Kotoku Line

The name of the Shikoku Railway Company's track that runs through the northeastern part of Kagawa and Tokushima prefectures. The length between Takamatsu and Tokushima is 74.5 km. The only section with double track is between Sako and Tokushima, the rest of the line is single track. The entire line is non-electrified. It mainly connects the Sanuki Plain and the Tokushima Plain via the northeastern coast of Shikoku. The Tokushima side was opened relatively early by Tokushima Railway (Tokushima-Sako section opened in 1899, nationalized in 1907) and Awa Electric Tramway (later Awa Railway, Yoshinari-Itano section opened in 1916 and 1923, nationalized in 1933, became the Awa Line), but the Takamatsu-Itano section was called the Takatoku Line from 1925 to 1935 (Taisho 14 to Showa 10), and the Yoshinari-Sako section including the Yoshinogawa Bridge was opened in 1935, and the Takamatsu-Sako section was unified as the Takatoku Main Line in the same year. In 1961 (Showa 36), the name of the Takatoku Main Line was changed to the section between Takamatsu and Tokushima. In 1987, following the division and privatization of the Japanese National Railways, it became part of the Shikoku Railway Company, and in 1988, the name was changed from Takatoku Main Line to Takatoku Line.

[Eiichi Aoki and Ryo Aoki]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

香川・徳島県北東部を走る四国旅客鉄道の線路名称。高松―徳島間74.5キロメートル。佐古(さこ)―徳島間のみ複線区間で、その他は単線。全線非電化。主として四国北東海岸付近を経由して讃岐(さぬき)平野と徳島平野を結ぶ。徳島側は、徳島鉄道（徳島―佐古間1899年開業、1907年国有化）、阿波(あわ)電気軌道（のち阿波鉄道、吉成(よしなり)―板野間、1916年および1923年開業、1933年国有化、阿波線となる）により比較的早く開業したが、高松―板野間は高徳線として1925～1935年（大正14～昭和10）、吉野川橋梁(きょうりょう)を含む吉成―佐古間は1935年開通、同年高松―佐古間を高徳本線に統一。1961年（昭和36）高徳本線の名称は高松―徳島間に改められた。1987年、日本国有鉄道の分割民営化に伴い、四国旅客鉄道に所属し、1988年高徳本線から高徳線と再改称。

［青木栄一・青木　亮］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例