Tempoku Line

The Tempoku Line (天北線, Tempoku-sen) was a railway line most recently operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido) in Hokkaidō, Japan. The 148.9 kilometres line connected from Otoineppu to Minami-Wakkanai via Nakatonbetsu, Hamatonbetsu and Sarufutsu until its closure in 1989. This railway line was named after Teshio Province and Kitami Province.

Tempoku Line
The express train "Tenpoku" entering Otoineppu Station (July 1988)
Overview
Owner	JR Hokkaido
Locale	Hokkaido
Termini	Otoineppu Minami-Wakkanai
Stations	30
History
Opened	1914
Closed	1989
Technical
Line length	148.9 km (92.5 mi)
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	Not electrified

Naming

The line got its name to the two former provinces that it went through: Teshio (天塩) and Kitami (北見). The first character of Teshio (天) can also be read as "ten", and the first character of Kitami (北) can also be read as "hoku". By Japanese orthography, putting "ten" and "hoku" together makes "Tempoku".

History

The first section from Otoineppu to Shō-Tombetsu was opened in 1914. All section was opened in 1922, as the first railway line for Wakkanai. In 1926, Teshio line via Horonobe was opened. From Otoineppu to Wakkanai, the distance of this line was longer than Teshio line. In 1930, Teshio line was integrated into Sōya Main Line, and this line was separated from it and renamed Kitami line.^[1]

In 1961, Kitami line was renamed to Tempoku line. In 1987, JNR was privatized, and this line was inherited by JR Hokkaido, but abandoned on 1 May 1989.

Stations

Station		Distance (km)	Connections	Location
Otoineppu	音威子府	0.0	Sōya Main Line	Otoineppu
Kami-Otoineppu	上音威子府	5.4
Tenpoku-Zakae	天北栄	11.6		Nakatonbetsu
Shō-Tonbetsu	小頓別	15.6	Utanobori Municipal Railway [ja] (closed in November 1, 1970)
Kami-Tonbetsu	上頓別	20.6
Megumino	恵野	23.2
Pinneshiri	敏音知	27.1
Shūmaro	周磨	31.2
Matsuneshiri	松音知	34.5
Kamikoma	上駒	37.4
Naka-Tonbetsu	中頓別	42.5
Kotobuki	寿	46.6
Shin-Yayoi	新弥生	48.0
Shimo-Tonbetsu	下頓別	51.6		Hamatonbetsu
Tokiwa	常盤	54.8
Hama-Tonbetsu	浜頓別	61.5	Kohinhoku Line [ja] (Closed in July 1, 1985)
Kita-Tonbetsu	北頓別
Yamagaru	山軽	67.7
Yasubetsu	安別	70.4		Sarufutsu
Hikōjō-mae	飛行場前	72.8
Asajino	浅茅野	76.7
Sarufutsu	猿払	82.9
Ashino	芦野	87.4
Onishibetsu	鬼志別	93.7
Koishi	小石	99.0
Magarifuchi	曲淵	116.7		Wakkanai
Numakawa	沼川	121.0
Kabaoka	樺岡	127.2
Keihoku	恵北	136.3
Higashi-Koetoi	東声問
Koetoi	声問	141.8
Uennai	宇遠内	146.8
Minami-Wakkanai	南稚内	148.9	Sōya Main Line

After discontinuing

Trackbed of the Tempoku Line in Wakkanai

Soya Bus (Belong to Tokyu Group until 1999) have altered the Tenpoku Line since 1989. But the altered line was partly discontinued in 2011.

See also

• Sōya Main Line