Hokuriku Main Line

Hokuriku Main Line
A 521 series at Tsuruga Station
Overview
Other name(s)Biwako Line (Maibara - Nagahama)
Native name北陸本線
StatusOperational
OwnerLogo of the West Railway Company (JR West) JR West
Locale
Termini
Stations12
Service
TypeHeavy rail, Passenger/freight rail
Regional rail, Intercity rail
System
Operator(s)JR West, JR Freight
History
OpenedStages between 1882 and 1902
Closed
  • March 14, 2015 (2015-03-14): Kanazawa - Naoetsu (Converted to a third sector railway)
  • March 16, 2024 (2024-03-16): Tsuruga - Kanazawa (Converted to a third sector railway)
Technical
Line length45.9 km (28.5 mi)
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification1,500 V DC, 20 kV/60 Hz AC overhead line
Operating speed130 km/h (81 mph)
Route map

The Hokuriku Main Line (Japanese: 北陸本線, romanizedHokuriku-honsen) is a 45.9-kilometer (28.5 mi) railway line owned by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West) connecting Maibara Station in Maibara, Shiga, with Tsuruga Station in Tsuruga, Fukui. The line formerly extended as far as Naoetsu Station in Joetsu, Niigata; however, the section between Tsuruga Station and Naoetsu Station is now operated by several third-sector railway companies. The line links the Hokuriku region on the northern central coast of Honshu, the largest island of Japan, to the regions of Kansai, Tōkai, Kantō, and Tōhoku.

The Hokuriku Shinkansen was opened on 14 March 2015 between Nagano and Kanazawa, resulting in the section between Kanazawa Station and Naoetsu Station being transferred to a third-sector railway company. Narrow gauge limited expresses such as the Thunderbird and Shirasagi are common sights along the line. A further extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Kanazawa to Tsuruga opened on 16 March 2024, resulting in this section of the Hokuriku Main Line being transferred from JR West to the third-sector companies Hapi-Line Fukui and the IR Ishikawa Railway.[1][2] Of the line's original 354 km (220 mi) between Naoetsu and Maibara, just 45.9 km (28.5 mi) remains under the aegis of JR West.

The Hokuriku Main Line is double tracked and completely electrified: the section from Maibara to Tsuruga use 1,500 V DC power, while the section from Tsuruga to Kanazawa uses 20 kV AC, 60 Hz power.

JR Freight operated a small branch line for freight from Tsuruga Station to a container facility at the port of Tsuruga, but the services ceased in 2009.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "福井県並行在来線準備株式会社鉄道線の鉄道事業再構築実施計画の認定について". Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (in Japanese). 19 January 2022. Archived from the original on 11 September 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2024.