Karatsu Line

Karatsu Line
Overview
Type	Regional rail
Locale	Saga Prefecture
Termini	Kubota Nishi-Karatsu
Stations	13
Operation
Owner	JR Kyushu
Technical
Line length	42.5 km (26.4 mi)
No. of tracks	Single
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	1,500 V DC, overhead catenary (Karatsu to Nishi-Karatsu)
Route map Map of Japan with the Karatsu Line highlighted in red

The Karatsu Line (唐津線, Karatsu-sen) is a regional railway line in Saga Prefecture, Japan, owned and operated by Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu). It connects Kubota Station in Saga to Nishi-Karatsu Station in Karatsu. It was originally constructed to carry coal from the Karatsu coal field to the Port of Karatsu.

Stations

Station	Japanese	Distance (km)	Connecting lines	Location
Kubota	久保田	0.0	Nagasaki Main Line	Saga	Saga Prefecture
Ogi	小城	5.1		Ogi
Higashi-Taku	東多久	10.6		Taku
Naka-Taku	中多久	13.6
Taku	多久	15.2
Kyūragi	厳木	20.8		Karatsu
Iwaya	岩屋	23.3
Ōchi	相知	26.0
Honmutabe	本牟田部	30.1
Yamamoto	山本	32.9	Chikuhi Line
Onizuka	鬼塚	36.6
Karatsu	唐津	40.3	Chikuhi Line
Nishi-Karatsu	西唐津	42.5

Rolling stock

• KiHa 40/47 DMUs
• KiHa 125 DMUs
• 103 series EMUs
• 303 series EMUs

History

The Karatsu Kogyo Railway Co. opened a line from the port of Oshima (at Karatsu) to Yamamoto in 1898, on an alignment paralleling the west bank of the Matsuura River, and extended the line to Taku the following year. in 1902, the company merged with the Kyushu Railway Co., which extended the line to Kubota in 1903. In 1907, the company was nationalised.

The Chikuhi Line from Higashi-Karatsu was extended to Yamamoto in 1929 on an alignment paralleling the east bank of the Matsuura River.

The 2 km section from Oshima to Nishi-Karatsu was closed in 1982, and in 1983, the Chikuhi line was rebuilt so it branched at Karatsu, with the Karatsu - Nishi-Karatsu section being electrified at 1,500 V DC at the same time in conjunction with the electrification of the Chikuhi line, together with CTC signalling from Nishi-Karatsu to Kubota.

Freight services ceased in 1986.

Former connecting lines

Honmutabe station - The 6 km line to the Ouchi coal mine operated from 1905 until 1978.

Yamamoto station -

• The 4 km freight line to Kishitake operated from 1912 until 1971.
• The section of the Chikuhi line to Nijinomatsubara closed in 1983 in conjunction with its realignment to junction at Karatsu.

References

This article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia