The is a railway line, consisting of three geographically separated sections, operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) in Japan. It was originally one continuous line connecting and via . Since the opening and later extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen, sections running in parallel have either been discontinued or transferred to third-sector railway companies.
The name of the line refers to the old names for Nagano and Niigata prefectures, Shinano (), and Echigo ().
The discontinued section through the Usui Pass was famous for its steep 66.7‰ (6.67%) gradient.
Sections
From 14 March 2015, the line consists of the following three sections.
– (29.7 km): in Gunma Prefecture – (9.3 km): in Nagano Prefecture – (136.3 km): in Niigata Prefecture
There are three small freight branches; from Echigo-Ishiyama Station to Niigata Freight Terminal, from Kami-Nuttari Junction to Nuttari Station (discontinued on 25 March 2010), and from Kami-Nuttari Junction to Higashi-Niigata-kō Station.
Services Takasaki–Yokokawa Local: 1 or 2 trains per hour Excursion train: SL Gunma Yokokawa and SL YOGISHA Yokokawa ()
Shinonoi–Nagano All trains run through on the Shinonoi Line or the Shinano Railway Line.
Naoetsu–Niigata
Limited express, Rapid , the following services are operated. NameRouteService frequency (daily)Limited Express Shirayuki(/)–Naoetsu–Niigata4 round tripsRapidNaoetsu–Niigata1 round tripNaoetsu–Nagaoka3 trips to Nagaoka2 trips to NaoetsuNagaoka–Niigata1 round trip
Local Naoetsu–Nagaoka: every 60–120 minutes Nagaoka–Niitsu: every 60 minutes (every 20 minutes during peaks) Niitsu–Niigata: every 20 minutes (every 5–10 minutes during peaks)
Excursion train (Joyful Train) Koshino Shu*Kura
Stations Takasaki–Yokokawa All stations are in Gunma Prefecture. StationJapaneseDistance(km)SLConnectionsLocation高崎0.0●Takasaki北高崎2.4｜ 豊岡だるま–｜ scheduled to open in 2026群馬八幡6.4｜ 安中10.6● Annaka磯部17.6● 松井田22.7｜ 西松井田23.9｜ 横川29.7●JR Bus Kanto Usui Line
Yokokawa–Shinonoi The section between Yokokawa and was closed and the section between Karuizawa and Shinonoi was transferred to the ownership of the third-sector railway operator Shinano Railway from 1 October 1997 with the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen (Nagano Shinkansen) between Takasaki and Nagano.
Shinonoi–Nagano All stations are in Nagano, Nagano Prefecture. No.StationJapaneseDistance(km)Connections 篠ノ井0.0 今井2.1 川中島4.3 安茂里6.4 長野9.3
Nagano–Naoetsu The section between Nagano and Naoetsu was transferred to the ownership of the third-sector railway operators Shinano Railway and Echigo Tokimeki Railway from 14 March 2015 with the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension north of Nagano.
Naoetsu–Niigata All stations are in Niigata Prefecture. A: Limited Express Shirayuki B: Rapid Ohayo-Shinetsu C: Rapid Rakuraku-Train-Shinetsu D: Rapid Trains stop at stations marked "O", skip at stations marked "|". StationJapaneseDistance(km)ABCDConnectionsLocation直江津84.3OOOOJōetsu黒井87.0|||| 犀潟91.4|||O Hokuhoku Line土底浜93.7|||| 潟町95.5|||| 上下浜98.3|||| 柿崎101.9OOOO 米山107.8|||| Kashiwazaki笠島111.7|||| 青海川113.9|||| 鯨波116.9|||| 柏崎120.6OOOO Echigo Line茨目123.6|||| 安田126.5|||| 北条129.1|||| 越後広田132.4|||| 長鳥135.1|||| 塚山140.1|||| Nagaoka越後岩塚144.8|||| 来迎寺147.6|OOO 前川151.7|||| 宮内154.3|OOO Jōetsu LineMinami-NagaokaFreight Terminal南長岡(155.7) 長岡157.3OOOO Jōetsu Shinkansen北長岡159.8|||| 押切164.2|||| 見附168.7OOOO Mitsuke帯織172.8|||| Sanjō東光寺175.4|||| 三条178.9||OO 東三条180.5OOOO Yahiko Line保内184.3|||| 加茂188.1OOOO Kamo羽生田192.2|||| Tagami田上195.4|||| 矢代田199.1||OO Akiha-ku, Niigata古津202.2|||| 新津205.4OOOOさつき野206.9|||| 荻川209.2|||| 亀田214.1|||O Kōnan-ku, Niigata越後石山216.5|||| Higashi-ku, Niigata新潟220.6OOOOChūō-ku, Niigata
Rolling stock Present Takasaki–Yokokawa 211 series 4/6-car DC EMUs
Shinonoi–Nagano 115 series 2/3-car DC EMUs (Shinano Railway) 211 series 3-car DC EMUs E127-100 series 2-car DC EMUs 383 series 6-car DC EMUs (Shinano)
Naoetsu–Niigata 115 series 3-car DC EMUs (rapid only) E129 series 2/4 car DC EMUs (since December 2014) ET127 series 2-car DC EMUs (Naoetsu–Nagaoka, late night/early morning only) E653-1100 series 4-car DC/AC EMUs (Shirayuki, Ohayo-Shinetsu, Rakuraku-Train-Shinetsu)
Former Takasaki–Yokokawa 115 series (until March 2018) 107 series (until September 2017)
Naoetsu–Niigata 485 series (Until March 2017) - Hokuetsu, Kubikino, Ohayo-Shinetsu, Rakuraku-Train-Shinetsu, Moonlight Echigo, Minori, Hakuchō, etc. 489 series - Noto etc. 583 series (Until January 2013) - Kitaguni 181 series, 183 series - Toki etc. 165 series 70 series
Future
E131 series 3 Car EMUs
History
The Japanese Government Railways opened the Takasaki to Yokokawa section in 1885, the Naoetsu to Sekiyama section the following year, and the Sekiyama–Nagano–Karuizawa section in 1888. In order to surmount the 552 metre altitude difference between Yokokawa and Karuizawa (which are apart), it then constructed an Abt rack section through the Usui Pass, which opened in 1893, and was double-tracked for from Karuizawa to the top of the rack section. A horse-drawn tramway operated between Yokokawa and Karuizawa until the rack section opened.
The Hokuetsu Railway opened the Naoetsu to Nagaoka section in 1897, extending the line to Niigata in 1904. That company was nationalised in 1907. In 1909, the Imperial Japanese Railway authorities invited bids for the electrification of the route. A German company was selected to provide the engines and General Electric supplied the turbines at the power station. In 1912, the rack section was electrified using third rail at 600 V DC, this being the first use of this method in Japan. The electrification allowed for the use of faster and longer trains which reduced journey times and also pollution from the steam engines.Electric Railway Journal, June 20, 1914, Electrification of the Usui-Toge Railway, Japan, p. 1393, https://archive.org/stream/electricrailway431914newy/electricrailway431914newy#page/1393/mode/1up/search/power+company A link to archival footage of the rack section operation is available here
Double-tracking The Karuizawa to Nagano section was double-tracked between 1917 and 1920, with the Nagaoka to Miyauchi section double-tracked in 1931, and the Niitsu–Kamo section in 1944. Double-tracking of the remainder of the Niigata to Naoetsu line was undertaken in sections between 1958 and 1973.
Double-tracking of the remainder of the Takasaki to Kaminagano line was undertaken in sections between 1963 and 1973, commencing with the replacement of the rack mechanism with an adhesion only electrified (1,500 V DC catenary) operation on the 1 in 15 (6.7%) grade. The rack equipment was initially kept as a contingency, and removed two months after the adhesion-only operation commenced and had proved its reliability.
The Kurohime to Myoko-Kogen section was double-tracked in conjunction with a realignment in 1980. The Mure to Kurohime section was also realigned and prepared for double-tracking (including new double-track size tunnels), but the second track was not laid.
Electrification The Miyauchi to Nagaoka section was electrified in 1947 at 1,500 V DC in conjunction with the electrification of the Joetsu Line, with the Nagaoka to Niigata section electrified in 1962, the same year the Takasaki to Yokokawa section was commissioned to facilitate the extension to Nagano the following year via the new adhesion line through the Usui Pass mentioned above. The Nagano to Naoetsu section was electrified in 1966, and extended to Miyauchi in 1969.
Separation into sections In 1997, following the opening of the Nagano Shinkansen, the Yokokawa to Karuizawa section was closed, and the Karuizawa to Shinonoi section transferred to the third-sector Shinano Railway.
On 14 March 2015, following the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen to , the to section was also spun off to the following two third-sector operating companies owned primarily by the respective prefectures and municipalities.
Shinano Railway Kita-Shinano Line (37.3 km, to ) Echigo Tokimeki Railway Myōkō Haneuma Line (37.7 km, Myōkō-Kōgen to )
Station numbering Station numbering was introduced on the Shinonoi–Nagano section from February 2025, with Shinonoi station being assigned SE09. Numbers increase towards Nagano.
Former connecting lines
(Note - for the connections at stations between Karuizawa and Shinonoi, see Shinano Railway Line) Nagano Station: The Zenkoji Hakuba Railway Co. opened a line to Susohana Guchi in 1936. A proposal for the line to be extended to Hakuba on the Oito Line did not eventuate, and the line closed in 1944. Kuroi Station: The Kubiki Railway Co. opened a gauge line to Uragawara between 1914 and 1916, with the line closing in 1971. Raikoji Station: The Nagaoka Railway Co. opened a line to Teradomari (on the Echigo Line) between 1915 and 1921. This company introduced Japan's first diesel railcar in 1928, and in 1951 electrified of the line at 750 V DC in 70 days, completing the balance the following year. Significant typhoon damage occurred in 1966, and in 1972, passenger services ceased between Raikoji and Nishinagaoka, with the entire line becoming freight-only three years later. The line closed in 1995.
The 13 km gauge Uonuma Railway to Nishiojiya was opened in 1911, and nationalised in 1922. It was converted to gauge in 1954, freight services ceased in 1960, and the line closed in 1984.
Nagaoka Station: The Tochio Railway opened a 27 km gauge line to Tochio and Yūkyūzan between 1915 and 1924. The line was electrified at 600 V DC in 1948, with this being raised to 750 V DC in 1956. CTC signalling was commissioned in 1961, freight services ceased in 1967, and the line closed between 1973 and 1975. Higashi Sanjo Station: The Echigo Railway Co. opened the 8 km line to Echigo Nagasawa in 1927, and was nationalised two months later. Freight services ceased in 1960, and the line closed in 1985. Kamo Station: The Kanbara Railway Co. operated a line to Gosen on the Ban'etsu West Line from 1923 until 2002.
References
External links Stations of the Shin'etsu Main Line (Gumma) (JR East) Stations of the Shin'etsu Main Line (Nagano/Niigata) (JR East)