Hōhi Main Line

The Hōhi Main Line (豊肥本線, Hōhi-honsen) is a railway line in Kyushu, southern Japan, operated by the Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu). It connects the west and east coasts of the island. The line originates at Kumamoto Station in Kumamoto and ends at terminal of Ōita Station in Ōita.

Hōhi Main Line
Overview
Owner	JR Kyushu
Locale	Kyushu
Termini	Ōita Kumamoto
Stations	37
Service
Type	Heavy rail
History
Opened	1 April 1914; 110 years ago (1 April 1914)
Technical
Line length	148.0 km (92.0 mi)
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	20 kV AC (60 Hz)
Route map

v t e Hōhi Main Line
Legend
Kyushu Shinkansen (Kagoshima Route) Kagoshima Main Line Kumamoto City Tram：Trunk Line 0.0 Kumamoto Kumamoto City Tram：Tasaki Line Kagoshima Main Line Kumamoto City Tram：Kawajiri Line 2.7 Heisei Saibu Gas,Kumamoto Factory Leased Line Yūen Railway 3.6 Minami-Kumamoto Kumamoto City Tram：Harutake Line Japan Food Agency,Kumamoto Food Office Leased Line 5.2 Shin-Suizenji Shin-Suizenji Kumamoto City Tram：Suizenji Line 5.8 Suizenji Mitsubishi Heavy Industries,No.9 Aircraft Manufacturing Leased Line 7.8 Tōkai-Gakuen-mae 8.9 Tatsutaguchi Kumamoto Light Railway 12.9 Musashizuka 14.8 Hikarinomori 15.8 Sanrigi 18.9 Haramizu 22.6 Higo-Ōzu 27.2 Seta 32.3 Tateno Minamiaso Railway：Takamori Line 40.2 Akamizu 42.6 Ichinokawa 46.4 Uchinomaki 49.9 Aso 51.2 Ikoi-no-Mura 53.4 Miyaji Sakanokami Tunnel 2283m 64.1 Namino 69.0 Takimizu Kumamoto -> Ōita 75.2 Bungo-Ogi 84.9 Tamarai 88.0 Bungo-Taketa 93.9 Asaji Station 100.3 Ogata 105.4 Bungo-Kiyokawa 111.9 Miemachi 117.3 Sugao 125.2 Inukai 130.8 Takenaka 136.3 Nakahanda 138.8 Ōita-Daigaku-mae 140.2 Shikido 142.9 Takio Nippō Main Line Ōita Railway Division 　　Ōita Depot 145.8 Shimogori signal field Kyūdai Main Line Ōita-Shi Station 148.0 Ōita Station Ōita Eki-mae Oita Transportation Co., Ltd：Betsudai Line (tram) Nippō Main Line

Data

• Gauge: 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
• Length: 148.0 km
• Stations: 37 (including terminals)
• Track: Single track
• Electrification:
  • Kumamoto - Higo Ōzu: 20 kV AC (60 Hz)
  • Higo Ōzu - Ōita: None
• Maximum service speed: 95 km/h (59 mph)

Stations

•: Stops, |: Passes through

Stations		Distance (km)	Rapid Hōhi Liner	Transfers	Location
Kumamoto	熊本	0.0	•	Kagoshima Main Line, Kyushu Shinkansen Kumamoto City Transportation Bureau: Trunk Line・Tasaki Line (Kumamoto-Ekimae Station)	Nishi-ku, Kumamoto	Kumamoto
Heisei	平成	2.7	|		Chūō-ku, Kumamoto
Minami Kumamoto	南熊本	3.6	|
Shin Suizenji	新水前寺	5.2	•	Kumamoto City Transportation Bureau: Trunk Line (Suizenji-Ekidori Station)
Suizenji	水前寺	5.8	•
Tōkai Gakuen-mae	東海学園前	7.8	|		Higashi-ku, Kumamoto
Tatsutaguchi	竜田口	8.9	|		Kita-ku, Kumamoto
Musashizuka	武蔵塚	12.9	•
Hikari no Mori	光の森	14.8	•
Sanrigi	三里木	15.8	|		Kikuyō
Haramizu	原水	18.9	|
Higo Ōzu	肥後大津	22.6	•		Ōzu
Seta	瀬田	27.2
Tateno	立野	32.3		Minami Aso Railway Takamori Line	Minamiaso
Akamizu	赤水	40.2			Aso
Ichinokawa	市ノ川	42.6
Uchinomaki	内牧	46.4
Aso	阿蘇	49.9
Ikoi no Mura	いこいの村	51.2
Miyaji	宮地	53.4
Namino	波野	64.1
Takimizu	滝水	69.0
Bungo-Ogi	豊後荻	75.2			Taketa	Ōita
Tamarai	玉来	84.9
Bungo-Taketa	豊後竹田	88.0
Asaji	朝地	93.9			Bungo Ōno
Ogata	緒方	100.3
Bungo-Kiyokawa	豊後清川	105.4
Miemachi	三重町	111.9
Sugao	菅尾	117.3
Inukai	犬飼	125.2
Takenaka	竹中	130.8			Ōita
Nakahanda	中判田	136.3
Ōita-Daigaku-mae	大分大学前	138.8
Shikido	敷戸	140.2
Takio	滝尾	142.9
Ōita	大分	148.0		Nippō Main Line, Kyudai Main Line

History

Construction of the line commenced from both Oita and Kumamoto in 1914, with connection being achieved with the opening of the Miyaji - Tamarai section in 1928.

Steam locomotives were withdrawn from the line in 1973, and CTC signalling was commissioned on the entire line in 1983. The 22.5 km Kumamoto - Higoozu section was electrified in 1999.

Damages by natural disasters

A derailed KiHa 147 series train after the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes

In 1990-91, the line was severed for a year by landslides caused by torrential rain, with a further eight-month period of disruption occurring in 1993-94.

A three-month period of disruption occurred in 2004, and the line was severed from July 2012 until August 2013 due to further landslides induced by torrential rainfall.

In 2016, the Kumamoto Earthquakes damage resulted in the closure of the section between Higo Ozu and Aso. The line has been restored since 8 August 2020.

Former connecting lines

• Minami Kumamoto Station: the 29 km Yūen Railway to Tomochi opened in sections between 1915 and 1932, and closed in 1964.
• Kamikumamoto Station: the 22 km 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) gauge Kumamoto Light Railway to Otsu opened 1907 and 1914, with a 2.4 km branch to Suizenji. Despite proposals to regauge the line to 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge and electrify it, the anticipated development of the area did not occur at an acceptable rate and the line was closed in 1921.

References