Chikuhi Line

The Chikuhi Line (筑肥線, Chikuhi-sen) is a railway line in Kyushu, Japan, connecting Meinohama Station in Fukuoka, Fukuoka (and via a subway through service, Fukuoka itself) to Karatsu Station in Karatsu, Saga (with most trains continuing to Nishi-Karatsu on the Karatsu Line), and from Yamamoto Station in Karatsu to Imari Station in Imari, Saga. Trains from Karatsu to Imari use the Karatsu Line to Yamamoto.^[1][2]

Chikuhi Line
305 series on the Chikuhi Line January 2019
Overview
Native name	筑肥線
Locale	Fukuoka, Saga
Stations	29
Service
Type	Commuter rail
System	JR Kyushu
Operator(s)	JR Kyushu
History
Opened	5 December 1923; 101 years ago (1923-12-05)
Technical
Line length	42.6 km (26.5 mi) (Meinohama–Karatsu) 25.7 km (16.0 mi) (Yamamoto–Inari)
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	1,500 V DC overhead (Meinohama–Nishi-Karatsu)
Operating speed	85 km/h (53 mph)
Route map

A 103 series EMU on the Chikuhi Line, December 2005

History

The Kita-Kyushu Railway opened the Fukuyoshi to Hamasaki section in 1923, extending it west to Higashi-Karatsu (situated on the east bank of the Matsuura River, opposite the Karatsu Line on the west bank) by 1925 and east to Hakata by 1926. The line was again extended west to Yamamoto where it junctioned with the Karatsu line (establishing Higashi-Karatsu as a reversing station in the process) in 1929, and to Imari in 1935. The company was nationalised in 1937 after which Japanese Government Railways (JGR) designated the track as the Chikuhi Line.^[3]

In 1983, the Hakata to Meinohama section was closed and replaced by a link to the Fukuoka City Subway Airport Line. A new line from Nijinomatsubara to Karatsu opened (including a new station called Higashi-Karatsu, situated about 1.5 km (0.93 mi) southeast of the original station of that name) and the entire section was electrified at 1,500 V DC to allow through running to Fukuoka via the subway. At the same time, the original Nijinomatsubara to Yamamoto section closed.^[3][4][2]

Station list

Eastern section

●: Stops, ｜: Does not stop

Rapid Service: Stops at every station on the Airport Line.

Through service by Fukuoka City Subway commuter trains ends at Chikuzen-Maebaru.

No.	Station	Japanese	Distance (km)	Rapid service stops (weekdays)	Rapid service stops (weekends, holidays)	Transfers	Location
↑ Through services to/from Fukuoka Airport via the Airport Line ↑
JK  01	Meinohama	姪浜	0.0	●	●	Kūkō Line (K01) (through service)	Nishi-ku, Fukuoka	Fukuoka
JK  02	Shimoyamato	下山門	1.6	●	|
JK  03	Imajuku	今宿	5.2	●	|
JK  04	Kyūdai-Gakkentoshi	九大学研都市	6.8	●	●
JK  05	Susenji	周船寺	8.1	●	|
JK  06	Hatae	波多江	10.1	●	|		Itoshima
JK  07	Itoshima-Kokomae	糸島高校前	11.4	●	|
JK  08	Chikuzen-Maebaru	筑前前原	12.7	●	●
JK  09	Misakigaoka	美咲が丘	14.3	|	|
JK  10	Kafuri	加布里	15.4	|	|
JK  11	Ikisan	一貴山	16.7	|	|
JK  12	Chikuzen-Fukae	筑前深江	20.1	●	●
JK  13	Dainyū	大入	23.3	|	|
JK  14	Fukuyoshi	福吉	26.1	|	|
JK  15	Shikaka	鹿家	30.2	|	|
JK  16	Hamasaki	浜崎	35.4	●	●		Karatsu	Saga
JK  17	Nijinomatsubara	虹ノ松原	37.5	|	|
JK  18	Higashi-Karatsu	東唐津	39.3	●	●
JK  19	Watada	和多田	40.9	●	●
JK  20	Karatsu	唐津	42.6	●	●	Karatsu Line (to Yamamoto/Saga)
↓ Through services to/from Nishi-Karatsu via the Karatsu Line ↓
JK  21	Nishi-Karatsu[5]	西唐津	44.8	●	●

Western section

All trains running on this section stop at all stations.

Station	Japanese	Distance (km)	Connecting lines	Location
↑ Through services to/from Nishi-Karatsu via the Karatsu Line ↑
Yamamoto	山本	0.0	Karatsu Line (through service)	Karatsu	Saga
Hizen-Kubo	肥前久保	5.1
Nishi-Ōchi	西相知	6.6
Sari	佐里	8.2
Komanaki	駒鳴	11.0		Imari
Ōkawano	大川野	12.9
Hizen-Nagano	肥前長野	14.3
Momonokawa	桃川	17.4
Kanaishihara	金石原	19.7
Kami-Imari	上伊万里	24.1
Imari	伊万里	25.7	Matsuura Railway: Nishi-Kyūshū Line

Rolling stock

JR Kyushu

Current

• 103-1500 series six-car EMUs (9 trainsets) (since 1982)^[6] - these vehicles were replaced on the Fukuoka City Subway Kuko Line through service with the 305 series and now only operate as 3-car sets on the Chikuhi Line between Chikuzen-Maebaru and Karatsu/Nishi-Karatsu.
• 303 series six-car EMUs (3 trainsets) (since 22 January 2000)^[6]
• 305 series six-car EMUs (6 trainsets) (since February 2015)^[7]

• 
  103-1500 series set E17 in August 2008
• 
  303 series set K02 in November 2009
• 
  A 305 series set on the Chikuhi Line in January 2016

Future

Former Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit Rinkai Line TWR 70-000 series - to be operated as 2-car trains replacing the 103-1500 series trains on services between Chikuzen-Maebaru and Karatsu/Nishi-Karatsu.^[8][9]

Fukuoka City Subway

• 1000 series (since 1981)
• 2000 series (since 1992)
• 4000 series (since 29 November 2024)

Used in through services to Chikuzen-Maebaru.

• 
  A 1000 series set in December 2021
• 
  A 2000 series set in December 2021
• 
  A 4000 series set in October 2024