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| Hokusei Line | |
|---|---|
 A train bound for Ageki | |
| Overview | |
| Locale | Mie Prefecture |
| Termini | |
| Stations | 13 |
| Service | |
| Type | Commuter rail |
| Operator(s) | Sangi Railway |
| History | |
| Opened | 5 April 1914 |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 20.4 km (12.7 mi) |
| Number of tracks | 1 |
| Track gauge | 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) |
| Electrification | Overhead, 750 V DC |
| Operating speed | 45 km/h (28 mph) |
The Hokusei Line (北勢線, Hokusei-sen), commonly known as the Sangi Hokusei Line, is a 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) narrow gauge railway line owned and operated by Sangi Railway, a Japanese private railway company. The line runs in Mie Prefecture an connects Nishi-Kuwana Station in Kuwana with Ageki Station in Inabe. For many years, the line was owned by Kintetsu, a major private railway operator, but control was transferred to Sangi in April 2003.
The name Hokusei (北勢) means "northern Mie". It is a kanji abbreviation of "north" (北) and "Ise" (伊勢). Ise (as opposed to "Mie") is used in the name because the northern and central parts of present-day Mie Prefecture were called Ise Province during the Edo era before the modern prefecture system was established.