Etsumi-Nan Line

The Etsumi-Nan Line (越美南線, Etsumi Nan-sen; "Etsumi South Line") is a railway line in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, operated by the third-sector operator Nagaragawa Railway (長良川鉄道, Nagaragawa Tetsudō). The line connects Mino-Ōta Station in Minokamo with Hokunō Station in Gujō. It is the only railway line operated by Nagaragawa Railway, and was originally operated by Japanese National Railways (JNR).

Etsumi-Nan Line
A Nagaragawa Railway Nagara 3 series train
Overview
Native name	越美南線
Status	Operational
Owner	Nagaragawa Railway
Locale	Gifu Prefecture, Japan
Termini	Mino-Ōta Hokunō
Stations	38
Service
Type	Heavy rail
Operator(s)	Nagaragawa Railway
Rolling stock	Nagaragawa Railway Nagara 2 Series DMU, Nagaragawa Railway Nagara 3 Series DMU, Nagaragawa Railway Nagara 500 Series DMU
History
Opened	5 October 1923
Last extension	1934
Technical
Line length	72.1 km (44.8 mi)
Number of tracks	Entire line single tracked
Character	Rural
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	Not electrified
Operating speed	80 km/h (50 mph)
Route map

History

Under JNR ownership

The original goal of Japanese National Railways (JNR) was to build a railway line to the Sea of Japan northward through the Nagara River valley. However, due to the resource requirements of the First World War and the Pacific War, this objective was never achieved and only 72.1 km (44.8 mi) was ever built. The first section to open was between Mino-Ōta and Minoshi on 5 October 1923. The JNR then proceeded to extend the line progressively northwards until it reached Hokunō in 1934. Although a ¼-mile section of track was laid beyond Hokunō, no further construction on the line was ever undertaken. Infill stations were constructed and opened, such as Yasaka, Fukuno, Akaike, Kamono and Sekiguchi in 1952. Manba, Tokunaga, Ōshima and Shirotori-kōgen stations opened in 1955. Suhara station opened in 1957.^[1] Freight services ceased in 1974. JNR planned to connect the Etsumi-Nan Line and Etsumi-Hoku Line ("Etsumi North Line"), but the plan was never realized.^[2] The line was listed for closure as one of the Specified local lines in 1984, but it was decided that the line be transferred to a third-sector company instead of being closed in 1986. The line was transferred to the Nagaragawa Railway on December 11 of that year.^[3]

Under Nagaragawa Railway ownership

Upon the transferring of the line to the Nagaragawa Railway, many stations were renamed or newly opened.^[4]

• Maehira-Koen, Seki-Tomioka, Sekiterasu-mae, Seki-shimouchi, Konno, Shizenen-mae station were opened on December 11, 1986.
• Kamono, Tomika, Seki, Yonoharaonsenguchi, Suhara, Hanno, Ōya, Fukuno, Minami-Kariyasu, Akaike, Aioi, Yamada, Gujyō-Yamato station were renamed to their current name on the same date.

Infill stations continued to open, with Kami-mamba and Umeyama stations opening on 21 September 1987, Hakusan-nagataki station opening on 6 August 1988, Sekishiyakusho-mae and Matsumori opening on 1 April 1999, and Minami-kodakara-onsen station opening on 4 April 2002. Trolley cars ran from 1992 to 2003, when an accident occurred forcing the service to be abolished.^[3]

Beginning in spring 2016, two of the line's Nagara 300 series diesel cars were rebuilt as the Nagara sightseeing train. The rebuilding work on the two cars was overseen Don Design Associates, headed by industrial designer Eiji Mitooka.^[5]

The picturesque line is now popular with visitors and tourists. Beginning in April 2016, a two-car sightseeing train Nagara (ながら), which was created by industrial designer Eiji Mitooka, runs weekly services between Mino-Ota and Hokunō. Passengers are served a selection of bento dishes created from locally sourced seasonal ingredients from Gifu Prefecture.^[6]

Infrastructure

Rolling stock

The line uses Nagaragawa Railway Nagara 300 series [ja], Nagaragawa Railway Nagara 500 series [ja], and Nagaragawa Railway Nagara 600 series [ja]. All three series are diesel multiple units. The 300 series were manufactured by Fuji Heavy Industries, while the 500 series and the 600 series were manufactured by Niigata Transys. The 300 series trains are assigned a number from 301 to 307, although the train assigned the number 303 and 305 no longer exists.^[7]

Stations

All stations are located in Gifu Prefecture. Seki Station used to connect with Meitetsu Minomachi Line [ja] before its closure.

No.	Image	Station	Japanese	Distance (km)		"Nagara" service	Transfers	Location
				Between stations	Total
0		Mino-Ōta	美濃太田	-	0.0	●	Taita Line Takayama Main Line	Minokamo
1		Maehira-Kōen	前平公園	1.7	1.7
2		Kamono	加茂野	2.0	3.7
3		Tomika	富加	2.2	5.9	●		Tomika, Kamo District
4		Seki-Tomioka	関富岡	2.3	8.2			Seki
5		Seki-guchi	関口	1.5	9.7
6		Sekiterasumae	せきてらす前	1.5	11.2
7		Seki	関	0.8	12.0	●
8		Seki-Shiyakusho-mae	関市役所前	1.0	13.0
9		Seki-Shimouchi	関下有知	1.6	14.6
10		Matsumori	松森	1.5	16.1			Mino
11		Minoshi	美濃市	1.6	17.7	●
12		Umeyama	梅山	1.1	18.8
13		Yunohora-Onsen-guchi	湯の洞温泉口	3.5	22.3
14		Suhara	洲原	2.4	24.7
15		Hanno	母野	1.4	26.1			Gujō
16		Konno	木尾	1.2	27.3
17		Yasaka	八坂	2.1	29.4
18		Minami-Kodakara-Onsen	みなみ子宝温泉	1.2	30.6
19		Ōya	大矢	1.2	31.8
20		Fukuno	福野	1.1	32.9
21		Minami-Kariyasu	美並苅安	1.9	34.8
22		Akaike	赤池	1.5	36.3
23		Fukado	深戸	2.2	38.5
24		Aioi	相生	4.5	43.0
25		Gujō-Hachiman	郡上八幡	3.9	46.9	●
26		Shizenen-mae	自然園前	4.0	50.9
27		Yamada	山田	3.1	54.0
28		Tokunaga	徳永	1.9	55.9
29		Gujō-Yamato	郡上大和	1.4	57.3	●
30		Mamba	万場	2.4	59.7
31		Kami-Mamba	上万場	1.4	61.1
32		Ōnaka	大中	1.3	62.4
33		Ōshima	大島	1.9	64.3
34		Mino-Shirotori	美濃白鳥	1.8	66.1	●
35		Shirotori-Kōgen	白鳥高原	3.5	69.6
36		Hakusan-Nagataki	白山長滝	1.3	70.9	●
37		Hokunō	北濃	1.2	72.1	●

See also

• List of railway companies in Japan
• List of railway lines in Japan