Abukuma Express Line

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title: "Abukuma Express Line" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["abukuma-express-line", "1067-mm-gauge-railways-in-japan", "railway-lines-opened-in-1968", "1968-establishments-in-japan", "japanese-third-sector-railway-lines", "rail-transport-in-miyagi-prefecture", "rail-transport-in-yamagata-prefecture"] description: "Railway line in Fukushima & Miyagi Prefectures, Japan" topic_path: "geography/japan" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abukuma_Express_Line" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Railway line in Fukushima & Miyagi Prefectures, Japan ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox rail line"]

Field	Value
name	Abukuma Express Line
(Abukuma Kyuko Line)
image	Abukuma-kyuko-AB900-1,2.jpg
caption	Abukuma Express Line AB900 series train at Tsukinoki Station
type	Heavy rail
status	Operational
locale	Tohoku region
start
end
stations	23
open	1 April 1968
owner	Abukuma Express
linelength_km	54.9
gauge
electrification
speed	95 km/h
minradius	500 m
map	[[File:Abukuma_Express_Linemap.png
{{Abukuma Express Line RDT	inline
::

| name = Abukuma Express Line (Abukuma Kyuko Line) | image = Abukuma-kyuko-AB900-1,2.jpg | caption = Abukuma Express Line AB900 series train at Tsukinoki Station | type = Heavy rail | status = Operational | locale = Tohoku region | start = | end = | stations = 23 | open = 1 April 1968 | owner = Abukuma Express | linelength_km = 54.9 | gauge = | electrification = | speed = 95 km/h | minradius = 500 m | map = [[File:Abukuma_Express_Linemap.png|300px]]

The Abukuma Express Line is a railway line in Japan, owned and operated by the third-sector operator Abukuma Express. Opened in April 1968, the line connects Fukushima Station in Fukushima Prefecture and Tsukinoki Station in Miyagi Prefecture. Both of these stations are also on the Tōhoku Main Line operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East).

Station list

::data[format=table] | Station | Distance from km (mi) | Transfers | Location | |---|---|---|---| | | 0 km | {{Plainlist| | Fukushima | | | 5.6 km | | | | | 6.5 km | | | | | 7.5 km | | | | | 8.6 km | | | | | 10.1 km | | Date | | | 11.5 km | | | | | 12.8 km | | | | | 13.9 km | | | | | 15.4 km | | | | | 17.0 km | | | | | 18.3 km | | | | | 20.0 km | | | | | 22.1 km | | | | | 25.2 km | | | | | 29.4 km | | Marumori | | | 37.5 km | | | | | 39.2 km | | | | | 41.6 km | | Kakuda | | | 43.3 km | | | | | 45.2 km | | | | | 47.7 km | | | | | 51.3 km | | Shibata | | | 54.9 km | {{Plainlist| | | ::

History

The line opened on 1 April 1968 as the Marumori Line, operated by Japanese National Railways (JNR) between Tsukinoki and Marumori. It was originally planned as a bypass between Fukushima and Marumori to relieve congestion on the Tōhoku Main Line, but plans to extend the route were suspended after the Tōhoku Main Line was quadruple-tracked. In September 1981, as JNR's financial situation deteriorated, the line was proposed for closure.

In response, local and prefectural governments along the route established a third-sector railway operator, Abukuma Express, to take over operations. An application for a railway operating license covering the full route between Fukushima and Marumori was submitted on 24 December 1984. The license was granted on 27 February 1985, followed by approval of construction works on 2 March 1985, allowing electrification of the existing section and the resumption of construction on previously unfinished segments.

Ownership of the line was transferred to Abukuma Express on 1 July 1986, with services initially operated as a non-electrified line between Tsukinoki and Marumori using diesel multiple units borrowed from JNR.

The line was extended south to Fukushima Station on 1 July 1988, completing the full route between Fukushima and Marumori. At the same time, the entire line was electrified using a overhead supply.

Operations were suspended across the entire line following damage from the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 2011, with services gradually restored in stages and full operations resuming on 16 May 2011. All services were again suspended on 12 October 2019 due to damage caused by Typhoon Hagibis; partial service resumed later that month, and full operations between Fukushima and Tsukinoki were restored on 31 October 2020. A further suspension occurred following the 2022 Fukushima earthquake on 16 March 2022, with services progressively reinstated and full operations resuming on 27 June 2022.

References

References

1. Terada, Hirokazu. (July 2002). "データブック日本の私鉄". Neko Publishing.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::