Nippō Main Line - Nippō Main Line

The name of the Kyushu Railway Company's track. 462.6 km between Kokura (Fukuoka Prefecture) - Oita - Kagoshima. 25.9% double-tracked (2011). Fully AC-electrified. A trunk railway line that runs down the east coast of Kyushu, branching off from the Kagoshima Main Line at Kokura in Kitakyushu City, passing through Nakatsu, Oita, the Miyazaki Plain, the Miyakonojo Basin, and other areas before reaching Kagoshima. In addition, Japan Freight Railway Company owns the 2.8 km section between Obase Nishi-Kodaimae and Kanda Port. The Kokura-Yukuhashi section was opened by Kyushu Railway in 1895 (Meiji 28), and the Yukuhashi-Yanagigaura section was opened by Hōshū Railway in 1897, the latter being merged into Kyushu Railway in 1901 (Meiji 34), and the Kokura-Yanagigaura section was nationalized in 1907. In 1909, the line was renamed the Hōshū Main Line under the railway line naming system, and by 1911 it had been extended to reach Oita. Meanwhile, construction began on the Miyazaki Line, which runs from Yoshimatsu on the Kagoshima Main Line (now the Hisatsu Line) to Miyazaki, and from 1913 (Taisho 2) they opened one after the other, under the names of the Hyoshu Main Line from the north and the Miyazaki Line (since 1917 the Miyazaki Main Line) from the south. In 1923 the two lines were connected and at the same time renamed the Nippo Main Line (however, the section between Miyazaki and Sadowara opened in 1913 as the Miyazaki Prefectural Railway, was nationalized in 1917 and became the Tsuma Light Line, and was incorporated into the Miyazaki Main Line in 1920). Soon after, a short-circuit line was constructed between Miyakonojo and Kokubu (now Hayato), which opened between 1929 and 1932 (Showa 4-7) under the name of the Kokuto East and West Line, and with this opening, the Miyakonojo-Kagoshima section was incorporated into the Nippo Main Line, and the existing Miyakonojo-Yoshimatsu section was separated into the Kitto Line, forming the current route. Between 1966 and 1979 (Showa 41-54), the entire line was electrified with alternating current. 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

九州旅客鉄道の線路名称。小倉(こくら)（福岡県）―大分―鹿児島間462.6キロメートル。複線化率25.9％（2011）。全線交流電化。九州東岸を縦断する幹線鉄道で、北九州市小倉で鹿児島本線より分岐し、中津、大分、宮崎平野、都城(みやこのじょう)盆地などを経て、鹿児島に至る。このほかに、日本貨物鉄道が小波瀬(おばせ)西工大前―苅田港(かんだこう)2.8キロメートルを保有。小倉―行橋(ゆくはし)間は1895年（明治28）九州鉄道により、行橋―柳ヶ浦(やなぎがうら)間は1897年豊州(ほうしゅう)鉄道によりそれぞれ開業し、後者は1901年（明治34）九州鉄道に合併されて、1907年に小倉―柳ヶ浦間は国有化された。1909年、線路名称の制定によって豊州本線と称し、1911年までに延長されて大分に達した。一方、鹿児島本線（現在は肥薩(ひさつ)線）吉松(よしまつ)より宮崎に向かう宮崎線の建設が始まり、北方より豊州本線、南方より宮崎線（1917年以降宮崎本線）の名称で1913年（大正2）以降逐次開業して、1923年両線は結ばれ、同時に日豊本線と改称した（ただし、宮崎―佐土原(さどわら)間は宮崎県営鉄道として1913年開業、1917年国有化されて妻(つま)軽便線となり、1920年宮崎本線に編入）。まもなく都城―国分(こくぶ)（現、隼人(はやと)）間の短絡線建設が行われて、国都(こくと)東・西線の名称で1929～1932年（昭和4～7）に開通したが、この開業によって、都城―鹿児島間を日豊本線に編入し、在来の都城―吉松間を吉都(きっと)線として分離して現在のルートとなった。1966～1979年（昭和41～54）全線の交流電化を完成させた。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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