Yamate Line
| Status | Operational |
|---|---|
| Owner | Harmony Rail Transit (Lamtsu) |
| Locale | Lamtsu |
| Termini | Ofuna (Loop) |
| Stations | 10 |
| Initials | YM |
| Type | Urban Commuter |
|---|---|
| Operator(s) | Harmony Rail Transit (Lamtsu) |
| Depot(s) | Ofuna Depot |
| Rolling stock | E233-300 |
| Former Rolling Stock | JGR Class 5500 Locomotives
JNR Class 30 E44 SP100 |
| Opened | 1945 |
|---|
| Line Length | 14.7km |
|---|---|
| Track gauge | 1457mm |
| Electrification | 1500V DC |
| Operating speed | 80km/h |
The Yamate Line is the loop service in Lamtsu, operated by Harmony Rail Transit (Lamtsu). It is the most important line in Lamtsu, connecting all of the central major stations and urban centres, including Misato, Yamate, Lamtsu and Otaki, with all but 1 of it's stations not connecting to other lines. There has been talk and suggestions of closing down several of these stations in favour of other routes.
Internally Harmony Rail Transit refers to the Yamate Line as the section of the line from Misato to Yamate (going clockwise), with the remaining section being considered a part of the Namboku Line, with the 6-track corridor from Misato to Lamtsu also internally known as the Namboku Corridor, used by Mihara Line, Namboku Line and Yamate Line tracks. Until recently, Ome Liner and other limited express services would also use the corridor. In everyday usage, branding and signage, the "Yamate Line" refers to the 14km loop service in Lamtsu. (This article takes the same definition unless otherwise stated.)
Basic Data
- Total Distance: 14.7km ( 9.1 miles), branch lines included 14.9km (9.2 miles)
- Lamtsu Railway Company (HRT Lamtsu Operations Division) (Services and Tracks)
- Ofuna-Yamate: 3.7km (2.2 miles)
- Yamate-Misato: 7.8km (4.8 miles)
- Otaki-Ofuna: 1.3km (0.8 miles)
- Lamtsu Railway Company (HRT Lamtsu Operations Division) (Services and Tracks)
- Gauge: 1435mm Standard Gauge
- Stations: 10
- Tracks
- Entirely double-tracked
- Electrification:
- Loop: 1500V DC Overhead Wire
- Depot Access: 750V DC Overhead wire
- Signaling: CBTC (Moving Block)
- Maximum Speed:
- Depot Access: 40km/h
- Otaki-Misato: 80km/h
- Misato-Otaki: 60km/h
Service Outline
As with all trains in Lamtsu, trains run around-the-clock, 24/7. Trains are dispatched at intervals of 3 minutes, and during special events, less than 2. Trains are put in and taken out of service at Ofuna, which for practical and timetabling purposes is the line's terminus. Service is split into the Clockwise Service and the Anticlockwise service. (Trains travel on the left in Lamtsu, as well as road traffic.)
The line also acts as a fare zone for travel in Lamtsu, with all the major terminals on the line being part of fare zone 0. This means that any traveller from long-distance services can travel to any station on the line without a surcharge on the ticket. This also applies to the section of the Tozai Line from Lamtsu to Ofuna.
The colour used on the line is Lime Green (Hex: ABEB34) for rolling stock stripes, system maps and branding.
Name
"Yamate" （山手）literally refers to the foothills of an area. In Lamtsu, "Yamate" refers to the stretch of rough terrain from slightly west of Misato to Lamtsu. The original alignment of the Yamate Line ran from Yamate to Hikawa, and the name was derived from such. Only the western half of the line bears this origin, with the later extensions of the line no longer passing through the Yamate area.
The pronunciation of the line name has also been under some debate, with some arguing that the genitive suffix "no" is required in the pronunciation of the name. However, to distinguish the Yamate Line from other similar lines using "Yamanote", HRT Lamtsu has opted to keep the name as Yamate.
Station List
- Stations are listed clockwise from Ofuna, which was the station where trains were taken in and out of service. The depot moved to Oshamambe in 2023.
- All stations fall within the Lamtsu Capital City
- All Yamate Line trains are local services.
- Other services listed do not use Yamate Line tracks.
Legend
- ●: Trains stop
- ｜: Trains pass
| Line | Station | No. | CJK | Between | Distance | Mihara Line
(Express) |
Transfers | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yamate
Line |
Ofuna | OFN | 大船 | - | 0.0 | Ginza Line | Otaki | |
| Nakagawa | NKG | 那珂川 | 1.4 | 1.4 | Sakuho Line | Sakuho | ||
| Shimanto | SMT | 四万十 | 1.2 | 2.4 | Chuo Main Line | Yamate | ||
| Namboku
Line |
Yamate | YMT | 山手 | 1.3 | 3.7 | ● | Namboku Line | |
| Oshamambe | OSM | 長万部 | 1.1 | 4.8 | ｜ | Namboku Line | Lamtsu | |
| Lamtsu | LMT | 0.9 | 9.5 | ● | Seiyo Shinkansen | |||
| Kata | KT | 1.1 | 10.6 | ｜ | Iizuna Line | Misato | ||
| Misato | MST | 美里 | 0.9 | 11.5 | ● | Mihara Line | ||
| Yamate
Line |
Hikawa | HKW | 氷川 | 0.8 | 12.3 | Yurakucho Line | Otaki | |
| Otaki | OTK | 大多喜 | 1.1 | 13.4 | Sakura Main Line | |||
| Ofuna | OFN | 大船 | 1.3 | 14.7 | (See above) |
Rolling Stock
As of June 2022, the Yamate Line is operated exclusively by a fleet of 10-car E233-300 trains, all of which replaced the aging E44 stock from 2020 onwards. However, due to a multitude of faults with the new rolling stock, the trains were temporarily taken out of service until 2022.
Former Rolling Stock
Prior to the introduction of the E233 EMUs, the line's services were operated by SP100 EMUs, with the occasional E44 in times of great demand. these trains originally had 5 doors and 8 cars, but due to the difficulty in navigating the terrain, HRT Lamtsu switched the standard from 25m per car to 20m per car, with the Yamate Line being the first to begin the switch with the E233 trains. This was also for standardisation to accommodate the introduction of Automatic Platform Gates on all the inner-city stations.
- JGR Class 2120
- JGR Class 5500
- 63 Series
- 72 Series
- 103 Series
- KCR E44
- SP100
History
The Yamate Line began as a single line from Yamate to Hikawa, built and engineered by Hideo Sogo, founder of Misato City Railway. The initial plan called for a double-track line from Yamate to Misato, but due to government pressure, the line was delayed by a year to extend it to Hikawa. The line was double-tracked from Yamate to Misato, and Single-tracked from Misato to Hikawa, with only one of every 3 services continuing from Misato to Hikawa. The line's depot was the Misato Rail Yard until it's relocation to Ofuna. The line was later extended to Otaki to meet the Tozai Line in 1955.
The line was electrified in 1956, with the locomotives being moved to the Tozai Line, soon after the Misato-Ofuna section was double-tracked in 1953. The line had the loop completed in 1958, with the remainder of the line constructed from Otaki to Yamate. The line would switch from the 63 series to the 72 series in 1976.
The Namboku Line was constructed in 1968, taking a route from Yamate to Lamtsu far quicker and smoother than the original alignment. As such, Yamate Line and Namboku Line trains would share tracks from Yamate to Misato, until the section was quadruple-tracked in 1971. The Mihara Line (Express) trains now use the old Yamate Line connection at Lamtsu to switch tracks from the Mihara Line to the Namboku Line. The section was sextupled by Harmony Rail Transit in 2012.
Shortly after the construction of the Sakuho Line, Misato City Railway forbade other railway companies from building lines through the Yamate Line, forcing them to terminate at stations around the line, leading to the development of other urban centres such as Lamtsu and Otaki, with Nakagawa being one of the fastest-growing region in Sorano.
2 new stations have been built on the Yamate Line since it's opening. Ofuna station was built on the Yamate Line after it opened to facilitate the relocation of the depot to Ofuna Depot, and Kata station was built on top of the Yamate and Namboku Line tracks in 2020, becoming the first station to be added to the line since 1986. The stretch between Lamtsu and Misato was the longest on the line, and increased development in the area also prompted HRT Lamtsu to construct the station in the newly-formed Kata district. The station was built on top of the site of the Kimotsuki Freight Terminal and Railyard, which would then be relocated to the north of the station. The station also intersected the Misato Freight Line, so the portion of the line from Kata to Lamtsu was demolished. The tracks for the Yamate and Namboku Lines were moved further south, while the Mihara Line was unaffected by the works.
During the 2022 Great Lamtsu Railway Rebuild, the Namboku Corridor from Lamtsu to Misato was completely rebuilt, especially the area around Kata station, to make way and facilitate the new portion of the Iizuna Line. The Yamate Line was one of the first lines to be completed after the rebuild began, only being reopened after the Mihara and Namboku lines. (The Sakuho-Kujujuri line and Iizuna Line do not count as they are operated by Misato Railway Transport.
Several stations have longer platforms for the Yamate Line. This is because to deal with crowding on the line, HRT (Lamtsu) began upgrading works on the platforms to lengthen the trains used on the line. This was cancelled in 2023 when the line switched to CBTC signalling, allowing trains to run at 90 second intervals instead of the existing 180 second interval.
Accidents
The Yamate Line has seen the most accidents of all the lines in Lamtsu, due to it's age. After the 2022 Lamtsu Railway Rebuild, the line is expected to see no more accidents due to new timetabling and ATS systems.
- 1956 Yamate Train Fire (14 killed, 35 injured)
- 1994 Hikawa Collision (32 killed, 65 injured)
- 2013 Ofuna derailment (12 injured)