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Ita Line

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Ita Line
A Heisei Chikuhō train at Akaike Station
A Heisei Chikuhō train at Akaike Station
Overview
Native name伊田線
OwnerHeisei Chikuhō Railway Logo Heisei Chikuhō Railway
LocaleFukuoka Prefecture
Termini
Stations15
Websitewww.heichiku.net
Service
TypeHeavy rail
History
Commenced11 February 1893 (1893-02-11)
Completed25 March 1899 (1899-03-25)
Privatized1 October 1989 (1989-10-01)
Technical
Line length16.1 km (10.0 mi)
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
ElectrificationNone
Route map

The Ita Line (伊田線, Ita-sen) is a 16.1 km railway line owned by the third-sector company Heisei Chikuhō Railway. The line runs north from Tagawa to Nōgata, all within Fukuoka Prefecture.

History

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The line was first built by the Chikuhō Kōgyō Railway, later renamed Chikuhō Railway (筑豊鉄道), as a branch line of the Chikuhō Main Line. Used to transport coal from the Chikuhō coal mine, the line had two stations: Nōgata Station and Kanada Station. The entire Chikuhō Railway system was merged in 1897 with Kyushu Railway, where the line was extended to Ita Station (now Tagawa-Ita Station) in 1899. Kyushu Railway was nationalized in 1907 and was merged into Japanese Government Railway.

Even though the Ita Line was widened to a double-track railway in 1911, ridership suffered with the decline of the Chikuhō coal mine. Therefore, JR Kyushu, the successor of Japanese Government Railway, privatized and transferred the Ita Line, Itoda Line, and Tagawa Line to the newly founded Heisei Chikuhō Railway.

Even after privatization, the Japan Freight Railway Company still ran trains from Kanada north to Mojiko Station in Kitakyushu, transporting cement from a Mitsui Tankō plant near Kanada Station. This service ceased with the plant's closure in March 2004.

Operations

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The line is not electrified and is single-tracked for the entire line. Some services continue past Kanada Station on the Itoda Line to Tagawa-Gotōji Station.[1]

Stations

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All stations are within Fukuoka Prefecture.

No. Name Distance (km) Connections Location
HC1 Nōgata 直方 0.0 JR Kyushu: Chikuhō Main Line (Fukuhoku Yutaka Line) Nōgata
HC2 Minami-Nōgata-Gotenguchi 南直方御殿口 1.1  
HC3 Akaji あかぢ 2.4   Kotake
HC4 Fujitana 藤棚 3.6   Nōgata
HC5 Nakaizumi 中泉 4.3  
HC6 Ichiba 市場 6.5   Fukuchi
HC7 Fureai-Shōriki ふれあい生力 7.6  
HC8 Akaike 赤池 8.5  
HC9 Hitomi 人見 9.1  
HC10 Kanada 金田 9.8 Itoda Line
HC11 Kami-Kanada 上金田 11.6  
HC12 Hoshii 12.8   Tagawa
HC13 Tagawa Municipal Hospital 田川市立病院 13.4  
HC14 Shimoita 下伊田 14.5  
HC15 Tagawa-Ita 田川伊田 16.1 Tagawa Line
JR Kyushu: Hitahikosan Line

References

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  1. ^ "平成筑豊鉄道全駅時刻表 直方 → 金田 → 田川伊田 → 行橋・金田 → 田川後藤寺" (PDF). 平成筑豊鉄道 (in Japanese). 平成筑豊鉄道. 16 March 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2019.