Kagoshima Main Line

Kagoshima Main Line
Local train on the Kagoshima Main Line in August 2017
Overview
OwnerJR Kyushu, JR Freight
LocaleFukuoka, Kumamoto and Kagoshima Prefecture
Termini
Stations90
Service
TypeHeavy rail
Operator(s)JR Kyushu, JR Freight, Hisatsu Orange Railway
Rolling stock415 series, 811 series, 813 series, 815 series, 817 series, 783 series, 787 series, 883 series, 885 series, KiHa 72, Hisatsu Orange Railway HSOR-100
History
Opened1889; 135 years ago (1889)
Technical
Line length285.3 km (177.3 mi)
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification20 kV AC 60 Hz overhead
Operating speed130 km/h (81 mph)
Route map
Mojikō station (terminus)

The Kagoshima Main Line (鹿児島本線, Kagoshima-honsen) is a major railway line operated by the Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu) between Mojikō in Kitakyushu, and Kagoshima Station in Kagoshima City, at the southern end of Kyushu. Until March 13, 2004, it extended 393 km (244 mi) between its two termini; however, with the opening of the Kyushu Shinkansen on March 13, the section between Yatsushiro and Sendai was transferred to the third-sector Hisatsu Orange Railway Company. The line is an important line in Kyushu, connecting Fukuoka (Hakata Station) to many other major cities. It is the main line through the Fukuoka urban district, and as such many long-distance express trains from all parts of Kyushu use the section between Kokura Station (Kitakyushu) and Tosu Station, where the Nagasaki Main Line meets the Kagoshima Main Line.