The is a railway line in Kyushu, Japan, operated by the Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu). It connects Kurume Station, Kurume in Fukuoka Prefecture and Ōita Station, Ōita in Ōita Prefecture. It is also known as the Yufu Kōgen Line.
The line crosses the whole of Kyushu, approximately paralleling the Chikugo River and its tributary the Kusu River near Kurume, and along the Ōita River close to Ōita. It also traverses popular tourist resorts such as Hita (known as Little Kyoto) and spa resorts around Yufu.
Stations Station Distance(km) TransfersLocationKurume 久留米 0.0 Kagoshima Main Line Kyushu ShinkansenKurumeFukuoka 久留米高校前3.4 南久留米4.9 久留米大学前6.8 御井8.0 善導寺12.6 筑後草野15.7 田主丸20.8 筑後吉井26.4 Ukiha うきは30.0 筑後大石33.0 夜明39.1 Hitahikosan Line (No service since July 2017 due to rainstorm damage, was replaced by bus rapid transit in August 2023)HitaŌita 光岡45.2 日田47.6 豊後三芳49.4 豊後中川55.3 天ケ瀬59.5 杉河内63.6 Kusu 北山田67.8 豊後森73.2 恵良77.3 Kokonoe 引治80.7 豊後中村83.1 野矢88.2 由布院99.1 Yufu 南由布102.5 湯平109.6 庄内114.5 天神山118.1 小野屋119.6 鬼瀬124.6 向之原127.7 豊後国分131.7 Ōita 賀来133.9 南大分136.6 古国府138.9 大分141.5 Nippō Main Line Hōhi Main Line
History In 1915, the Daito Railway Co. opened the 22 km Oita - Onoya section. The company was nationalised in 1922, and westerly extensions were undertaken in stages from 1923 until Amagase was reached in 1933. The Kurume - Chikugoyoshi opened in 1928, and easterly extensions to Amagase opened between 1931 and 1934.
CTC signalling was commissioned over the entire line in 1984, and freight services ceased in 1987.
Typhoon damage In 2012, a landslide disrupted services for 6 weeks.
On 5 July 2017, torrential rainfall washed out the bridge over the Oita River between Chikugo Oisha and Teruoka, resulting in the closure of the section. According to the Japanese language Wikipedia article, the line was fully re-opened on 14 July 2018.
Previous connecting/transfer lines
Era Station: the 27 km Miyanoharu Line to Higo-oguni opened between 1937 and 1954. Freight services ceased in 1971, and the line closed on 1 December 1984. Kurume Station: the 46 km gauge Chigoku Line to Mameda opened between 1904 and 1916, and was electrified at 600 V DC in 1919. It had three short branch lines (1 to 4 km long). The entire system closed in 1929.
References