The is the unofficial name for a railway

Rail transport

Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...

 branch line

Branch line

A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...

 in Yuzawa, Niigata

Yuzawa, Niigata

is an onsen town located in Minamiuonuma District in the mountains of the Chuetsu region of Niigata Prefecture, Japan.-Demographics:...

, 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...

, operated by East Japan Railway Company

East Japan Railway Company

is the largest passenger railway company in the world and one of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo....

 (JR East).

The standard gauge

Standard gauge

The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...

 line is a short (1.8 km) branch line

Branch line

A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...

 that extends from Echigo-Yuzawa Station

Echigo-Yuzawa Station

is a train station operated by East Japan Railway Company , located in the resort town of Yuzawa in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. Facilities at the station include souvenir shopping and eating facilities, as well as a sake-themed attraction complete with an indoor onsen bath.-Lines:Echigo-Yuzawa...

 on the Jōetsu Shinkansen

Joetsu Shinkansen

The is a high-speed railway line connecting Tokyo and Niigata, Japan, via the Tōhoku Shinkansen, operated by the East Japan Railway Company .-History:The program was initiated in 1971 by Niigata-born prime minister Tanaka Kakuei...

 to Gala-Yuzawa Station

Gala-Yuzawa Station

is a seasonal railway station located in Yuzawa, Niigata, Japan. The station is operated by East Japan Railway Company .-Lines:The station is served by the Gala-Yuzawa Line from Echigo-Yuzawa Station, and forms the only station on this 1.8 km branch line. Services are classed as "Limited express",...

, but is officially classified as a branch of the (narrow gauge) Jōetsu Line

Joetsu Line

The is a major rail line in Japan. Part of the JR East system, it runs from Takasaki Station in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture, to Miyauchi Station in Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture, linking the northwestern Kantō region and the Sea of Japan coast of the Chūbu region...

. The line has no intermediate stations.

Gala-Yuzawa Station serves the nearby ski resort

Ski resort

A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing and other winter sports. In Europe a ski resort is a town or village in a ski area - a mountainous area, where there are ski trails and supporting services such as hotels and other accommodation, restaurants, equipment rental and a ski lift system...

 Gala Yuzawa (ski lifts operate directly from the station), so the station is only used during the winter period. During the skiing season, Tanigawa

Tanigawa (train)

is the name of a train service operated by the East Japan Railway Company on the Jōetsu Shinkansen in Japan.-History:The name Tanigawa was first introduced on 15 November 1982 for limited express services operating between Ueno in Tokyo and Minakami on the Jōetsu Line.From 1 October 1997, the...

services from Tokyo are extended to run to Gala-Yuzawa. All trains on the line are classified as "limited express

Limited express

A limited express is a type of express train service. It refers to an express service that stops at a limited number of stops in comparison to other express services on the same or similar routes.- Japan :...

", so that limited express surcharge is required.

The branchline was originally built for maintenance purposes, but was upgraded for passenger service from 20 December 1990 when JR East developed the ski resort. Outside the winter season, the line is used for switching trains terminating at and departing from Echigo-Yuzawa Station.