened in 1911. The former line between Shimabarakō and Kazusa had few passengers and closed on 1 April 2008. The line uses the older diesel-powered Kiha 20 type train which was developed in the mid-1950s. Because of the line's vintage trains which maintain the old Japanese National Railways colors of red and beige, it remains popular among train enthusiasts. This is the only railway on Kyushu outside the Fukuoka area that has remained privately throughout its history.

History

The Shimabara Railway Co. opened the Isahaya – Aino section in 1911, extending the line to Kojiromachi in 1912 and Minami-Shimabara the following year.

The Kuchinotsu Railway Co. opened the Minami-Shimabara – Dozaki section in 1922, extending the line to Harajo in 1926 and Kazusa two years later.

Diesel power was introduced by the Kuchinotsu Railway Co. in 1930, and by the Shimabara Railway Co. in 1934. In 1943 the two companies merged under the name Shimabara Railway Co.

In 1958 direct services to/from Nagasaki were introduced, operating until 1980.

Former connecting lines

• The Hizen Obama Railway Co. opened a 17 km line from Aino station to Unzen Obama between 1923 and 1927. Direct services from the Shimabara line operated from 1927 until 1932. The line closed in 1938.

Volcanic disruptions

Services were disrupted for six months in 1991 owing to lava flows from Mount Unzen, which also caused a one-month service disruption the following year.

In 1993 a major lava flow forced the closure of the line between Shimabarakō and Fukae, and services did not resume on that section until 1997.

The Shimabarakō – Kazusa section was closed on 1 April 2008 owing to declining patronage.

Stations

●：Always stops   ▲：Sometimes stops  ｜：Does not stop

See also

• List of railway companies in Japan
• List of railway lines in Japan

References

This article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia

• Route diagram: にっぽん列島 - 鉄道紀元. Vol. 27. JTB Publishing Inc. May 10, 2007. pp. 16–17.

External links

• (in Japanese) Shimatetsu official website

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