Aoimori Railway Line

The is a regional rail line in Aomori Prefecture, Japan that is operated by third-sector railway company Aoimori Railway Company. It connects Metoki Station in Sannohe, the terminal station of the Iwate Galaxy Railway Line, to Aomori Station in Aomori.

The Aoimori and Iwate Galaxy Railway Lines are former sections of the JR East Tōhoku Main Line (in Aomori Prefecture and Iwate Prefecture respectively) that connected Tokyo to Aomori. When the Tōhoku Shinkansen was opened (to on 1 December 2002 and to on 4 December 2010), the corresponding sections of the Tōhoku Main Line were transferred from East Japan Railway Company (JR East) to Aoimori Railway Company as the Aoimori Railway Line.

While local passenger services on the line are operated by Aoimori Railway Company, JR East operates the Shimokita Rapid train along part of the line, and Japan Freight Railway Company (JR Freight) (which owns a minority stake in Aoimori Railway Company) transports freight along the line. For maintenance work, the line relies on the services of the Hachinohe Rinkai Railway Company.

Operation The Aoimori Railway Line operates in two sections, between and , and between and . No services commence or terminate at Metoki; all trains continue through to or from on the Iwate Galaxy Railway Line.

East Japan Railway Company (JR East) operates the Shimokita rapid service between Hachinohe and on the Ōminato Line, using the Aoimori Railway Line between Hachinohe and . , three Shimokita round trips operate daily.

All services operated by Aoimori Railway Company, including through services on the Iwate Galaxy Railway Line, are local trains that stop at every station.

Stations All stations are in Aomori Prefecture.

StationDistance in km (mi)JTB Timetable (April 2014) p. 592rowspan=2 TransfersLocationBetweenstationsTotal↑ Through-running to/from via the Iwate Galaxy Railway Line ↑ (through service)SannoheNanbuHachinohe●|●Oirase|●Misawa|Tōhoku●||● (some through service)NohejiHiranaiAomori

Rolling stock and equipment Aoimori 701 series 2-car EMUs x9 Aoimori 703 series 2-car EMUs x2

The Aoimori Railway operates a fleet of 701 series two-car electric multiple units (EMUs). One set was built from new in September 2002, while eight more were transferred from JR East.

Two new two-car Aoimori 703 series EMUs were delivered in November 2013 and introduced from the start of the 15 March 2014 timetable revision.

Future plans

The railway has been negotiating with the city of Aomori since December 2015 on a proposal to open a new station between Tsutsui Station and Aomori Station near the point at which the railway passes under Japan National Route 103. The station would be part of a sports arena development for the 2025 National Sports Festival of Japan to be held in Aomori. The neighborhood the station would serve is a primarily residential area, but it would also provide access to some busy shopping centers within walking distance to the station. As of January 2021, no final decision has been made regarding the construction of the new station.

History

The predecessor to the Aoimori Railway Line was completed as the – portion of the Nippon Railway on 1 September 1891. When the Nippon Railway was nationalized on 1 November 1906, it became part of the Japanese National Railways (JNR) system and was designated part of the Tōhoku Main Line on 12 October 1909. With the privatization and dissolution of JNR on 1 April 1987, the line came under the control of East Japan Railway Company (JR East).

On 1 December 2002, with the opening of the Tōhoku Shinkansen, the portion of the Tōhoku Main Line located in Iwate Prefecture became the Iwate Galaxy Railway Line, and the portion in Aomori Prefecture from the Iwate border to Hachinohe Station became the Aoimori Railway Line. With the opening of the Tōhoku Shinkansen extension to on 4 December 2010, the Tōhoku Main Line tracks between Hachinohe and Aomori were transferred from JR East to Aoimori Railway Company, resulting in the completion of the Aoimori Railway Line.

Commencing in December 2010, coinciding with the opening of the Tōhoku Shinkansen to Shin-Aomori, JR East operated the Resort Asunaro sightseeing train between Hachinohe and using the Aoimori Railway Line between Hachinohe and . The last service operated on 20 August 2023.

There have been a few new developments along the line since its transfer to Aoimori Railway Company. On 12 March 2012, Nonai Station was relocated southwest of its original location. Tsutsui Station, near Aomori High School, was opened on 15 March 2014. Two-car Aoimori 703 series sets began operations on the line on the same day to handle the increased loads presented by the opening of Tsutsui Station.

Aoimori Railway Line

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