Hakushin Line

The Hakushin Line (白新線, Hakushin-sen) is a Japanese railway line which runs between Niigata and Shibata stations in the cities of Niigata and Shibata in Niigata Prefecture. It is part of the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) network.

Hakushin Line
115 series EMU bound for Niigata approaching Toyosaka Station, May 2008
Overview
Native name	白新線
Locale	Niigata Prefecture
Termini	Niigata Shibata
Stations	10
Service
Type	Heavy rail
Operator(s)	JR East
History
Opened	1952
Technical
Line length	27.3 km (17.0 mi)
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	1,500 V DC overhead catenary
Route map

Basic data

• Operators, distances:
  • East Japan Railway Company (JR East) (Services and tracks)
• Niigata – Shibata: 27.3 km (17.0 mi)
  • Japan Freight Railway Company (JR Freight) (Services only)
• Kami-Nuttari Junction – Shibata: 25.4 km (15.8 mi)
• Double-tracking: Niigata – Niizaki
• Railway signalling: ATS-Ps

Services

Stations of Hakushin Line

Limited express, Rapid

As of March 2018^[update], the following services are operated.

Name	Route	Service frequency (daily)
Limited Express Inaho	Niigata – Shibata – Sakata/Akita (Uetsu Main Line)	7 return trips
Rapid Benibana	Niigata – Shibata – Yonezawa (Yonesaka Line)	1 return trip
Rapid Rakuraku-Train-Murakami	Niigata – Shibata – Murakami (Uetsu Main Line)	1 down trip in evening
Rapid	Niigata – Shibata – Murakami (Uetsu Main Line)	1 down trip in morning, 1 up trip in evening
Rapid Kirakira Uetsu	Niigata – Shibata – Sakata (Uetsu Main Line)	1 return trip (only weekends)

Local

Niigata - Toyosaka: every 20 minutes

Toyosaka - Shibata: every 60 minutes (every 20 minutes during peaks)

Station list

• All stations are located in Niigata Prefecture.

Station	Japanese	Distance (km)		Inaho /Rapid	Transfers		Location
		Between stations	Total
Niigata	新潟	-	0.0	●	Jōetsu Shinkansen ■Shinetsu Main Line ■Echigo Line	∥	Chūō-ku, Niigata
Higashi-Niigata	東新潟	5.0	5.0	｜		∥	Higashi-ku, Niigata
Ōgata	大形	2.0	7.0	｜		∥
Niizaki	新崎	2.6	9.6	｜		∨	Kita-ku, Niigata
Hayadōri	早通	1.9	11.5	｜		◇
Toyosaka	豊栄	3.5	15.0	●		◇
Kuroyama	黒山	3.0	18.0	｜		◇
Sasaki	佐々木	3.0	21.0	｜		◇	Shibata
Nishi-Shibata	西新発田	3.3	24.3	｜		◇
Shibata	新発田	3.0	27.3	●	■Uetsu Main Line	◇

Symbols:

• ◇ - Single-track; station where trains can pass
• ^ - Double-track section starts from this point
• ∥ - Double-track
• ∨ - Single-track section starts from this point

Rolling stock

Present

• E129 series 2/4-car EMUs (since December 2014)
• E653 series 7-car EMUs (Inaho limited express, since September 2013)

• 
  E129 series

Former

• 115 series 2/3/4-car EMUs (until March 2018)
• E127 series 2-car EMUs (until March 2015)
• 485 series 6-car EMUs (Inaho, until July 2014)
• 165 series
• 70 series

• 
  115 series
• 
  E127 series
• 
  485 series EMU passing through Higashi-Niigata Station on an Inaho service, May 2008
• 
  165 series

History

The first section opened on 23 December 1952 was the 12.3 km line between Shibata Station and Kuzutsuka Station (now Toyosaka Station). On 15 April 1956, the line was extended 14.9 km from Kuzutsuka to Niigata.^{[citation needed]}

The line was electrified at 1,500 V DC in 1972, and double-tracked in sections between 1978 and 1981.^{[citation needed]}