Iiyama Line

The Iiyama Line (飯山線, Iiyama-sen) is a railway line in Japan linking Toyono Station in Nagano, Nagano Prefecture and Echigo-Kawaguchi Station in Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture. It is operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East).

Iiyama Line
KiHa 100 series DMU Rapid Oykot at Tōkamachi Station, May 2015
Overview
Native name	飯山線
Status	In operation
Owner	JR East
Locale	Nagano, Niigata Prefectures
Termini	Toyono Echigo-Kawaguchi
Stations	31
Service
Type	Heavy rail
Operator(s)	JR East
Rolling stock	KiHa 110 series DMU
History
Opened	1921
Technical
Line length	96.7 km (60.1 mi)
Number of tracks	Entire line single tracked
Character	Rural
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	None
Operating speed	85 km/h (53 mph)

Stations

Station	Japanese	km	Connections	Location
Toyono	豊野	0.0	Shinano Railway: Kita-Shinano Line	Nagano City	Nagano Prefecture
Shinano-Asano	信濃浅野	2.2
Tategahana	立ヶ花	3.9
Kamiimai	上今井	6.9		Nakano City
Kaesa	替佐	8.8
Hachisu	蓮	14.6		Iiyama City
Iiyama	飯山	19.2	Hokuriku Shinkansen
Kita-Iiyama	北飯山	20.5
Shinano-Taira	信濃平	23.8
Togari-Nozawaonsen	戸狩野沢温泉	27.5
Kamisakai	上境	31.1
Kami-Kuwanagawa	上桑名川	35.4
Kuwanagawa	桑名川	37.6
Nishi-Ōtaki	西大滝	39.7
Shinano-Shiratori	信濃白鳥	41.8		Sakae Village, Shimominochi District
Hirataki	平滝	44.7
Yokokura	横倉	46.6
Mori-Miyanohara	森宮野原	49.7
Ashidaki	足滝	52.5		Tsunan Town, Nakauonuma District	Niigata Prefecture
Echigo-Tanaka	越後田中	54.9
Tsunan	津南	57.9
Echigo-Shikawatari	越後鹿渡	62.1
Echigo-Tazawa	越後田沢	64.5		Tōkamachi City
Echigo-Mizusawa	越後水沢	67.5
Doichi	土市	70.4
Tōkamachi	十日町	75.3	■Hokuhoku Line
Uonuma-Nakajō	魚沼中条	78.4
Gejō	下条	82.8
Echigo-Iwasawa	越後岩沢	88.1		Ojiya City
Uchigamaki	内ヶ巻	93.2
Echigo-Kawaguchi	越後川口	96.7	■Jōetsu Line	Nagaoka City

Rolling stock

KiHa 110 series (Iiyama Station)

• KiHa 110 series DMUs

History

The Iiyama Railway Co. opened the first section from Toyono to its namesake town in 1921, and extended the line in sections to Tokamachi in 1929, where it connected to the Japanese Government Railways line from Echigo-Kawaguchi which had opened in 1927.

The Iiyama Railway Co. was nationalised in 1944, and freight services ceased in 1987.

The line sees much snow in the winter. The line uses avalanche fences along steep slopes, snow sheds and has a melting system at level crossings to deal with the snow. A record 7.85m of snow fell at Mori-Miyanohara Station in February 1945, an event that is remembered with a pole just outside the station marking the vast amount of snow.^[1]

References

1. The Long Winter of Discontent: One Railway's Battle against Snow (Web video program). Japan Railway Journal. NHK World-Japan. November 2017. Event occurs at 3:29. Retrieved December 8, 2017.

External links

• Iiyama Line Timetable (in Japanese)