Furano Line
Encyclopedia
The is part of the Hokkaido Railway Company
Hokkaido Railway Company
The is one of the constituent companies of Japan Railways Group , and thus often known as . It operates intercity rail services in Hokkaido, Japan. The company introduced Kitaca, a smart card ticketing system, from autumn 2008....

 network in Hokkaidō
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...

, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. It connects Furano Station
Furano Station
is a train station located in Furano, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company.-Lines serviced:*Nemuro Main Line*Furano Line...

 in the city of Furano
Furano, Hokkaido
is a city in the prefecture of Hokkaido located in the southern reaches of Kamikawa Subprefecture, under whose jurisdiction it resides. Well-known throughout Japan as a tourism destination, it is famous for its lavender fields, the television drama Kita no Kuni kara and the Furano Ski Resort, which...

 and Asahikawa Station
Asahikawa Station
is a railway station located in Asahikawa, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company .Asahikawa Station is the central train station of Asahikawa City, which is third by population in Northern Japan after Sendai City, and second after Sapporo City in Hokkaido.-Lines:The...

 in the city of Asahikawa
Asahikawa, Hokkaido
is a city in Kamikawa Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital of the subprefecture and the second-largest city in Hokkaido, after Sapporo. It has been a Core city since April 1, 2000...

. Popular with tourists, it has recently come to serve commuters in the bedroom towns that are developing as suburbs of Asahikawa.

Data

  • Length: 54.8 km
  • Stations: 18, including terminals
  • Gauge: 1067 mm
  • Multiple-track sections: None
  • Electrified sections: None
  • Two-track stations: Six

History

The Furano Line opened on September 1, 1899 as the , operating between Asahikawa and Biei Station
Biei Station
is a railway station located in Biei, Hokkaidō, Japan, operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company .-History:The station was opened by the Hokkaidō Kansetsu Railway on September 1, 1899. It was also used to transport farm products from the town until 1982.-External links:*...

s. In the next month, service extended to Kami-Furano Station
Kami-Furano Station
is a train station located in Kamifurano, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company. Only local trains stop. The station is assigned the station number F39.-External links:*...

, and in the following year it reached Shimo-Furano Station. In 1909 it became part of the Kushiro Line from Asahikawa Station to Kushiro Station
Kushiro Station
Kushiro Station can refer to two different train stations in Japan:, on the Nemuro Main Line located in Kushiro, Hokkaidō, Japan, on the Sanin Main Line located in Hamada, Shimane, Japan...

, but in 1913 it took its present name and covered the route from Asahikawa Station to Shimo-Furano Station. The eruption of Mount Tokachi
Mount Tokachi (Daisetsuzan)
is an active volcano located in Daisetsuzan National Park, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is the tallest volcano of the Tokachi Volcanic Group. It is one of the 100 famous mountains in Japan....

 on May 24, 1926 caused a protracted interruption of service between Biei and Kami-Furano. In 1942, Shimo-Furano Station changed its name to Furano Station. On April 1, 1987, with the breakup of the Japanese National Railways
Japanese National Railways
, abbreviated or "JNR", was the national railway network of Japan from 1949 to 1987.-History:The term Kokuyū Tetsudō "state-owned railway" originally referred to a network of railway lines operated by nationalized companies under the control of the Railway Institute following the nationalization...

, the line became part of the Hokkaido Railways. In 2007, the station-numbering plan took effect.

Operations

All trains are local trains within the Furano Line. One train continues past Furano to Obihiro Station
Obihiro Station
thumb|Obihiro Station is the main railway station in the city of Obihiro in Hokkaidō. It is located on the Nemuro Main Line and is managed by Hokkaido Railway Company . Originally built in 1905, the station was rebuilt in 1996, but part of the original tracks that ran past the old Obihiro Station...

 as a Karikachi Express train
Express train
Express trains are a form of rail service. Express trains make only a small number of stops, instead of stopping at every single station...

; the rest operate only within the Furano Line, half covering the route between Asahikawa and Biei. Nearly all rolling stock is JR Hokkaidō Kiha 150 Diesel Multiple Unit
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...

s.

Stations

Station numbers, names, and other lines serving the stations are as follows. Asterisks denote two-track stations where trains can pass.
  • T30 Furano Station
    Furano Station
    is a train station located in Furano, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company.-Lines serviced:*Nemuro Main Line*Furano Line...

     (Nemuro Main Line
    Nemuro Main Line
    is a railway line in Hokkaidō operated by JR Hokkaidō, between Takikawa Station, Takikawa City and Nemuro Station, Nemuro City, running througheastern Hokkaidō including Obihiro and Kushiro.- Basic Data :*Operators, distances...

    )
  • F44 Gakuden Station
    Gakuden Station (Hokkaido)
    is a train station located in Furano, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company. Only local trains stop. The station is assigned the station number F44.-External links:*...

  • F43 Shikauchi Station
    Shikauchi Station
    is a train station located in Nakafurano, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company. Only local trains stop. The station is assigned the station number F43.-External links:*...

  • F42* Naka-Furano Station
    Naka-Furano Station
    is a train station located in Nakafurano, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company. Only local trains stop. The station is assigned the station number F42.-External links:*...

  • F41 Lavender Farm Station
    Lavender Farm Station
    is a train station located in Nakafurano, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company.The station opens only on selected dates in year and only selected trains stop at the station.-External links:...

     (open seasonally)
  • F40 Nishinaka Station
    Nishinaka Station
    is a train station located in Hokkaidō, Japan. It is operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company .-Lines served:Nishinaka Station is served by the Furano Line between Furano and Asahikawa, and the station number is F40. Only "Local" services stop at this station.-External links:*...

  • F39* Kami-Furano Station
    Kami-Furano Station
    is a train station located in Kamifurano, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company. Only local trains stop. The station is assigned the station number F39.-External links:*...

  • F38* Bibaushi Station
    Bibaushi Station
    is a train station located in Biei, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company. Only local trains stop. The station is assigned the station number F38.-External links:*...

  • F37* Biei Station
    Biei Station
    is a railway station located in Biei, Hokkaidō, Japan, operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company .-History:The station was opened by the Hokkaidō Kansetsu Railway on September 1, 1899. It was also used to transport farm products from the town until 1982.-External links:*...

  • F36 Kita-Biei Station
    Kita-Biei Station
    is a train station located in Biei, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company. Only local trains stop. The station is assigned the station number F36.-External links:*...

  • F35* Chiyogaoka Station
    Chiyogaoka Station
    is a train station located in Asahikawa, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company. Only local trains stop. The station is assigned the station number F35.-External links:*...

  • F34 Nishi-Seiwa Station
    Nishi-Seiwa Station
    is a train station located in Asahikawa, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company. Only local trains stop. The station is assigned the station number F34.-External links:*...

  • F33* Nishi-Kagura Station
    Nishi-Kagura Station
    is a train station located in Asahikawa, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company. Only local trains stop. The station is assigned the station number F33.-External links:*...

  • F32 Nishi-Mizuho Station
    Nishi-Mizuho Station
    is a train station located in Asahikawa, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company. Only local trains stop. The station is assigned the station number F32.-External links:*...

  • F31 Nishi-Goryō Station
    Nishi-Goryo Station
    is a train station located in Asahikawa, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company. Only local trains stop. The station is assigned the station number F31.-External links:*...

  • F30 Midorigaoka Station
    Midorigaoka Station (Hokkaido)
    is a train station located in Asahikawa, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company. Only local trains stop. The station is assigned the station number F30.-External links:*...

  • F29 Kaguraoka Station
    Kaguraoka Station
    is a train station located in Asahikawa, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company. Only local trains stop. The station is assigned the station number F29.-External links:*...

  • A28 Asahikawa Station
    Asahikawa Station
    is a railway station located in Asahikawa, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company .Asahikawa Station is the central train station of Asahikawa City, which is third by population in Northern Japan after Sendai City, and second after Sapporo City in Hokkaido.-Lines:The...

     (Hakodate Main Line
    Hakodate Main Line
    is a railway line between the cities of Hakodate and Asahikawa in Hokkaido, Japan. It is one of the trunk lines operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company ....

    , Sōya Main Line)

External links


Source

This article incorporates material from 富良野線 (Furano-sen) in the Japanese Wikipedia, retrieved on January 15, 2008.
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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