The was a Japanese railway line in Hokkaido operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido) which connected Fukagawa Station in Fukagawa and Nayoro Station in Nayoro.
Stations Stops legend: ●: Train meet possible X:Train meet impossible No.Station nameJapaneseBetween(km)Distance(km)StopTransfersNotesLocation深川0.0● Hakodate Main Line Rumoi Main Line (Abolished 1 April 2026) Fukagawa円山4.74.7X 上多度志6.110.8X 多度志3.214.0X 宇摩5.419.4X 幌成2.922.3X 下幌成1.824.1X 鷹泊3.227.3X 沼牛10.637.9XUryu DistrictHorokanai新成生2.039.9X 幌加内3.843.7● 上幌加内3.146.8X 雨煙別4.351.1XAll trains passed this station between December 1 and April 20.Closed 10 March 1990 政和温泉5.156.2XAll trains passed this station between December 1 and April 20.Closed 10 March 1990政和2.558.7X 新富5.564.2XClosed 1 September 1990添牛内4.468.6X大曲3.672.2XClosed 1 February 1976共栄3.375.5X朱鞠内3.378.8●Meiu Line (Uncompleted)Kohan湖畔1.980.7X宇津内4.385.0XClosed 19 November 1956蕗ノ台4.589.5XAll trains passed this station between December 1 and April 30.Closed 10 March 1990白樺4.193.6XAll trains passed this station between December 1 and April 30.Closed 10 March 1990北母子里5.499.0X天塩弥生15.6114.6XNayoro西名寄3.2117.8X名寄4.0121.8●Nayoro Main Line (Abolished 1 May 1989) Sōya Main Line
History Uryū Line began construction in 1922, to connect Shumarinai and Fukagawa. The construction was split in six phases and the construction was completed by 1932. The line was renamed to Horokanai Line in 1931.
Meiu Line (名雨線) began construction in 1935 to connect Nayoro to Shumarinai. The line was completed in 1939, and the two lines were renamed to Shinmei Line, taking letters from the two terminus.
Post war
In 1960s, due to the decline of coal mines and introduction of cheaper foreign woods, the economy of the nearby municipalities began to decline. This led to the slow decrease in the population. Population in Horokonai decreased to 7,283 by 1970 compared to 12,016 in 1960. In areas close to Shirakaba station and Fukinodai, settlements disappeared, and with the ongoing motorization and the improvements in roads, the number of users fell to one-third of its peak.
Following the huge drop in users and operating ratio hitting 2,785, the line was listed as one of the Deficit 83 Lines movement and later Specified local lines. However, due to lack of replacement roads, it was not closed by the movement, the line continued to operate until 1995, when it was closed and switched to bus service by JR Hokkaido Bus Company.
Rolling stock Six JNR Class C11s were used in the line from 1941 to 1949.青木栄一「特定地方交通線の実態と問題を現地に見る 10 深名線」『鉄道ジャーナル』第183号、成美堂出版（鉄道ジャーナル社）, May 1982, 122-131p. JGR Class 8620 and JNR Class 9600 were used until the 1970s.
KiHa 01 series was used from August 1955, but were slowly replaced by , which were used by 1966.「旧型気動車にお別れ」『広報ほろかない』May 1966 After 1966, made for Hokkaido were used.
From March 1986, , , and KiHa 40 were used until the closure of the entire line.
References