Soya Main Line

The name of the Hokkaido Railway Company's track that runs through northern Hokkaido. The 259.4 km section is between Asahikawa, Horonobe and Wakkanai. Only the 3.7 km section between Asahikawa and Shin-Asahikawa is double tracked, and only the Asahikawa-Kita-Asahikawa (freight station) section is AC electrified. A railway that runs through northern Hokkaido, from the Kamikawa Basin across Shiokari Pass into the Teshio River basin, passing through cities such as Shibetsu and Nayoro, to Wakkanai, the northernmost port city of Hokkaido. Before World War II, it played a role as a main line connecting Karafuto (Sakhalin), but after the war it lost that function and its importance declined. It was built as the Hokkaido Government Railway Teshio Line (first generation), and opened the Asahikawa-Nayoro section between 1898 and 1903 (Meiji 31-36), and further opened the Nayoro-Hamatonbetsu-Wakkanai (now Minami-Wakkanai) section between 1911 and 1922 (Meiji 44-Taisho 11). During this time, it was renamed the Soya Line in 1912, and the Soya Main Line in 1922, and extended to Wakkanai-Wakkanai Port (now Wakkanai) in 1928 (Showa 3). Meanwhile, construction of the Otoineppu-Horonobe-Wakkanai section along the Teshio River was started as the Teshio North Line and Teshio South Line in 1922 and when it was completed in 1926 it became the Teshio Line (2nd generation). However, since the route along the Teshio River was shorter and had a gentler gradient, it was renamed the Soya Main Line in 1930 and the Otoineppu-Hamatonbetsu-Wakkanai section became the Kitami Line (in 1961, the Otoineppu-Minami-Wakkanai section was renamed the Tempoku Line, and in 1989 it was converted to a bus line). In 1987, following the privatization of the Japanese National Railways, it became part of Hokkaido Railway Company.

[Eiichi Aoki and Ryo Aoki]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

北海道北部を走る北海道旅客鉄道の線路名称。旭川(あさひかわ)―幌延(ほろのべ)―稚内(わっかない)間259.4キロメートル。旭川―新旭川間3.7キロメートルのみ複線、旭川―北旭川（貨物駅）のみ交流電化。上川(かみかわ)盆地から塩狩(しおかり)峠を越えて天塩(てしお)川流域に入り、士別(しべつ)、名寄(なよろ)などの都市を経由して、北海道最北の港湾都市稚内に至る道北地方縦貫の鉄道。第二次世界大戦前は樺太(からふと)（サハリン）連絡の幹線としての役割を果たしたが、戦後はその機能を失ったため重要性が低下した。北海道官設鉄道天塩線（初代）として建設され、1898～1903年（明治31～36）旭川―名寄間を開業、さらに1911～1922年（明治44～大正11）名寄―浜頓別(はまとんべつ)―稚内（現、南稚内）間を開業した。この間、1912年宗谷線、1922年に宗谷本線と改称し、1928年（昭和3）稚内―稚内港（現、稚内）間を延長開業した。一方、天塩川沿いの音威子府(おといねっぷ)―幌延―稚内間の建設が天塩北線、同南線として1922年以降に開業し、1926年その全通とともに天塩線（2代）となったが、天塩川沿いのルートのほうが距離的にも短く、勾配(こうばい)も緩やかであるため、1930年にこれを宗谷本線とし、音威子府―浜頓別―稚内間を北見線（1961年、音威子府―南稚内間を天北(てんぽく)線と改称、1989年バスに転換）とした。1987年、日本国有鉄道の分割民営化に伴い、北海道旅客鉄道に所属。

［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