Meitetsu Mikawa Line
An image of a Meitetsu 6000 series EMU on the Meitetsu Mikawa Line.
A 6000 series EMU on the Meitetsu Mikawa Line
Overview
Native name名鉄三河線
OwnerMeitetsu
LocaleAichi Prefecture
Termini
Stations23
Service
TypeCommuter rail
Daily ridership73,556 (FY2003)[1]
History
Opened1914 (1914)
Technical
Line length39.8 km (24.73 mi)
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification1,500V DC, overhead catenary
Operating speed80 km/h (50 mph)
Route map
Up arrow Nishi Nakagane
0.0
 Sanage (猿投)
1.1
 Hiratobashi (平戸橋)
 Up arrowMeitetsu Toyota Line to Akaike (赤池)
2.2
 Koshido (越戸)
Aichi Loop Line to Okazaki (岡崎) Up arrow
Aikan-Umetsubo (愛環梅坪駅)
4.2
 Umetsubo (梅坪)
Shin-Toyota (新豊田駅)
5.6
 Toyotashi (豊田市)
Aichi Loop Line to Kōzōji (高蔵寺) Down arrow
7.4
 Uwa Goromo (上挙母)
10.2
 Tsuchihashi (土橋)
10.2
 Tsuchihashi (土橋)
12.8
 Takemura (竹村)
15.1
 Wakabayashi (若林)
17.5
 Mikawa Yatsuhashi (三河八橋)
20.6
 Mikawa Chiryū (三河知立)
Up arrow Meitetsu Nagoya Main Line to Meitetsu Nagoya (名鉄名古屋)
Right arrowMeitetsu Nagoya Main Line to Toyohashi (豊橋)
21.3
 Chiryū (知立)
23.5
 Shigehara (重原)
Right arrow Tōkaidō Main Line
25.2
 Kariya (刈谷)
Down arrow Tōkaidō Main Line
26.8
 Kariyashi (刈谷市)
29.4
 Ogakie (小垣江)
31.4
 Yoshihama (吉浜)
33.3
 Mikawa Takahama (三河高浜)
34.3
 Takahama Minato (高浜港)
36.1
 Kitashinkawa (北新川)
37.1
 Shinkawamachi (新川町)
38.2
 Hekinan Chūō (碧南中央)
39.8
 Hekinan (碧南)
Down arrow Kira Yoshida

The Meitetsu Mikawa Line (名鉄三河線, Meitetsu Mikawa-sen) is a 39.8 km (24.7 mi) railway line in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, operated by the private railway operator Nagoya Railroad (Meitetsu) connecting Sanage Station in Toyota and Hekinan Station in Hekinan. It originally extended beyond Hekinan to Kira Yoshida, and beyond Sanage to Nishi Nakagane, with a proposed extension to Asuke substantially constructed but subsequently abandoned (see History section below).

All trains on this line operate as Local trains and stop at every station. Some smaller stations have only a single platform and no passing loop.

History

The Mikawa Railway opened the Ōhama-minato (now Hekinan) to Kariya-shin (now Kariya) section in 1914, and extended the line to Chiryū (old, now Mikawa Chiryū) the following year, to Koromo (now Toyotashi) in 1920 and Sanage in 1924.

In 1926, the Sanage to Hekinan section was electrified at 1,500 V DC, and in the same year the (now closed) Hekinan to Matsukijima section opened as an electrified section, as were all subsequent extensions.

The (now closed) Sanage to Nishi Nakagane section opened between 1927 and 1928, and the Matsukijima - Mikawa Yoshida section also opened in the latter year.

The company merged with Nagoya Railroad (Meitetsu) in June 1941,[2] and the Mikawa Yoshida - Kira Yoshida section opened in 1943, connecting to the Gamagōri Line and the Nishio Line.

Construction of an ~8 km (5 mi) extension from Nishi Nakagane to Asuke had commenced in the 1930s, with the roadbed completed when the Pacific War commenced. Shortage of materials resulted in the rail line never being laid, and the proposed extension was formally abandoned in 1958, with the roadbed being converted to a public road, which is readily identifiable on aerial photographs.

Freight services ceased in 1984, and as a result of declining patronage, the electrification on the Sanage - Nishi Nakagane section was decommissioned in 1985, and on the Hekinan to Kira Yoshida section in 1990, DMUs then providing the passenger service. Patronage continued to decline, and both sections were closed in 2004.

Double-tracking

The Chiryū to Shigehara section was double-tracked in 1976, the Kariya to Kariyashi section in 1980, and the Umetsubo to Toyotashi section in 1986. The doubling of the Toyotashi to Chiryū section is proposed, and some works have been undertaken, but funding issues with the local governments has stalled further work at present. The land has been acquired to double the Shigehara to Kariya section, but Meitetsu does not consider the patronage levels on this section justify duplication at this stage.

Former connecting lines

  • Uwa Goromo Station: The Okazaki Electric Railway opened a 7 km (4.3 mi) line, electrified at 600 V DC, from Okazaki-Ida to Modachi in 1924. The line was proposed to continue to Matsudaira, but the company encountered financial difficulties and merged with the Mikawa Railway in 1927, which opened the Uwa Goromo to Mikawa Iwawaki section two years later, and converted the line to 1,500 V DC. In 1939, the Mikawa Iwawaki to Modachi section closed (Modachi Branch Line), and in 1941, the company merged with Meitetsu. The Okazaki-Ida to Daijuji section closed in 1962, and as a result of flood damage caused by torrential rain, the balance of the line closed in 1972. At Okazaki-Ida, there was a connection to a 6 km (3.7 mi) tram line that connected to the Tokaido Main Line at Okazaki station, the tramway also closing in 1962.

Stations

No,=. Name Japanese Distance
(km)		 Connections Location
MY11 Sanage 猿投 0.0 Toyota Aichi
MY10 Hiratobashi 平戸橋 1.1
MY09 Koshido 越戸 2.2
MY08 Umetsubo 梅坪 4.2 Meitetsu:  TT  Toyota Line (some through connections)
MY07 Toyotashi 豊田市 5.6 Aichi Loop Line (via Shin-Toyota)
MY06 Uwa Goromo 上挙母 7.4 Aichi Loop Line (via Shin-Uwagoromo)
MY05 Tsuchihashi 土橋 10.2
MY04 Takemura 竹村 12.8
MY03 Wakabayashi 若林 15.1
MY02 Mikawa Yatsuhashi 三河八橋 17.5
MY01 Mikawa Chiryū 三河知立 20.6 Chiryū
NH19 Chiryū 知立 21.3 Meitetsu:  NH  Nagoya Main Line
MU01 Shigehara 重原 23.5
MU02 Kariya 刈谷 25.2 JR Central: Tokaido Main Line Kariya
MU03 Kariyashi 刈谷市 26.8
MU04 Ogakie 小垣江 29.4
MU05 Yoshihama 吉浜 31.4 Takahama
MU06 Mikawa Takahama 三河高浜 33.3
MU07 Takahama Minato 高浜港 34.3
MU08 Kitashinkawa 北新川 36.1 Hekinan
MU09 Shinkawamachi 新川町 37.1
MU10 Hekinan Chūō 碧南中央 38.2
MU11 Hekinan 碧南 39.8

See also

References

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

  1. ↑ （4）路線別1日当たり輸送人員 (Report). Aichi Prefecture. 2007. Archived from the original on 19 January 2011. Retrieved 17 December 2010.
  2. ↑ 佐藤信之 (19 June 2004), 地下鉄の歴史首都圏・中部・近畿圏 (in Japanese), グランプリ出版, p. 129, ISBN 4-87687-260-0
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