Haebaru Main Line
The Haebaru Railway Haebaru Main Line is a Soranese railway line in Iwate Prefecture that runs from Nishi-Haebaru to Haebaru Port. It is operated by the Haebaru Railway Company. Construction of the line began in 1970, to coincide with the opening of the Iwate Line. However, the line was plagued by numerous delays, and the line was finished 6 years late in 1978, as a third-sector line, between Reihoku and Tabuse. The section from Tabuse to Ojika was opened in 1982.The line features the longest wooden viaduct in the world from Reihoku to Tabuse, and after the absorption of the 2,703m Kamichiiba Tunnel with the handover of the western portion of the Iwate Line.
Unlike most third-sector lines, the Haebaru Main Line made steady profits after the full opening of the line, as the former Haebaru Limited Express used the line, serving as the primary rail link between Lamtsu and West Joban, until the opening of the Seiyo Shinkansen in 2022. The line's former speed limit of 160km/h meant that the Haebaru was the fastest non-shinkansen service in the region, matched only by HRT (Joban)'s Icefire Express. However, following the withdrawal of Haebaru services from the line on 1st June 2022, the line's maximum speed limit was reduced from 160km/h to 120km/h.
Technical Details
- Distance: 8.4km
- Operators
- Track: Fully double-tracked
- Electrification: 1500V DC
- Signalling: Token
- Maximum Speed:
- Haebaru Port-Kamichiba: 60km/h
- Kamichiba-Higashi-Reihoku: 120km/h
- Higashi-Reihoku-Reihoku: 60km/h
- Reihoku-HRT Maglev Technology Research Institute: 120km/h
- HRT Maglev Technology Research Institute-Nishi-Haebaru: 60km/h
Services
After the opening of the Seiyo Shinkansen in 2022, many services have been withdrawn.
| Service | Stops at | Time taken | Tpd |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily | |||
| Local | Ojika, HRT Maglev Technology Research Institute, Tabuse, Reihoku, Higashi-Reihoku, Kamichiiba, Haebaru Port | 12m | 4 |
| Rapid | Nishi-Haebaru, Shin-Haebaru, Ojika, Reihoku, Haebaru Port | 7m | 4 |
| Shuttle | Nishi-Haebaru, Shin-Haebaru, Ojika | 2m | 2 |
| Seasonal | |||
| Express | Ojika, Haebaru Port | 6m | 1 |
| Reihoku | Ojika, Reihoku, Haebaru Port | 6m | 1 |
| Withdrawn | |||
| Haebaru | Misato, Iwate, Ojika | 17m | 6 |
Station List
Legend
●: All trains stop
| : All trains pass
| Jap | Station | Local | Rapid | Express | Shuttle | Chiba Line | Haebaru | Ojika Line | Distance from Ojika | Transfers | Locale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 西南風原 | Nishi-Haebaru | N.A. | ● | N.A. | ● | N.A. | N.A. | Through to Ojika Line | 0.4 | Ojika Line | Ojika Town, Haebaru District |
| 新南風原 | Shin-Haebaru | N.A. | ● | N.A. | ● | N.A. | N.A. | ● | 0.2 | Seiyo Shinkansen | |
| 小値賀 | Ojika | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | 0.0 | Ojika Line | |
| 調和鉄道輸送リニアモーターカー技術研究所 | Harmony Rail Transit Maglev Technology Research Institute | ● | | | | | N.A. | | | | | N.A. | 0.6 | ||
| 田布施 | Tabuse | ● | | | | | N.A. | ● | | | N.A. | 2.3 | Chiba Line | Reihoku Town, Haebaru District |
| 苓北 | Reihoku | ● | ● | | | N.A. | ● | | | N.A. | 4.7 | Chiba Line | |
| 東苓北 | Higashi-Reihoku | ● | | | | | N.A. | | | | | N.A. | 5.0 | ||
| 上地伊庭 | Kamichiiba | ● | | | | | N.A. | Service to Chiba Line | N.A. | 7.9 | Chiba Town, Haebaru District | ||
| 南風原港 | Haebaru Port | ● | ● | ● | N.A. | N.A. | 8.4 | ||||
History
The Haebaru Main Line was constructed by the Lamtsu Development Bank in 1982, connecting the Fung Yuen Main Line to the Ome Line via the Iwate Line. The Haebaru Main Line also would increase transport connections in the Haebaru Town.