Chikuhi Line

The name of the Kyushu Railway Company's track that runs from northern Fukuoka Prefecture to northern Saga Prefecture. 42.6 km between Meinohama and Karatsu, 25.7 km between Yamamoto and Imari. Only the 12.7 km between Meinohama and Chikuzen-Maebaru is double track, and the Meinohama-Karatsu section is DC electrified. It runs through the Fukuoka Plain, the coast of Karatsu Bay, and the Matsuura River basin. Between 1923 and 1935 (Taisho 12 to Showa 10), the Kitakyushu Railway opened the Hakata-Imari section, and in 1937 it was nationalized and became the Chikuhi Line. After the Second World War, urbanization of the western suburbs of Fukuoka City progressed, and electrification of the Chikuhi Line was planned along with the construction of the Fukuoka Municipal Subway. In 1983, electrification of the Meinohama-Karatsu-Nishi Karatsu (Karatsu Line) section was completed, and mutual operation with the municipal subway that connects at Meinohama began. At the same time, the Hakata-Meinohama section, which bypassed the southwestern part of Fukuoka City, was abolished, and the Niji-no-Matsubara-Higashi Karatsu-Yamamoto section, which had a complicated route layout even near Karatsu, was abolished, and a new Niji-no-Matsubara-Karatsu section was built, shortening the route (the 7.4 km section between Karatsu and Yamamoto overlaps with the Karatsu Line). The section between Karatsu and Imari is not electrified, and diesel railcars are used. In 1987, following the privatization of the Japanese National Railways, the line became part of Kyushu Railway Company.

[Eiichi Aoki and Ryo Aoki]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

福岡県北部から佐賀県北部を走る九州旅客鉄道の線路名称。姪浜(めいのはま)―唐津(からつ)間42.6キロメートル、山本―伊万里(いまり)間25.7キロメートル。姪浜―筑前前原(ちくぜんまえばる)間12.7キロメートルのみ複線、姪浜―唐津間直流電化。福岡平野、唐津湾沿岸、松浦川流域を走る。1923～1935年（大正12～昭和10）北九州鉄道により博多(はかた)―伊万里間を開業し、1937年国有化されて筑肥線となった。第二次世界大戦後、福岡市西郊の都市化が進み、福岡市営地下鉄の建設とともに筑肥線の電化が計画され、1983年（昭和58）姪浜―唐津―西唐津（唐津線）間の電化が完成して、姪浜で接続する市営地下鉄との間に相互乗入れ運転を開始した。同時に福岡市の南西部を迂回(うかい)する博多―姪浜間を廃止し、唐津付近でも複雑な路線配置となっていた虹(にじ)ノ松原―東唐津―山本間の路線を廃止して、虹ノ松原―唐津間を新たに建設、短絡した（唐津―山本間7.4キロメートルは唐津線と重複）。唐津―伊万里間は非電化で気動車運転を行う。1987年、日本国有鉄道の分割民営化に伴い、九州旅客鉄道に所属。

［青木栄一・青木　亮］

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