Esashi Line

The Esashi Line (江差線, Esashi-sen) is a Japanese railway line formerly operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido). It connected Goryōkaku (near Hakodate) and Esashi.

Esashi Line
Overview
Native name	江差線
Owner	JR Hokkaido
Locale	Hokkaido
Termini	Goryōkaku Kikonai
Stations	12
Service
Type	Regional rail
Technical
Line length	37.8 km (23.5 mi)
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	20 kV AC
Route map

The section between Kikonai and Esashi closed in May 2014, and the remainder was transferred to third-sector operator South Hokkaido Railway Company in March 2016 following the opening of the Hokkaido Shinkansen.

Stations

All stations are in Hokkaido.
Track: ∥: Double track, ∨: Double track ends, ◇: Passing loop |: No passing loop

Hakodate - Kikonai section (until March 2016)

Station	Japanese	Between (km)	Distance (km)	Transfers	Track	Location
Hakodate Main Line, part of Tsugaru-Kaikyō Line
Hakodate	函館	-	3.4	Hakodate City Tram	∥	Hakodate
Esashi Line, part of Tsugaru-Kaikyō Line
Goryōkaku	五稜郭	3.4	0.0	Hakodate Main Line	∨	Hakodate
Nanaehama	七重浜	2.7	2.7		◇	Hokuto
Higashi-Kunebetsu	東久根別	2.6	5.3		｜
Kunebetsu	久根別	1.2	6.5		◇
Kiyokawaguchi	清川口	1.1	7.6		｜
Kamiiso	上磯	1.2	8.8		◇
Moheji	茂辺地	8.8	17.6		◇
Oshima-Tōbetsu	渡島当別	5.0	22.6		◇
Kamaya	釜谷	4.9	27.5		◇	Kikonai
Izumisawa	泉沢	3.1	30.6		◇
Satsukari	札苅	3.4	34.0		◇
Kikonai	木古内	3.8	37.8	Kaikyō Line	◇

Former Kikonai - Esashi section (closed May 2014)

Station	Japanese	Between (km)	Distance (km)	Transfers	Track	Location
Oshima-Tsuruoka	渡島鶴岡	2.3	40.1		｜	Kikonai
Yoshibori	吉堀	3.1	43.2		｜
Shinmei	神明	13.2	56.4		｜	Kaminokuni
Yunotai	湯ノ岱	2.8	59.2		◇
Miyakoshi	宮越	7.1	66.3		｜
Katsuraoka	桂岡	2.2	68.5		｜
Naka-Suda	中須田	2.1	70.6		｜
Kaminokuni	上ノ国	3.2	73.8		｜
Esashi	江差	6.1	79.9		｜	Esashi

History

The Goryokaku to Kamiiso section opened on 15 September 1913, and was extended to Kikonai on 25 October 1930. The Kikonai to Yunotai section opened on 10 December 1935, and was extended to Esashi on 10 November 1936.

The Goryokaku to Kikonai section was electrified on 13 March 1988 as part of the upgrading of the line associated with the opening of the Seikan Tunnel and associated Kaikyo Line linking Hokkaido to Honshu.

On 7 August 2012, JR Hokkaido announced its intention to close the 42 km (26 mi) non-electrified section of the line between Kikonai and Esashi in spring 2014 due to a lack of financial viability.[1] In fiscal 2011, the Kikonai to Esashi section was served by six return services daily, with an average patronage of 41 passengers per km daily, the lowest for any of JR Hokkaido's lines.[2] The Kikonai - Esashi section was closed in 2014, with the last services operating on 11 May.[3]

Operations on the remaining section of the line between Goryōkaku and Kikonai was transferred from JR Hokkaido to the newly created South Hokkaido Railway Company when the Hokkaido Shinkansen opened on 26 March 2016.[3]

Former connecting lines

Japan Cement Co. loco No. 2 was in service at Kamiiso from 1922 until 1975

• Kamiiso station: A 500 m spur line served the Japan Cement Co factory from 1915 to 1989. A private 6.6 km (4.1 mi) line transported limestone to the factory from 1921 to 1956, being electrified at 600 V DC from 1922. A second 3.4 km (2.1 mi) line to a limestone quarry operated from 1949 until replaced by a conveyor belt in 1973.
• Kikonai station: In 1937, the 8 km (5.0 mi) section to Shiriuchi opened, the beginning of a 75 km (47 mi) line to serve a proposed manganese mine at Oshima. The line reached Matsumae (51 km or 32 mi) in 1953, and closed in 1988. The last 24 km (15 mi) to the manganese deposit was not constructed.

References

• This article incorporates material translated from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia.

1. ＪＲ北海道 木古内－江差廃止方針 １４年にもバス転換 来月地元に申し入れ [JR Hokkaido to close line between Kikonai and Esashi - bus substitution from spring 2014]. Doshin Web (in Japanese). Japan: The Hokkaido Shimbun Press. 8 August 2012. Archived from the original on 9 August 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
2. 江差線の木古内～江差間、廃止へ [Esashi Line Kikonai to Esashi section to close]. Tetsudo.com (in Japanese). Japan: Asahi Interactive Inc. 7 September 2012. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
3. 江差線木古内—江差間が廃止される [Esashi Line section between Kikonai and Esashi closes]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 12 May 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2014.