The Inazawa Line (稲沢線, Inazawa-sen) is a Japanese railway line that links Nagoya Station with Inazawa Station in Inazawa, Aichi Prefecture. It runs alongside the Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) Tōkaidō Main Line for its entire length.

Originally built to connect Inazawa Yard with Sasajima Station, the line now carries freight traffic between Inazawa Yard and Nagoya Freight Terminal, as well as some out-of-service passenger trains and special trains.

Route

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The line begins at Nagoya Station, and its southern end is continuous with the Aonami Line. Within the station, the line consists of a single track, just to the east of the Tōkaidō Shinkansen tracks[1]. North of the station, it joins a freight-only extension of the Chūō Main Line to become a double-tracked line, running to the west of the Tōkaidō Main Line tracks. Between the Shōnai River and Biwajima Station, there is a connection allowing down trains on the Tōkaidō Main Line tracks to switch to the Inazawa Line, which is how most down Tōkaidō Main Line trains access the Inazawa Line[2].

At Biwajima Station, the line passes the Jōhoku Line platforms, and the Jōhoku Line branches off between the two Inazawa Line tracks. North of Biwajima, the line crosses a bridge to run on the east side of the Tōkaidō Main Line tracks. Near the crossover, there is a connection, Gojōgawa Junction, between the up tracks of the two lines. At Kiyosu Station, there are several branches to a former freight yard.

Between Kiyosu Station and Inazawa Station, there are several branches into Inazawa Yard. North of Inazawa Station, the down track crosses over the Tōkaidō Main Line tracks on a bridge, then merges with the Tōkaidō Main Line down track. The up track continues further north before merging with the Tōkaidō Main Line up track just before the beginning of the viaduct to Owari-Ichinomiya Station.

  1. ^ 『鉄道と街・名古屋駅』(著者 大野一英・林鍵治)、大正出版、1986年、108頁
  2. ^ ごく一部の列車は名古屋駅南側の渡り線で東海道本線から中央本線に転線し、名古屋駅から稲沢線に入る。 - 東海道本線同支線列車運行図表(2008年3月15日改正)、東海旅客鉄道株式会社作成