The Yonesaka Line (米坂線, Yonesaka-sen) is a railway line in Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It connects Yonezawa Station in Yamagata Prefecture to Sakamachi Station in Niigata Prefecture. At Yonezawa, connections to the Yamagata Shinkansen and Ōu Main Line can be made; while the Uetsu Main Line connects at Sakamachi Station. The line takes its name from the first kanji of Yonezawa () and Sakamachi ().

Yonesaka Line
KiHa 52 and KiHa 47 on the Yonesaka Line in August 2008
Overview
Native name米坂線
StatusPartially suspended due to rainstorm damage
OwnerJR East
LocaleYamagata Prefecture, Japan
Termini
Stations20
Service
TypeRegional rail
Operator(s)JR East
Rolling stockKiHa 110 series DMU, GV-E400 series DEMU
History
Opened1936
Technical
Line length90.7 km (56.4 mi)
Number of tracksEntire line single tracked
CharacterRural
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
ElectrificationNone
Operating speed85 km/h (53 mph)
Route map


0.0
Yonezawa
Crossings' details
2x
Mogami River
2x
3.1
Minami-Yonezawa
Crossings' details
Hottate River
2x
6.5
Nishi-Yonezawa
Crossings' details
Omono River
9.6
Narushima
Crossings' details
3x
Tanjo River
12.5
Chūgun
Crossings' details
3x
2x
Kuro River
16.9
Uzen-Komatsu
Crossings' details
2x
Inu River
19.4
Inukawa
Crossings' details
3x
23.0
Imaizumi
Crossings' details
Shirakawa River
2x
27.3
Hagyū
Crossings' details
Hagyu River
5x
30.1
Uzen-Tsubaki
Crossings' details
3x
Kojira River
34.7
Tenoko
Crossings' details
2x
Mase River
Mase River (11x)
Morizan River
Mase River
43.9
Uzen-Numazawa
Crossings' details
2x
Myozawa River
Myozawa River
Myozawa River
50.0
Isaryō
Crossings' details
Myozawa River (3x)
Myozawa River
54.7
Uzen-Matsuoka
Crossings' details
2x
Osawa River
3x
58.3
Oguni
Crossings' details
2x
Arakawa River
Arakawa River
Arakawa River
Tama River
3x
67.8
Echigo-Kanamaru
Crossings' details
Arakawa River
Arakawa River
73.1
Echigo-Katakai
Crossings' details
Numa River
2x
Oishi River
2x
79.7
Echigo-Shimoseki
Crossings' details
4x
83.5
Echigo-Ōshima
Crossings' details
Kuwaezawa River
2x
90.7
Sakamachi

Trains can only pass each other at Uzen-Komatsu, Imaizumi, Uzen-Tsubaki, Oguni, Echigo-Kanamaru, and Echigo-Shimoseki stations.

Stations

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Station Japanese Distance (km) Transfers   Location
Between
stations
Total
Yonezawa 米沢 - 0.0 Yonezawa Yamagata
Prefecture
Minami-Yonezawa 南米沢 3.1 3.1
Nishi-Yonezawa 西米沢 3.4 6.5
Narushima 成島 3.1 9.6
Chūgun 中郡 2.9 12.5 Kawanishi
Uzen-Komatsu 羽前小松 4.4 16.9
Inukawa 犬川 2.5 19.4
Imaizumi 今泉 3.6 23.0 Flower Nagai Line Nagai
Hagyū 萩生 4.3 27.3 Iide
Uzen-Tsubaki 羽前椿 2.8 30.1
Tenoko 手ノ子 4.6 34.7
Uzen-Numazawa 羽前沼沢 9.2 43.9 Oguni
Isaryō 伊佐領 6.1 50.0
Uzen-Matsuoka 羽前松岡 4.7 54.7
Oguni 小国 3.6 58.3
Echigo-Kanamaru 越後金丸 9.5 67.8 Sekikawa Niigata
Prefecture
Echigo-Katakai 越後片貝 5.3 73.1
Echigo-Shimoseki 越後下関 6.6 79.7
Echigo-Ōshima 越後大島 3.8 83.5
Sakamachi 坂町 7.2 90.7 Uetsu Main Line ^ Murakami

Symbols:

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

Rolling stock

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As of April 2020, the following rolling stock is used on the Yonesaka Line. All are based at Niitsu Depot.

Past

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The following rolling stock was used on the Yonesaka Line. All were based at Niitsu Depot.

  • KiHa 40/47/48 DMUs (until 2009)
  • KiHa 52 DMUs (until 2009)
  • KiHa 58 DMUs (until 2009)
  • KiHa E120 DMUs (since November 2008, until March 2020)

History

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The Yonezawa to Oguni section was opened in stages between 1926 and 1935. The Sakamachi to Echigo-Kanamaru section was opened between 1931 and 1933. The line was completed with the opening of the Oguni to Echigo-Kanamaru section in 1936.[citation needed]

References

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