Oga Line

Oga Line
An Oga Line EV-E801 series in April 2017
Overview
Other name(s)	Oga Namahage Line
Native name	男鹿線
Status	In operation
Owner	JR East
Locale	Akita Prefecture
Termini	Oiwake Oga
Stations	9
Service
Operator(s)	JR East
Rolling stock	KiHa 40 series DMU, EV-E801 series BEMU
History
Opened	9 November 1913 (1913-11-09)
Technical
Line length	26.4 km (16.4 mi)
Number of tracks	Entire line single tracked
Character	Rural
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	None
Operating speed	85 km/h (53 mph)
Route map 0.0 Oiwake (Ōu Main Line) Crossings' details Ōu Main Line 3x 5.1 Detohama Crossings' details 2x 2x 8.3 Kamifutada 4x 10.4 Futada Crossings' details 3x 13.2 Tennō Crossings' details Funakoshisuido Strait 14.9 Funakoshi Crossings' details 4x 18.9 Wakimoto 5x 23.7 Hadachi Crossings' details 26.4 Oga This diagram: view talk edit

The Oga Line (男鹿線, Oga-sen) is a railway line in Japan operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It connects Oiwake Station in Akita, Akita Prefecture to Oga Station in Oga, Akita Prefecture. It is nicknamed the Oga Namahage Line (男鹿なまはげライン).

Stations

All stations are in Akita Prefecture.

Station	Japanese name	Distance (km)	Transfers	Location
Oiwake	追分	0.0	Ōu Main Line	Akita
Detohama	出戸浜	5.1		Katagami
Kamifutada	上二田	8.3
Futada	二田	10.4
Tennō	天王	13.2
Funakoshi	船越	14.9		Oga
Wakimoto	脇本	18.9
Hadachi	羽立	23.7
Oga	男鹿	26.4

Rolling stock

A 5-car KiHa 40 series DMU formation in September 2020

An EV-E801 series in August 2019

• KiHa 40 series (former)
• EV-E801 series

History

The line first opened on 9 November 1913 as the Funakawa Light Railway (船川軽便線, Funakawa Keiben) from Oiwake to Futada.[1] This was extended to Wakimoto on 8 November 1914, to Hadachi on 1 December 1915, and to Funakawa (present-day Oga Station) on 16 December 1916.[1] On 2 September 1922, the line was renamed the Funakawa Line (船川線, Funakawa-sen).[1]

A freight-only branch from Funakawa to Funakawaminato was opened on 10 June 1937.[1]

On 1 April 1968, the line was renamed the Oga Line, coinciding with the renaming of Funakawa Station to Oga Station.[1]

With the privatization of Japanese National Railways (JNR) on 1 April 1987, the line came under the control of JR East.[1]

Recent developments

EV-E801 recharging at Oga Station from an overhead conductor bar

In spring 2017, a new EV-E801 series battery electric multiple unit train was introduced on the Oga Line service from Akita. A special recharging facility was built at Oga Station.[2]

So far, there is only one battery electric trainset operated on this line, but in December 2019 JR East announced the plan to introduce additional such trainsets on this route after the fiscal year 2020, completely replacing KiHa 40 and 48 diesel multiple units.[3]

JR East ordered 5 additional trainsets, and as of March 2021, Oga Line service consists of only battery electric trains; this has already happened in other non-electrified railway lines in Japan, for example, on the Kashii Line and the Karasuyama Line.

References

1. Ishino, Tetsu, ed. (1998). 停車場変遷大辞典 国鉄・JR編 [Station Transition Directory - JNR/JR] (in Japanese). Vol. I. Japan: JTB. p. 110. ISBN 4-533-02980-9.
2. JR東日本、男鹿線に蓄電池電車「EV-E801系」導入へ [JR East to introduce new EV-E801 series battery train on Oga Line]. Response (in Japanese). Japan: IID, Inc. 20 November 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
3. "男鹿線へ交流蓄電池電車ACCUM「EV－E801系」を追加投入します" (PDF) (Press release). JR東日本秋田支社. 3 December 2019. Retrieved 9 December 2019.