Aoimori Railway Line

The Template:Nihongo is a regional rail line in Aomori Prefecture, Japan that is operated by third-sector railway company Aoimori Railway Company. It connects Metoki Station in Sannohe, the terminal station of the Iwate Galaxy Railway Line, to Aomori Station in Aomori.

The Aoimori and Iwate Galaxy Railway Lines are former sections of the JR East Tōhoku Main Line (in Aomori Prefecture and Iwate Prefecture respectively) that connected Tokyo to Aomori. When the Tōhoku Shinkansen was opened (to Template:Station on 1 December 2002 and to Template:Station on 4 December 2010), the corresponding sections of the Tōhoku Main Line were transferred from East Japan Railway Company (JR East) to Aoimori Railway Company as the Aoimori Railway Line.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

While local passenger services on the line are operated by Aoimori Railway Company, JR East operates the Shimokita Rapid train along part of the line, and Japan Freight Railway Company (JR Freight) (which owns a minority stake in Aoimori Railway Company) transports freight along the line. For maintenance work, the line relies on the services of the Hachinohe Rinkai Railway Company.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Operation

The Aoimori Railway Line is operated in two sections:<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>

• Template:Station — Hachinohe
• Template:Station — Template:Station

No services commece or terminate at Metoki - all trains operate a through service to/from Template:Station on the Iwate Galaxy Railway Line.<ref name=":0" />

JR East operates the Shimokita Rapid train between Hachinohe and Template:Station on the JR East Ōminato Line, using the Aoimori Railway Line between Hachinohe and Template:STN. Template:As of, three round trips per day operate.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

All services operated by Aoimori Railway Company (and through services on the Iwate Galaxy Railway Line) are Local trains, stopping at every station.<ref name=":0" /> Template:Clear

Stations

Station	Japanese	Distance (km)<ref>JTB Timetable (April 2014) p. 592</ref>		Shimokita	Transfers	Location
		Between stations	Total
↑ All trains operate a through service to/from Morioka Station on the Iwate Galaxy Railway Line ↑
Template:STN	目時	-	0.0		Iwate Galaxy Railway Line (through service)	Sannohe	Aomori
Template:STN	三戸	5.5	5.5			Nanbu
Template:STN	諏訪ノ平	4.0	9.5
Template:STN	剣吉	5.3	14.8
Template:STN	苫米地	3.4	18.2
Template:STN	北高岩	2.8	21.0			Hachinohe
Template:STN	八戸	4.9	25.9	●	Tōhoku Shinkansen, Hachinohe Line
Template:STN	陸奥市川	6.9	32.8	|
Template:STN	下田	4.2	37.0	●		Oirase
Template:STN	向山	5.2	42.2	|
Template:STN	三沢	4.7	46.9	●		Misawa
Template:STN	小川原	6.6	53.5	|		Tōhoku
Template:STN	上北町	3.9	57.4	●
Template:STN	乙供	6.9	64.3	|
Template:STN	千曳	6.6	70.9	|
Template:STN	野辺地	6.4	77.3	●	Ōminato Line (Rapid through services)	Noheji
Template:STN	狩場沢	6.5	83.8			Hiranai
Template:STN	清水川	4.7	88.5
Template:STN	小湊	6.0	94.5
Template:STN	西平内	3.8	98.3
Template:STN	浅虫温泉	6.4	104.7			Aomori
Template:STN	野内	6.5	111.2
Template:STN	矢田前	1.5	112.7
Template:STN	小柳	2.0	114.7
Template:STN	東青森	1.4	116.1
Template:STN	筒井	1.4	117.5
Template:STN	青森	4.4	121.9		Ōu Main Line, Tsugaru Line

Rolling stock and equipment

• Aoimori 701 series 2-car EMUs x9
• Aoimori 703 series 2-car EMUs x2

The Aoimori Railway operates a fleet of 701 series two-car electric multiple units (EMUs). One set was built from new in September 2002, while eight more were transferred from JR East.<ref name="railfan642">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Two new two-car Aoimori 703 series EMUs were delivered in November 2013 and introduced from the start of the 15 March 2014 timetable revision.<ref name="railfan642"/>

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Future plans

The site of the proposed station in April 2021.

The railway has been negotiating with the city of Aomori since December 2015 on a proposal to open a new station between Tsutsui Station and Aomori Station near the point at which the railway passes under Japan National Route 103.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The station would be part of a sports arena development for the 2025 National Sports Festival of Japan to be held in Aomori.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The neighborhood the station would serve is a primarily residential area, but it would also provide access to some busy shopping centers within walking distance to the station.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As of January 2021, no final decision has been made regarding the construction of the new station.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

History

The predecessor to the Aoimori Railway Line was completed as the Template:STN–Template:STN portion of the Nippon Railway on 1 September 1891.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> When the Nippon Railway was nationalized on 1 November 1906, it became part of the Japanese National Railways (JNR) system and was designated part of the Tōhoku Main Line on 12 October 1909.<ref>Template:Cite act</ref> With the privatization and dissolution of JNR on 1 April 1987, the line came under the control of East Japan Railway Company (JR East).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On 1 December 2002, with the opening of the Tōhoku Shinkansen, the portion of the Tōhoku Main Line located in Iwate Prefecture became the Iwate Galaxy Railway Line, and the portion in Aomori Prefecture from the Iwate border to Hachinohe Station became the Aoimori Railway Line.<ref name="about">Template:Cite web</ref> With the opening of the Tōhoku Shinkansen extension to Template:STN on 4 December 2010, the Tōhoku Main Line tracks between Hachinohe and Aomori were transferred from JR East to Aoimori Railway Company, resulting in the completion of the Aoimori Railway Line.<ref name="hobidas20091127">Template:Cite web</ref>

Commencing in December 2010, coinciding with the opening of the Tōhoku Shinkansen to Shin-Aomori, JR East operated the Resort Asunaro sightseeing train between Hachinohe and Template:Station using the Aoimori Railway Line between Hachinohe and Template:STN.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The last service operated on 20 August 2023.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

There have been a few new developments along the line since its transfer to Aoimori Railway Company. On 12 March 2012, Nonai Station was relocated Template:Convert southwest of its original location. Tsutsui Station, near Aomori High School, was opened on 15 March 2014. Two-car Aoimori 703 series sets began operations on the line on the same day to handle the increased loads presented by the opening of Tsutsui Station.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

See also

• List of railway lines in Japan

References

• Harris, Ken and Clarke, Jackie. Jane's World Railways 2008-2009. Jane's Information Group (2008). Template:ISBN

External links

• Template:Officialwebsite Template:Inlang
• Template:Official website Template:Inlang