Yūmō Line
| Yūmō Line | |
|---|---|
JNR Class 9600-hauled freight train crossing the Abashiri River in 1974 | |
| Overview | |
| Status | Disused |
| Termini |
|
| Stations | 16 |
| History | |
| Opened | 10 October 1935[1][2] |
| Closed | 20 March 1987[1][2] |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 89.8 km (55.8 mi)[1] |
| Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)[1] |
| Minimum radius | 200 m (660 ft) |
| Maximum incline | 25 ‰ |
The Yūmō Line (湧網線) was a Japanese railway line which was operated by Japanese National Railways in Hokkaidō. The line went from Naka-Yubetsu Station to Abashiri Station, passing Lake Saroma, the Sea of Okhotsk, Lake Notoro and Lake Abashiri.
Due to rural flight and motorisation in the 1960s, ridership dropped and it was marked as one of the specified local lines to be closed.[1][2] The line was closed in its entirety on 20 March 1987. In the final stages of operation, the number of trains was reduced to just five round trips per day for the entire line, and one local train from Hama-Saroma to Naka-Yubetsu.
List of stations
[edit]All stations are located in Hokkaido Prefecture.
History
[edit]The line was planned as a shortcut between Nakayubetsu on the Nayoro Main Line and Abashiri on the Abashiri Main Line (present-day Sekihoku Main Line).
Construction proceeded from both the Abashiri and Naka-Yubetsu sides. In 1935, the lines opened respectively as the Yumo East Line and the Yumo West Line. Construction was interrupted by World War II and was later fully completed in 1953.
The enaction of the Japanese National Railways Restructuring Act in 1980 designated the Yūmō Line as a second-phase specified railway line. It was then closed on 20 March 1987 and replaced by a bus service by Abashiri Bus.[3]