The Kitto Line (吉都線, Kitto-sen) is a railway line on the island of Kyushu, Japan. It connects Yoshimatsu Station in Yūsui, Kagoshima Prefecture with Miyakonojō Station in Miyakonojō, Miyazaki Prefecture. It is also known as Ebino Kōgen Line (えびの高原線, Ebino-kōgen-sen) together with the YatsushiroYoshimatsu segment of the Hisatsu Line. Between 1916 and 1923 this line was part of the original rail connection from Kokura to Miyazaki, until the opening of the Nippo Main Line.

Kitto Line
Overview
Other name(s)Ebino Kōgen Line
Native name吉都線
OwnerJR Kyushu
LocaleKagoshima
Miyazaki
Termini
Stations17
Service
Operator(s)JR Kyushu
Rolling stockKiHa 40 series DMU
Daily ridership576
History
Opened1 October 1912 (1912-10-01)
Technical
Line length61.6 km (38.3 mi)
Number of tracksEntire line single tracked
CharacterFairly rural with a few urban areas
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
ElectrificationNone
Operating speed85 km/h (53 mph)
Route map

Stations

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Station Distance (km) Transfers Location
Yoshimatsu 吉松
0.0
Hisatsu Line Yūsui,
Aira District
Kagoshima
Tsurumaru 鶴丸
2.6
Kyōmachi Onsen 京町温泉
5.0
Ebino Miyazaki
Ebino えびの
9.6
Ebino Uwae えびの上江
13.0
Ebino Iino えびの飯野
15.0
Nishi Kobayashi 西小林
20.6
Kobayashi
Kobayashi 小林
26.8
Hirowara 広原
30.8
Takaharu
Nishimorokata District
Takaharu 高原
34.8
Hyūga Maeda 日向前田
39.4
Miyakonojō
Takasaki Shinden 高崎新田
43.8
Higashi Takasaki 東高崎
48.1
Mangatsuka 万ケ塚
51.0
Tanigashira 谷頭
54.5
Hyūga Shōnai 日向庄内
57.5
Miyakonojō 都城
57.5
Nippō Main Line

History

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The Yoshimatsu–Kobayashi section opened in 1912, and was extended to Miyakonojo the following year. Construction continued east and opened to Miyazaki in 1916, with the line formally named the Miyazaki Main Line in 1917.

With the opening of the Nippo Main Line from Kokura to Miyazaki in 1923, the line adopted that name. In 1932, with the opening of the Miyakonojo–Hayato line, that became part of the Nippo Main Line, and this line's name became the Kitto Line.

Freight service ceased in 1987.

References

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