Kesennuma Line

The Kesennuma Line (気仙沼線, Kesennuma-sen) is a local railway line in Japan, operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It connected Maeyachi Station in the city of Ishinomaki, Miyagi to Kesennuma Station in the city of Kesennuma, Miyagi. The route links the north-eastern coast of Miyagi Prefecture, with the Ishinomaki Line (and the Tohoku Main Line a few stops farther) available for transfer in the south, and the Ōfunato Line in the north.

Kesennuma Line
North and southbound trains at Motoyoshi Station, April 2005
Overview
Native name	気仙沼線
Status	In operation (Maeyachi - Yanaizu as a railway) (Yanaizu - Kesennuma as a BRT route)
Owner	JR East
Locale	Miyagi Prefecture
Termini	Maeyachi Station Kesennuma Station
Stations	23 (Only 6 are railway stations following the 2011 disaster)
Service
Operator(s)	JR East
Rolling stock	KiHa 110 series DMU, Hino Blue Ribbon City Bus
History
Opened	11 February 1957
Closed	1 April 2020 (Section between Yanaizu - Kesennuma was replaced by bus rapid transit in December 2012 but was only formally closed in 2020)
Technical
Line length	72.8 km (45.2 mi) (Until 2011) 17.5 km (10.9 mi) (After 2011)
Number of tracks	Entire line single tracked
Character	Mainly rural with some more urban areas
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	None
Operating speed	85 km/h (53 mph)
Route map

Route map
Legend
Services suspended indefinitely BRT service area
Ishinomaki Line 0.0 Maeyachi Ishinomaki Line 3.2 Wabuchi 6.2 Nonodake 10.3 Rikuzen-Toyosato 13.6 Mitakedō Kitakami River 17.5 Yanaizu 22.3 Rikuzen-Yokoyama Yokoyama Tunnel 3,508 m 29.5 Rikuzen-Togura 33.7 Shizugawa Shizugawa Tunnel 2,136 m 36.1 Bayside Arena 38.2 Shizuhama 42.3 Utatsu 44.9 Rikuzen-Minato 46.7 Kurauchi 48.7 Rikuzen-Koizumi 51.5 Motoyoshi 54.6 Koganezawa 58.3 Ōya-Kaigan Otanimachi 61.6 Rikuzen-Hashikami 63.3 Saichi 65.6 Matsuiwa 68.3 Minami-Kesennuma 69.6 Kesennumakō 69.6 Fudōnosawa 72.8 Kesennuma Ōfunato Line

A large section of the railway infrastructure between Minami-Kesennuma Station and Rikuzen-Togura Station, including tracks, stations, and railway bridges, were badly damaged or destroyed by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. Destroyed stations include Minami-Kesennuma (except for the platform)^[1] and Shizugawa Station, as well as various others. As a result of the catastrophic damage to the line and prohibitive costs of restoration as a railway, JR East officially proposed the line's conversion into a dedicated bus rapid transit (BRT) route on 27 December 2011.^[2] At present only the Maeyachi to Yanaizu section is operated as a railway, with services on the balance of the route provided by buses.

An autonomous driving system has been being tested on the BRT line since 2018 and has been fully implemented since 5 December 2022.^[3]

Service

Although the Kesennuma Line's south end is Maeyachi, its operational south end should be considered Kogota Station in Misato, as the majority of Kesennuma Line trains either have Kogota as their south terminus or go through it on the way to Sendai. Trains going this far also stop at Kami-Wakuya (local only) and Wakuya Stations in Wakuya, Miyagi on the Ishinomaki Line.

• 
  KiHa 110 series diesel multiple unit
• 
  Hino Blue Ribbon City bus used on the Kesennuma BRT

Station list

Greyed-out stations have been closed since the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, and operate only as bus stops for the JR East BRT route.

Station name	Japanese	Distance from previous station	Distance from Maeyachi	Local train	BRT	Transfers	Location
Maeyachi	前谷地	-	0.0	●	●	Ishinomaki Line	Ishinomaki, Miyagi
Wabuchi	和渕	3.2	3.2	●	|
Nonodake	のの岳	3.0	6.2	●	|		Wakuya, Miyagi
Rikuzen-Toyosato	陸前豊里	4.1	10.3	●	|		Tome, Miyagi
Mitakedō	御岳堂	3.3	13.6	●	|
Yanaizu	柳津	3.9	17.5	●	●
Rikuzen-Yokoyama	陸前横山	4.8	22.3	No rail service	●
Rikuzen-Togura	陸前戸倉	7.2	29.5		●		Minamisanriku, Miyagi
Shizugawa	志津川	4.2	33.7		●
Bayside Arena	ベイサイドアリーナ	2.4	36.1		●
Shizuhama	清水浜	4.5	38.2		●
Utatsu	歌津	4.1	42.3		●
Rikuzen-Minato	陸前港	2.6	44.9		●
Kurauchi	蔵内	1.8	46.7		●		Kesennuma, Miyagi
Rikuzen-Koizumi	陸前小泉	2.0	48.7		●
Motoyoshi	本吉	2.8	51.5		●
Koganezawa	小金沢	3.1	54.6		●
Ōya-Kaigan	大谷海岸	3.7	58.3		●
Rikuzen-Hashikami	陸前階上	3.3	61.6		●
Saichi	最知	1.7	63.3		●
Matsuiwa	松岩	2.3	65.6		●
Minami-Kesennuma	南気仙沼	2.7	68.3		●
Fudōnosawa	不動の沢	1.3	69.6		●
Kesennuma	気仙沼	3.2	72.8		●	Ōfunato Line

History

Remains of Kesennuma Line near Shizugawa Station following 2011 tsunami

BRT roadway near Saichi Station, completed in 2012

• April 11, 1956: Ōfunato Line begins operation as a freight line between Kesennuma and Kesennuma-Minato stations
• February 11, 1957: Kesennuma Line operates as a passenger line between Minami-Kesennuma and Motoyoshi stations. Ōfunato Freight Line is merged into the Kesennuma Line. Kesennuma to Minami-Kesennuma is open to the public. Minami-Kesennuma, Matsuiwa, Rikuzen-Hashikami, Ōya, Oganezawa, Motoyoshi stations begin operation
• November 10, 1960: Fudōnosawa station begins operation
• July 20, 1967: Saichi station begins operation
• October 24, 1968: Yanaizu Line begins operation between Maeyachi and Yanaizu stations. Wabuchi, Nonodake, Rikuzen-Toyosato, Mitakedō, and Yanaizu stations begin operation
• December 11, 1977: Kesennuma Line connects Motoyoshi and Yanaizu stations. Rikuzen-Yokoyama, Rikuzen-Togura, Shizugawa, Shizuhama, Utatsu, Rikuzen-Minato, Kurauchi and Rikuzen-Koizumi stations begin operation. The freight line between Motoyoshi and Minami-Kesennuma is abolished. Kesennuma Line merges with the Yanaizu Line and runs from Maeyachi to Kesennuma. The freight line runs from Minami-Kesennuma to Kesennuma-Minato.
• November 1, 1979: The remaining freight line is abolished and Kesennuma-Minato station ceases operation.
• April 1, 1987: Kesennuma Line becomes part of JR East.
• March 22, 1997: Ōya station is renamed Ōya-Kaigan station
• March 11, 2011: Line closed following major damage in 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.
• April 29, 2011: Rail service restored on Maeyachi - Yanaizu segment.
• May 7, 2012: Local authorities agree to BRT service to Kesennuma.
• August 20, 2012: BRT roadway completed between Rikuzen-Hashikami and Saichi.
• December 22, 2012: BRT service commences between Yanaizu and Kesennuma.

References

1. Akiyama, Hironari; Ishibashi, Takeharu (13 March 2011). "Kesennuma described as 'hellish sight'". Yomiuri Shimbun. Archived from the original on 16 March 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2011.
2. "Asahi.com（朝日新聞社）：気仙沼線のバス専用道化を正式提示 ＪＲ東が地元に - 鉄道 - トラベル". www.asahi.com. Archived from the original on 2011-12-27.
3. "JR East's self-driving bus to begin operations in Miyagi". The Japan News. 3 December 2022.

External links

• A set of 11 videos showing a train trip along the entire Kesennuma Line, in 2009. Much of the track and scenery seen here were destroyed by the 2011 tsunami.