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Chitose Line

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Chitose Line
A 721 series EMU on an Airport rapid service at Minami-Chitose Station
Overview
Native name千歳線
OwnerThe logo of Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido). JR Hokkaido
LocaleHokkaido
Termini
Stations15
Service
TypeAirport rail link
Commuter rail
History
Opened21 August 1926; 98 years ago (1926-08-21)
Technical
Line length56.6 km (35.2 mi)
Number of tracksDouble (except Airport branch which is single)
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
ElectrificationAC 20 kV 50 Hz with overhead catenary
Route map

The Chitose Line (千歳線, Chitose-sen) is a railway line in Hokkaido operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido), connecting Numanohata, Tomakomai and Shiroishi Station in Shiroishi-ku, Sapporo, linking the Muroran Main Line and Hakodate Main Line. There also is a branch line to New Chitose Airport.

Service outline

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The line forms part of the trunk route between Sapporo and Southern Hokkaido. As such, Hokuto limited express trains run between Sapporo and Hakodate once every 1 to 2 hours, as well as the Suzuran limited express between Sapporo and Muroran.[1]

The section between Sapporo and Minami-Chitose is also a part of the trunk route between Sapporo and eastern Hokkaido. The Ōzora and Tokachi limited express services to Obihiro and Kushiro run through.[1]

The rapid trains Special Rapid Airport and Rapid Airport previously ran approximately once every 12 minutes, functioning as the airport rail link between New Chitose Airport Station and Sapporo or Otaru. Since the Chitose Line goes through the most urbanized area in Hokkaido, there are roughly 3 to 4 local train services per hour.

On 16 March 2024, a new rapid service named "Semi-Rapid Airport" plying between Sapporo and New Chitose Airport Station was introduced, operating only during the daytime at two trains per hour. This train stops at Sapporo, Shin-Sapporo and all stations between Kita-Hiroshima and New Chitose Airport. Since then, no local services operate between Kita-Hiroshima and Chitose during the daytime, and the daytime service frequency of other rapid trains was adjusted to one per hour for Special Rapid Airport trains and three per hour for Rapid Airport trains. Local services are operated at two trains per hour between Sapporo and Kita-Hiroshima and one train per hour between Chitose and Tomakomai during the daytime.[2]

Former services

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There were sleeper trains between Honshu and Hokkaido, such as the Hokutosei, Cassiopeia, Twilight Express, and Hamanasu.

Station list

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Source:[3]

SRA: Special Rapid Airport
RA: Rapid Airport
SmRA: Semi-Rapid Airport
L: Local
All rapid trains stop at stations signed "+", some at "◌", and all skip stations marked "-".[4] Local trains stop at most stations but some skip stations signed "◌".
No. Station name Japanese Distance (km) SRA RA SmRA L Transfers Location (all in Hokkaido)
Tomakomai to Numanohata: officially Muroran Main Line
H18 Tomakomai 苫小牧 -8.8 +
Tomakomai
Chitose Line (Main Line)
H17 Numanohata 沼ノ端 0.0 + ■ Muroran Main Line (for Oiwake) Tomakomai
H16 Uenae 植苗 6.4 ◌
H14 Minami-Chitose 南千歳 18.4 + + + +
Chitose
H13 Chitose 千歳 21.4 - + + +
H12 Osatsu 長都 24.9 - - + +
H11 Sapporo Beer Teien サッポロビール庭園 27.1 - - + ◌ Eniwa
H10 Eniwa 恵庭 29.4 - + + +
H09 Megumino 恵み野 31.9 - - + +
H08 Shimamatsu 島松 34.1 - - + +
H07 Kitahiroshima 北広島 40.6 - + + + Kitahiroshima
H06 Kami-Nopporo 上野幌 48.6 - - - + Atsubetsu-ku, Sapporo
H05 Shin-Sapporo 新札幌 51.5 + + + + The logo of the Tozai Line of the Sapporo Municipal Subway. Tōzai Line (T19)
H04 Heiwa 平和 54.4 - - - + Shiroishi-ku, Sapporo
Shiroishi to Sapporo: officially Hakodate Main Line
H03 Shiroishi 白石 56.6 - ◌ - + ■ Hakodate Main Line (for Asahikawa) Shiroishi-ku, Sapporo
H02 Naebo 苗穂 60.2 - - - + Chūō-ku, Sapporo
 01  Sapporo 札幌 62.4 + + + +
Kita-ku, Sapporo

Airport Branch Line

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No. Station name Japanese Distance (km) SRA RA SmRA L Transfers Location (all in Hokkaido)
H14 Minami-Chitose 南千歳 0.0 + + + +
  •   Chitose Line (Main Line)
  • ■ Sekishō Line
 Chitose
AP15 New Chitose Airport 新千歳空港 2.6 + + + +

Closed station

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  • H15 Bibi: Closed since 4 March 2017, now a signal base.

Rolling stock

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  • A 721 series EMU on the Chitose Line, June 2008
    A 721 series EMU on the Chitose Line, June 2008
  • A 731 series EMU on the Chitose Line, July 2006
    A 731 series EMU on the Chitose Line, July 2006
  • A 733 series EMU on the Chitose Line, February 2014
    A 733 series EMU on the Chitose Line, February 2014
  • 735 series EMUs, May 2012
    735 series EMUs, May 2012

History

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The entire line opened on 21 August 1926.

Duplication

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The Chitose-Eniwa section was double-tracked in September 1965, and extended to Kitahiroshima in September 1966.

The Chitose-Uenae section was double-tracked in 1968, and extended to Numanohata in 1969.

The Shiraishi-Kitahiroshima section was double-tracked in 1973, completing the work to double-track the line.

Electrification

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Chitose Station and its approaches were elevated in 1980, and the line was electrified in association with the opening of the nearby Chitose airport.

The Minami-chitose—Chitose Airport branch opened as an electrified line in 1992.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Train Guide". Hokkaido Railway Company. Archived from the original on 2012-05-11. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
  2. ^ "JR北海道，3月16日にダイヤ改正を実施" [JR Hokkaido to implement timetable revision on 16 March]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 15 December 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  3. ^ "列車運行情報｜JR北海道- Hokkaido Railway Company".
  4. ^ "New Chitose Airport => Sapporo Travel Information". Hokkaido Railway Company. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
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