Rumoi Line to be closed

[bill937ca]

JR Hokkaido submitted notice for abolition of the Rumoi Line (between Rumoi and Mashike) by the end of fiscal 2016 to the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on April 28.  This would close 16.7 km of line by April 29, 2017.

 

More information from JR Hokkaido in a Japanese language PDF.

Edited May 5, 2016 by bill937ca

[miyakoji]

Too bad.  Here's a streetview gallery of the stations in the Rumoi - Mashike section.  Not hard to believe that some of these stations have low/no ridership :(

 

Rumoi: https://goo.gl/maps/AfBwdvmWmA92

 

Segoshi: https://goo.gl/maps/VZbTEZkpAut

 

Reuke (aerial, can't see it all in streetview): https://goo.gl/maps/A39bsH7KUd12

 

Afun: https://goo.gl/maps/DMrLh2m2zDS2

 

Nobusha: https://goo.gl/maps/11GDAs7yuBn

 

Shaguma: https://goo.gl/maps/hxTYCX3WWyG2

 

Shumombetsu (aerial, can't see it all in streetview): https://goo.gl/maps/7s1xAgS6wsm

 

Hashibetsu (I think the end of the platform is barely visible where the track disappears to the right): https://goo.gl/maps/Vd8eesoihMG2

 

Mashike: https://goo.gl/maps/rkS5cPkhtwG2

[cteno4]

Funny that Mashike only has a small forklift in the parking lot.

 

Jeff

[westfalen]

I rode the line in the midst of winter in February 2006 and from memory, while I didn't have to fight for a seat, there were a few passengers on board.  The locals might miss the line next winter when the snows come and they have to take their cars to the icy roads.

[Sacto1985]

According to Google Maps, they're just closing the waterfront part of the line from Rumoi to Mashike. The Rumoi Main Line from Rumoi back to Fukagawa on the Hakodate Main Line will still remain open (for now).

 

EDIT: For those interested, this is a zenmen tenbou video taken by YouTube member OleOleSaggy of the Rumoi Main Line from Fukugawa all the way to Mashike, posted online the middle of 2015:

 

 

The new end of the line is at Rumoi Station, about 60 minutes into this video.

Edited May 6, 2016 by Sacto1985

[katoftw]

According to Google Maps, they're just closing the waterfront part of the line from Rumoi to Mashike. 

As per the first post in this thread.  And the linked articles in the first post.

[westfalen]

Mashike, 16/02/06.

 

Edited May 5, 2016 by westfalen

[katoftw]

Looks cold!  Everyone move to Naha?

[railsquid]

With a name like "増毛" surely there would be some potential in a sponsorship deal with the hair restoration industry?

[kvp]

An interesting find on the soon to be closed section:

It looks like this stretch was actually double tracked in the past and a road bridge was also removed for some reason.

[Densha]

I actually believe the seaside part of the Rumoi Line was originally part of the Haboro Line, a long coastal line closed already in 1987. The Japanese Wikipedia page on the Rumoi Line at least says so.

[kvp]

I've found an old aerial photo:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ja/e/ed/Rumoi_eki.jpg

The double tracked part was going to the port, while the Haboro platform seems to be across the freight tracks on the northern part of the station area. Both have been removed since then, along with a significant part of the town's residential buildings and most industrial and agricultural activity.

Edited May 5, 2016 by kvp

[westfalen]

What is being closed now is only a fraction of the rail network that has already been lost on Hokkaido.

[bill937ca]

Looks cold!  Everyone move to Naha?

 

A long winter means lots of train time.  :)

[Sacto1985]

What is being closed now is only a fraction of the rail network that has already been lost on Hokkaido.

 

I remember reading many of those now-closed lines in Hokkaido served coal mines, many of which were active till at least the late 1970's. Small wonder why JNR Class C62's were still in mainline service on the Hakodate Main Line between Hakodate and Sapporo up until the middle 1970's, if I also remember correctly, at least from seeing a couple of videos of old Japanese TV programs posted on YouTube.

[miyakoji]

JR Hokkaido is selling commemorative tickets, I think it's a set of 10 platform tickets for 1700 yen, and two fare tickets, Fukagawa to Mashike for 1450 yen and Mashike to Rumoi for 360 yen.

 

http://railf.jp/news/2016/06/10/000000.html

[Kitayama]

Some pictures from my trip on Rumoi Line May 16, 2016:

 

Seqoshi:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reuke:

 

Shaguma:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Kitayama]

Mashike, May 16, 2016:

 

 

 

[Sacto1985]

YouTube member (and regular JNS forum member) ayokoi just posted a zenmen tenbou video of the trip on the Rumoi Line from Fukugawa to Rumoi:

 

[Mudkip Orange]

I've found an old aerial photo:

 

Interesting. In that photo you see the beginning of what would eventually be a fairly large-scale road realignment project.

 

It looks like they also grabbed right-of-way for the realigned route 231 to make a left turn off the new bridges and run through the port area. I imagine they'll construct that once the rail line is abandoned and there's no more crossing to worry about.

[velotrain]

So - it's not just a rumoir?

[Densha]

Well, that's it for the Rumoi - Mashike section of the Rumoi Main Line... today was the last train service on this part of the line.

 

Source: http://news.tbs.co.jp/newseye/tbs_newseye2930339.html

[westfalen]

Looks typical of last run crowds, if only a fraction of those people had ridden the line while it was still running.

[ToniBabelony]

A close friend went to Hokkaido for a week or so, just to travel on this, and a few other lines that are on the endangered species list... Of course he was also on the last train. One train was delayed by 30 minutes that day (presumably hitting a deer somewhere on the way).