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Temiya Line

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Former freight railway line in Hokkaido, Japan
Temiya Line
A route sign in Otaru for the defunct Temiya Line
Overview
Native name手宮線
StatusCeased operation
Owner JNR
LocaleHokkaido
Termini
Stations2
Service
TypeCommuter rail line
Operator(s)JNR
History
Opened28 November 1880; 144 years ago (1880-11-28)
Closed5 November 1985
Technical
Line length2.8 km (1.7 mi)
Number of tracksEntirely Single-tracked
CharacterRural and urban
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
ElectrificationNone

The Temiya Line (手宮線, Temiya-sen) was a local freight narrow gauge railroad in Otaru, Hokkaidō, Japan, connecting Minami-Otaru Station and Temiya Station. The line was a state-owned enterprise, originally established in the late 19th century to transport coal and marine products, and closed in 1985.

History

The line was originally constructed as a part of the Horonai Railway, the first railway in Hokkaidō, and began operations in 1880. Like many other Meiji period railroad enterprises, the line uses 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge track over its 2.8 km route, in order to lower the cost of the original project. Though it was originally intended to extend from the seashore to the colliery at Temari-mura Kayanuma, this was deemed inefficient, as ships could do the same work. The Horonai Railway was sold to the Hokkaidō Colliery and Railway Company in 1889, and by 1906 the Temiya Line had come under government control, officially inaugurated under that name three years later. It carried both cargo and passengers, for nearly a century. Elements of service in the area, on the Temiya Line and other related lines, were discontinued in 1962, and the line formally closed in 1985.

Today, parts of the line still remain, along with signage in some places. The local Otaru Memorial Museum is caretaker of the remains.

References

  1. NHK. "手宮線|地域|NHKアーカイブス". 手宮線|地域|NHKアーカイブス (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-01-10.
  2. "旧国鉄手宮線 | 小樽観光協会公式サイト「おたるぽーたる」:北海道小樽へようこそ!" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-01-10.
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