The 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: East Japan Railway Company (Services and tracks) Niitsu — Akita: 271.7 km (168.8 mi) Japan Freight Railway Company (Services and tracks) Sakata — Sakata-Minato: 2.7 km (1.7 mi) 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. NameRouteService frequency (daily)Limited Express Inaho() – – /Akita7 return tripsRapid Kairi (Niigata) – Shibata – Sakata1 return trip (weekends only)Rapid Rakuraku Train Murakami(Niigata) – Shibata – 1 down tripRapid 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 "|". StationJapaneseDistance (km)ABCTransfers DC/ACLocationBetweenstationsTotal新津 -0.0ViaHakushin Line∨1,500 VDCAkiha-ku, NiigataNiigata京ヶ瀬6.16.1 ◇Agano水原4.110.2 ◇神山3.713.9 ｜月岡3.917.8 ◇Shibata中浦3.721.5 ｜新発田4.526.0OOO Hakushin Line (some trains through to Murakami)^加治4.330.3|||Only 1 up rapid service in the morning stops ∥金塚5.035.3||| ∨中条3.839.1OOO ^Tainai平木田5.644.7||| ∥坂町3.348.0OOO Yonesaka Line (Operation suspended due to rainstorm damage)∥Murakami平林3.651.6||| ∨岩船町3.655.2||| ◇村上4.259.4OOO ^間島7.166.5|| ∨20 kVAC50 Hz越後早川4.971.4|| ^桑川6.978.3|O ∨今川4.382.6|| ◇越後寒川4.987.5|| ^勝木5.392.8|| ∨府屋3.195.9O| ^鼠ヶ関5.1101.0|| ∥TsuruokaYamagata小岩川4.4105.4|| ∨あつみ温泉4.4109.8OO ^五十川5.9115.7|| ∥小波渡4.4120.1|| ∥三瀬3.1123.2|| ∥羽前水沢5.7128.9|| ∥羽前大山4.5133.4|| ∨鶴岡6.0139.4OO ◇藤島6.6146.0|| ^西袋5.1151.1|| ∥Shōnai, Higashitagawa余目3.6154.7OO Rikuu West LineMost trains from Rikuu West Line terminate at Sakata Station (Operation suspended until 2024/2025)∥北余目2.7157.4|| ∥砂越3.0160.4|| ∥Sakata東酒田3.3163.7|| ∥Sakata酒田3.2166.9OO JR Freight Uetsu Freight Branch Line(to Sakata-Minato)∥本楯6.4173.3| ∨南鳥海2.6175.9| ◇遊佐3.2179.1O ^Yuza, Akumi吹浦7.0186.1| ∨女鹿3.6189.7| ◇小砂川5.1194.8| ◇NikahoAkita上浜3.7198.5| ◇象潟4.9203.4O ◇金浦5.8209.2| ^仁賀保5.5214.7O ∨西目8.4223.1| ^Yurihonjō羽後本荘5.8228.9O O Yuri Kōgen Railway Chōkai Sanroku Line∥羽後岩谷7.1236.0| O ∥折渡4.7240.7| ↓ ∨羽後亀田3.0243.7| O ◇岩城みなと6.5250.2| ↓ ｜道川1.6251.8| ↓ ^下浜6.6258.4| ↓ ∨Akita桂根3.4261.7| ↓ ◇新屋4.0265.7| O ◇羽後牛島3.3269.0| O ◇秋田2.7271.7O O^
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
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
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 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
External links Inaho - JR East Kairi - JR East Discover Uetsu, tourist website