Uetsu Main Line

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Railway line in Japan

title: "Uetsu Main Line" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["uetsu-main-line", "lines-of-east-japan-railway-company", "rail-transport-in-niigata-prefecture", "rail-transport-in-yamagata-prefecture", "rail-transport-in-akita-prefecture", "1067-mm-gauge-railways-in-japan", "standard-gauge-railways-in-japan", "railway-lines-opened-in-1912", "1912-establishments-in-japan"] description: "Railway line in Japan" topic_path: "geography/japan" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uetsu_Main_Line" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Railway line in Japan ::

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

Field	Value
name	Uetsu Main Line
native_name	羽越本線
native_name_lang	ja
color	16c0e9
image	きらきらうえつ東酒田～砂越間にて撮影 20120815 1617.jpg
image_width	300px
caption	Kirakira Uetsu (Joyful Train)
type	Heavy rail
system	JR East
status	Operating
locale	Niigata, Yamagata, Akita Prefectures
start	Niitsu Station
end	Akita Station
stations	61
open
owner	[[File:JR logo (east).svg
operator	[[File:JR logo (east).svg
tracklength	274.4 km (170.5 mi)
tracks	Sections of double track and single track
gauge

|electrification = 1,500 V DC, 20 kV AC 50 Hz |speed = 120 km/h |elevation = |map =[[Image:JR Uetsu Line linemap.svg|thumb|200px|center]] ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/Wakigawa,_Murakami,_Niigata_Prefecture_959-3661,Japan-panoramio(1).jpg" caption="The Uetsu Main Line runs along the [[Sea of Japan]]. One of the tunnels on the right is for the Uetsu Main Line, and the other [[Japan National Route 345]]."] ::

The Uetsu Main Line is a railway line in the Tohoku and Chubu regions of Japan. Part of the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) system, it connects Niitsu Station in the city of Niigata and Akita Station in Akita. The name "Uetsu" refers to the ancient provinces of Dewa (出羽) and Echigo (越後), which the line connects.

Route data

Total length: 274.4 km (170.5 mi) (Fukushima–Aomori, Tsuchizaki–Akitakō)
Operators, distances:
- [[File:JR logo (east).svg|20px]]East Japan Railway Company (Services and tracks)
  - Niitsu — Akita: 271.7 km (168.8 mi)
- [[File:JR logo (freight).svg|20px]]Japan Freight Railway Company (Services and tracks)
  - Sakata — Sakata-Minato: 2.7 km (1.7 mi)
- [[File:JR logo (freight).svg|20px]]Japan Freight Railway Company (Services)
  - Niitsu — Akita: 271.7 km (168.8 mi)
Tracks:
- See station list for details
Electrification:
- Niitsu — Murakami: 1,500 V DC
- Murakami — Akita: 20 kV AC, 50 Hz
Railway signalling:
Maximum speed:
- Niitsu — Murakami: 120 km/h (75 mph)
- Murakami — Imagawa: 100 km/h (62 mph)
- Imagawa — Sanze: 95 km/h (59 mph)
- Sanze — Sakata: 120 km/h (75 mph)
- Sakata — Akita: 95 km/h (59 mph)

Services

;Limited express, Rapid , the following services are operated. ::data[format=table]

Name	Route	Service frequency (daily)
Limited Express Inaho	() – – /Akita	7 return trips
Rapid Kairi	(Niigata) – Shibata – Sakata	1 return trip (weekends only)
Rapid Rakuraku Train Murakami	(Niigata) – Shibata –	1 down trip
Rapid Benibana	(Niigata) – Shibata – – ()	1 return trip
::

;Local :Niitsu – Shibata: every 60-180 minutes :Shibata – Murakami: every 60-120 minutes :Murakami – Sakata: every 60-180 minutes :Sakata – Akita: every 60-180 minutes

Between Shibata and Murakami, most of the local trains travel through to/from via Hakushin Line.

Stations

:A: Limited Express Inaho :B: Rapid Kairi :C: Rapid Rakuraku Train Murakami, Benibana and other Rapid service trains :Trains stop at stations marked "O", skip at stations marked "|". ::data[format=table] | Station | Japanese | Distance (km) | A | B | C | Transfers | | DC/AC | Location | Between stations | Total | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | | 新津 | - | 0.0 | Via Hakushin Line | {{Plainlist| | ∨ | 1,500 V DC | Akiha-ku, Niigata | Niigata | | | | | 京ヶ瀬 | 6.1 | 6.1 | | ◇ | Agano | | | | | | | | 水原 | 4.1 | 10.2 | | ◇ | | | | | | | | | 神山 | 3.7 | 13.9 | | ｜ | | | | | | | | | 月岡 | 3.9 | 17.8 | | ◇ | Shibata | | | | | | | | 中浦 | 3.7 | 21.5 | | ｜ | | | | | | | | | 新発田 | 4.5 | 26.0 | O | O | O | Hakushin Line (some trains through to Murakami) | ^ | | | | | | 加治 | 4.3 | 30.3 | | | | | |Only 1 up rapid service in the morning stops | | ∥ | | | | | | 金塚 | 5.0 | 35.3 | | | | | | | | ∨ | | | | | | 中条 | 3.8 | 39.1 | O | O | O | | ^ | Tainai | | | | | 平木田 | 5.6 | 44.7 | | | | | | | | ∥ | | | | | | 坂町 | 3.3 | 48.0 | O | O | O | Yonesaka Line (Operation suspended due to rainstorm damage) | ∥ | Murakami | | | | | 平林 | 3.6 | 51.6 | | | | | | | | ∨ | | | | | | 岩船町 | 3.6 | 55.2 | | | | | | | | ◇ | | | | | | 村上 | 4.2 | 59.4 | O | O | O | | ^ | | | | | | 間島 | 7.1 | 66.5 | | | | | | | ∨ | 20 kVAC50 Hz | | | | | 越後早川 | 4.9 | 71.4 | | | | | | | ^ | | | | | | 桑川 | 6.9 | 78.3 | | | O | | | ∨ | | | | | | 今川 | 4.3 | 82.6 | | | | | | | ◇ | | | | | | 越後寒川 | 4.9 | 87.5 | | | | | | | ^ | | | | | | 勝木 | 5.3 | 92.8 | | | | | | | ∨ | | | | | | 府屋 | 3.1 | 95.9 | O | | | | | ^ | | | | | | 鼠ヶ関 | 5.1 | 101.0 | | | | | | | ∥ | Tsuruoka | Yamagata | | | | 小岩川 | 4.4 | 105.4 | | | | | | | ∨ | | | | | | あつみ温泉 | 4.4 | 109.8 | O | O | | | ^ | | | | | | 五十川 | 5.9 | 115.7 | | | | | | | ∥ | | | | | | 小波渡 | 4.4 | 120.1 | | | | | | | ∥ | | | | | | 三瀬 | 3.1 | 123.2 | | | | | | | ∥ | | | | | | 羽前水沢 | 5.7 | 128.9 | | | | | | | ∥ | | | | | | 羽前大山 | 4.5 | 133.4 | | | | | | | ∨ | | | | | | 鶴岡 | 6.0 | 139.4 | O | O | | | ◇ | | | | | | 藤島 | 6.6 | 146.0 | | | | | | | ^ | | | | | | 西袋 | 5.1 | 151.1 | | | | | | | ∥ | Shōnai, Higashitagawa | | | | | 余目 | 3.6 | 154.7 | O | O | | Rikuu West LineMost trains from Rikuu West Line terminate at Sakata Station (Operation suspended until 2024/2025) | ∥ | | | | | | 北余目 | 2.7 | 157.4 | | | | | | | ∥ | | | | | | 砂越 | 3.0 | 160.4 | | | | | | | ∥ | Sakata | | | | | 東酒田 | 3.3 | 163.7 | | | | | | | ∥ | | | | | Sakata | 酒田 | 3.2 | 166.9 | O | O | | JR Freight Uetsu Freight Branch Line (to Sakata-Minato) | ∥ | | | | | | 本楯 | 6.4 | 173.3 | | | | | | ∨ | | | | | | 南鳥海 | 2.6 | 175.9 | | | | | | ◇ | | | | | | 遊佐 | 3.2 | 179.1 | O | | | | ^ | Yuza, Akumi | | | | | 吹浦 | 7.0 | 186.1 | | | | | | ∨ | | | | | | 女鹿 | 3.6 | 189.7 | | | | | | ◇ | | | | | | 小砂川 | 5.1 | 194.8 | | | | | | ◇ | Nikaho | Akita | | | | 上浜 | 3.7 | 198.5 | | | | | | ◇ | | | | | | 象潟 | 4.9 | 203.4 | O | | | | ◇ | | | | | | 金浦 | 5.8 | 209.2 | | | | | | ^ | | | | | | 仁賀保 | 5.5 | 214.7 | O | | | | ∨ | | | | | | 西目 | 8.4 | 223.1 | | | | | | ^ | Yurihonjō | | | | | 羽後本荘 | 5.8 | 228.9 | O | | O | Yuri Kōgen Railway Chōkai Sanroku Line | ∥ | | | | | | 羽後岩谷 | 7.1 | 236.0 | | | | O | | ∥ | | | | | | 折渡 | 4.7 | 240.7 | | | | ↓ | | ∨ | | | | | | 羽後亀田 | 3.0 | 243.7 | | | | O | | ◇ | | | | | | 岩城みなと | 6.5 | 250.2 | | | | ↓ | | ｜ | | | | | | 道川 | 1.6 | 251.8 | | | | ↓ | | ^ | | | | | | 下浜 | 6.6 | 258.4 | | | | ↓ | | ∨ | Akita | | | | | 桂根 | 3.4 | 261.7 | | | | ↓ | | ◇ | | | | | | 新屋 | 4.0 | 265.7 | | | | O | | ◇ | | | | | | 羽後牛島 | 3.3 | 269.0 | | | | O | | ◇ | | | | | | 秋田 | 2.7 | 271.7 | O | | O | {{Plainlist| | ^ | | | | ::

Symbols:

| - Single-track
◇ - Single-track; station where trains can pass
^ - Double-track section starts from this point
∥ - Double-track
∨ - Single-track section starts from this point

Rolling stock

Present

Local

E129 series 2/4-car DC EMUs (Niitsu—Murakami, since December 2014)
701 series 2/3-car AC EMUs (Sakata—Akita)
KiHa 110 series (Niitsu - Nezugaseki)
GV-E400 series (Niitsu-Sakata, since August 2019)

''Inaho''/''Rakuraku Train Murakami''

E653-1000 series 7-car DC/AC EMUs (since September 2013)

Kairi

HB-E300 series OmonogawaBridge.jpg|701 series passing Omonogawa Bridge E653-1000_U104_Inaho_5_20140731.jpg|E653 series Inaho, near Higashi-Sakata Station JR_East_HB-E300-KAIRI_Shibata_20200404.jpg|Kairi at Shibata Station, April 2020

Former

115 series DC EMUs (Niitsu—Murakami, until March 2018)
E127-0 series 2-car DC EMUs (Shibata—Murakami, until March 2015)
KiHa 40/47/48 series DMUs (Until March 2020)
KiHa E120 DMUs (Niitsu—Sakata, until March 2018)
KiHa 58 series DMUs
KiHa 52 DMUs
485 series DC/AC EMUs (until July 2014) - Inaho, Hakucho, Rakuraku Train Murakami 村上駅_-panoramio-_くろふね.jpg|E127 series and 115 series at Murakami Station, March 2009 Uetsu line Type47.jpg|KiHa 40/47/48 series, Amarume - Nishibukuro, March 2017 JRE Kiha47-513.jpg|KiHa 40/47/48 series, Tsuruoka - Fujishima, October 2016 KihaE120-1_Kiha110.jpg|KiHa E120 and 110 at Sakamachi Station, July 2009 JNR_485_kanimuttari_hakucho_at_akita.jpg|485 series Hakucho limited espress, Akita Station, 1987 UetsuhonsenInaho485Series3000.JPG|485-3000 series Inaho limited express, Kosagawa - Kamihama, March 2014

History

The line was opened in sections between 1912 and 1924, and electrified in 1972, the same year CTC signalling was commissioned.

Work to double-track the line in sections commenced in 1957, and continued for 25 years until being suspended due to capital expenditure restrictions in 1983, at which time 51% of the route was double-tracked.

On July 28, 2022, JR East announced that ridership in some sectors was less than 2000 persons/day, the deficit for the sector between Murakami Station to Tsuruoka Station being 4,990 billion yen, the largest deficit within the JR East system.

Accidents

On December 25, 2005, all six cars of a limited express train Inaho No.14 on the Uetsu Line derailed in Yamagata prefecture, about 350 km north of Tokyo. The train was headed south towards Kita-Amarume Station. Three of the cars turned over, causing the deaths of five people and injuring 33 others. Three other persons were originally reported missing, but authorities later discovered that they had disembarked from the train before the accident. It is likely that the event was caused by a tornado although it is uncertain whether or not a tornado was involved with this accident.

References

::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. ::