Meitetsu Nagoya Main Line

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Nagoya Main Line
A Meitetsu 9100 series bound for Meitetsu Gifu Station
Overview
Native name名鉄名古屋本線
StatusIn operation
LocaleAichi Prefecture
Gifu Prefecture
Termini
Connecting linesSee stations list
Former connectionsSee stations list
Stations60
Service
TypeHeavy rail
Operator(s)Meitetsu
History
OpenedVarious, see History section
Last extension1 September 1944
Completed18 April 1948 (named)[a]
Technical
Line length99.8 km (62.0 mi)[1]
Number of tracks
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification1,500 V Overhead catenary
Route map

The Meitetsu Nagoya Main Line (名鉄名古屋本線, Meitetsu Nagoya Honsen) is a Japanese railway line operated by the private railway operator Nagoya Railroad (Meitetsu), connecting Toyohashi Station in Toyohashi with Meitetsu Gifu Station in Gifu. The line is also called the Meitetsu Main Line (名鉄本線, Meitetsu Honsen).[1]

Since its amalgamation in 1944, this has been the Meitetsu main line. Many branch lines of Meitetsu have through services to/from the Nagoya Line. Toyokawa, Nishio, Tokoname (which has its through services with Airport, Kōwa, Chita), and Inuyama lines all have through services bound for Meitetsu Nagoya, making the segment around that station extremely busy. Between Biwajima Junction and Kanayama, 26 trains proceed per hour, even during off-peak periods. All the stations accept manaca, a smart card.

The line largely parallels the Tōkaidō Main Line in the Chūkyō Metropolitan Area (Greater Nagoya). Local traffic on the Nagoya Line used to be much heavier than on the Tōkaidō Main Line, but since the privatization of the Japanese National Railways (JNR), transforming into the Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) in this area, competition has become more significant in the Chūkyō area.

Due to historical reasons, the line shares its track between Hirai Junction and Toyohashi Station with the JR Iida Line. The agreement between two companies prohibits Meitetsu to have more than 6 trains in one direction per hour on the 3.8 km of shared tracks. Consequently, local trains are unable to reach Toyohashi, instead, terminate at Ina Station.

History

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The Nagoya Main Line was formed through mergers of multiple local railway operators and segments of their railway lines.[3] The line prior to being connected and treated as a single railway line was divided between eastern and western sections. These two segments were later named the Eastern Line (東部線, Tōbu-sen), and the Western Line (西部線, Seibu-sen) in 1935.[4]

Eastern Line

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The Eastern Line was constructed by a single railway company, the Aichi Electric Railway [ja]. As the Tōkaidō Main Line constructed by the Ministry of Railways by 1889 took a different route from the Tōkaidō in the Aichi Prefecture segment, the company built the line along the Tōkaidō instead. The Eastern Line was originally named the Arimatsu Line (有松線) when it was opened between Jingū-mae and Arimatsu-ura (now named Arimatsu) in 1917. This line renamed to Toyohashi Line (豊橋線) upon extending to Toyohashi by 1927.[4] The line was electrified at 1,500 V, with advanced infrastructures at the time. To reach Toyohashi from Ina Station, the company only built a single track, paralleling the Toyokawa Railway's track.[5] When the Aichi Electric Railway merged with the Meigi Railroad in 1935, the line was renamed to the Eastern Line.[6]

Western Line

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The Western Line was made up of segments from three different railway lines, each by different operators. The first railway operator to construct a line was the Nagoya Electric Railway [ja]. The company opened the part between Sukaguchi and Biwajimabashi [ja] in 1914. Later in the same year, the Mino Electric Railroad [ja] opened a line between Kasamatsu and Hiroe, located near the current Kanō Station.[6] By the end of the year, this line, named the Kasamatsu Line (笠松線), extended to Shin Gifu (current Meitetsu Gifu).[7] In 1921, the Nagoya Electric Railway established the Nagoya Railroad, transferred the tramway network to the city of Nagoya, and the heavy rail network to the established company, and disbanded.[8] The Bisai Railway operated the line between Kōnomiya and Shin Ichinomiya (now Meitetsu Ichinomiya) for a year prior to being transferred to the Nagoya Railroad in 1925.[7] The Nagoya Railroad continued to extend their line, connecting Shin Ichinomiya and Oshikirichō [ja], the western terminal of Nagoya at the time by April 1928.[9] On 20 August 1930, the company merged with the Mino Electric Railroad to form the Meigi Railway. Shin Ichinomiya and Kasamatsu were connected in 1935. Following this extension, Shin Gifu (current Meitetsu Gifu) and Oshikirichō were connected with a single line.[10] Because the line was formerly three separate railways, the line goes through central areas of the passing municipalities compared to the competing Tōkaidō Main Line, and the segment has frequent curves.[11]

Merger and post-merger

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Until 1935, mergers involving the Aichi Electric Railway were brought up multiple times since it was established, but none took place. Around the end of the Taishō era, competition against the two private operators Meigi Railway and the Aichi Electric Railway, which were the tram network operated by the city of Nagoya and the Japan Governmental Railways (JGR), escalated. Added with the Great Depression, these two companies were not able to keep themselves functional with the population of Nagoya at the time. Eventually, the two companies, with the help of the mayor of Nagoya, merged into the current Nagoya Railroad (Meitetsu). Despite this, the two major lines of the two companies were still unconnected, and had different voltages, as the Western Line used 600 V electrification while the east used 1,500 V. Coinciding with the relocation of the JGR's Nagoya Station, Meitetsu extended the western section from Biwajimabashi to Meitetsu Nagoya, closing the former line between Biwajimabashi and Oshikirichō. The Eastern Line was originally planned to run right below the roads of Nagoya, although this did not happen due to opposition from the city. Meitetsu eventually bought the former Nagoya Station's land from the JGR and constructed the line through the land, later building the Meitetsu Department Store and a bus terminal above it. While steel supply was limited by the government due to World War II, The Eastern Line reached Meitetsu Nagoya on 1 September 1944.[12][13] Upon the two lines being connected, the section from Kanayama to Meitetsu Gifu was named Meigi Line (名岐線), and the section from Kanayama to Toyohashi was named Toyohashi Line (豊橋線). Despite technically being a single line, service through these two named lines were not possible due to differing voltage.[14] On 16 May 1948, the Meigi Line's voltage was raised to 1,500 V, and both lines were renamed into the Nagoya Main Line.[15]

The Tōkaidō Main Line was electrified to Maibara Station in 1955, and electric multiple units started operating in the paralleling segment of the line between Toyohashi and Ōgaki. Meitetsu introduced new rolling stocks such as the 5000 series, reduced sharp curves, and increased the number of services providing through service to other lines. In the timetable revision of 1959, the maximum speed of the line was increased to 105 km/h (65 mph) from 100 km/h (62 mph). The 5500 series [ja] was introduced to the line at the time of the same timetable revision, which was the first train equipped with air conditioners that didn't require an additional fee.[16]

Service patterns

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Seven types of services run on the line. The names are as follows:[17]

  • Local (普通, Futsū)
  • Semi Express (準急, Junkyū)
  • Express (急行, Kyūkō)
  • Rapid Express (快速急行, Kaisoku Kyūkō)
  • Limited Express (特急, Tokkyū)
  • Rapid Limited Express (快速特急, Kaisoku Tokkyū)
  • μSKY Limited Express (ミュースカイ, Myū Sukai)

Because of the sheer amount of stopping patterns, trains which stops on stations that aren't usually stopped by the service is excluded from the list. Additionally, services that change service time upon arriving at a certain station are also ignored.

Legend

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  • ●: All trains stop
  • |: Trains pass
  • ▲▼: Through service, all or some trains continue off the line
Station Local[17] Semi-Express[17] Express[17] Rapid Express[17] Limited Express[17] Rapid Limited Express[17] Limited Express μSKY[17]
Toyohashi ● ● ●
Ina ● ● ● | |
Odabuchi ● | | | |
Kō ● ● ▲ ● |
Goyu ● | | | |
Meiden Akasaka ● | | | |
Meiden Nagasawa ● | | | |
Motojuku ● ● ● | |
Meiden Yamanaka ● | | | |
Fujikawa ● ● | | |
Miai ● ● ● | |
Otogawa ● ● | | |
Higashi Okazaki ● ● ● ● ●
Okazakikōen-mae ● | | | |
Yahagibashi ● ● | | |
Utō ● | | | |
Shin Anjō ● ● ▲ ● |
Ushida ● | | | |
Chiryū ● ● ● ● ●
Hitotsugi ● | | | |
Fujimatsu ● | | | |
Toyoake ● ● | | |
Zengo ● ● ● | |
Chūkyō-keibajō-mae ● ● | | |
Arimatsu ● ● | | |
Sakyōyama ● | | | |
Narumi ● ● ● | |
Moto Hoshizaki ● | | | |
Moto Kasadera ● | | | |
Sakura ● | | | |
Yobitsugi ● | | | |
Horita ● ● ● | |
Jingū-mae ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲
Kanayama ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Sannō ● | | | | | |
Meitetsu Nagoya ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Sakō ● ● ● | | | |
Higashi-Biwajima ● | | | | | |
Nishi-Biwajima ● | | | | | |
Futatsu-iri ● ● | | | | |
Shinkawabashi ● | | | | | |
Sukaguchi ● ● ● ● | | |
Marunouchi ● | | | | | |
Shin-Kiyosu ● ● ● ● | | |
Ōsato ● ● | | | | |
Okuda ● | | | | | |
Kōnomiya ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Shima-Ujinaga ● | | | | | |
Myōkōji ● | | | | | |
Meitetsu Ichinomiya ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Imaise ● | | | | | |
Iwato ● | | | | | |
Shin Kisogawa ● ● ● ● ● ● |
Kuroda ● | | | | | |
Kisogawa-Zutsumi ● | | | | | |
Kasamatsu ● ● ● ● ● ● |
Ginan ● | | | | | |
Chajo ● | | | | | |
Kanō ● | | | | | |
Meitetsu Gifu ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Infrastructure

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Diagram of the Hirai Junction

Most of the Meitetsu Nagoya Main Line is double-tracked, although the section between Jingū-mae and Kanayama are quadrupled. However, a segment of the track inside Meitetsu Gifu is single-tracked.[18][19] This severely restricts the operations of trains entering and exiting the station.[20] The section of the line between Ina and Toyohashi shares tracks with the Iida Line, so the Nagoya Main Line is single-tracked from Toyohashi to the Hirai Junction, where the Iida Line branches north.[21]

Station list

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No. Station name Transfers Opened Distance from Toyohashi (km)[22] Location
English Japanese Ward or City Prefecture
Toyohashi 豊橋
1 June 1927[1] 0.0 Toyohashi Aichi
Ina 伊奈 5.0 Toyokawa
Odabuchi 小田渕 14 January 1934[1] 6.6
Kō 国府 Meitetsu Toyokawa Line 1 April 1926[23] 9.6
Goyu 御油 10.7
Meiden Akasaka 名電赤坂 12.5
Meiden Nagasawa 名電長沢 15.0
Motojuku 本宿 18.7 Okazaki
Meiden Yamanaka 名電山中 20.4
Fujikawa 藤川 23.1
Miai 美合 25.6
Otogawa 男川 27.6
Higashi Okazaki 東岡崎 8 August 1923[24] 29.8
Okazakikōen-mae 岡崎公園前 Aichi Loop Line (Naka-Okazaki) 1 June 1923[25] 31.1
Yahagibashi 矢作橋 32.5
Utō 宇頭 34.8
Shin Anjō 新安城 Meitetsu Nishio Line 38.3 Anjō
Ushida 牛田 40.9 Chiryū
Chiryū 知立 Meitetsu Mikawa Line 1 April 1959[26] 43.1
Hitotsugi 一ツ木 1 April 1923[27] 44.6 Kariya
Fujimatsu 富士松 46.6
Toyoake 豊明 48.1 Toyoake
Zengo 前後 49.8
Chūkyō-keibajō-mae 中京競馬場前 15 July 1953[28] 51.4 Midori-ku, Nagoya
Arimatsu 有松 8 May 1917[28] 52.7
Sakyōyama 左京山 15 November 1942[28] 53.8
Narumi 鳴海 8 May 1917[29] 55.1
Moto Hoshizaki 本星崎 56.7 Minami-ku, Nagoya
Moto Kasadera 本笠寺 19 March 1917[29] 58.2
Sakura 桜 58.9
Yobitsugi 呼続 59.9
Horita 堀田 15 April 1928[29] 61.1 Mizuho-ku, Nagoya
Jingū-mae 神宮前 Meitetsu Tokoname Line 31 August 1913[30] 62.2 Atsuta-ku, Nagoya
Kanayama 金山
1 September 1944[30] 64.4 Naka-ku, Nagoya
Sannō 山王 66.0 Nakagawa-ku, Nagoya
Meitetsu Nagoya 名鉄名古屋 (Nagoya Station)

(Kintetsu Nagoya Station)
Kintetsu Nagoya Line

12 August 1941[31][32] 68.0 Nakamura-ku, Nagoya
Sakō 栄生 69.9 Nishi-ku, Nagoya
Higashi-Biwajima 東枇杷島 Meitetsu Inuyama Line 70.7
Nishi-Biwajima 西枇杷島 23 January 1914[33] 71.6 Kiyosu
Futatsu-iri 二ツ杁 1 February 1942[33] 72.2
Shinkawabashi 新川橋 23 January 1914[33] 72.8
Sukaguchi 須ヶ口 Meitetsu Tsushima Line 73.5
Marunouchi 丸ノ内 22 September 1914[34] 74.3
Shin-Kiyosu 新清洲 3 February 1928[34] 75.2
Ōsato 大里 77.5 Inazawa
Okuda 奥田 78.8
Kōnomiya 国府宮 15 February 1924[34] 80.9
Shima-Ujinaga 島氏永 24 January 1928[35] 82.9 Inazawa
Ichinomiya[b]
Myōkōji 妙興寺 15 February 1924[35] 84.7 Ichinomiya
Meitetsu Ichinomiya 名鉄一宮
86.4
Imaise 今伊勢 29 April 1935[36] 88.3
Iwato 石刀 89.2
Shin Kisogawa 新木曽川 91.2
Kuroda 黒田 15 September 1936[37] 92.1
Kisogawa-Zutsumi 木曽川堤 1 March 1939[37] 93.9
Kasamatsu 笠松 Meitetsu Takehana Line 29 April 1935[37] 95.1 Kasamatsu Gifu
Ginan 岐南 2 June 1914[38] 96.9 Ginan
Chajo 茶所 98.3 Gifu
Kanō 加納 98.7
Meitetsu Gifu 名鉄岐阜
18 April 1948[20] 99.8

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Kawashima 4 2009, p. 60.
  2. ^ a b Kawashima 4 2009, pp. 6–17.
  3. ^ Sugiura 2023, p. 148.
  4. ^ a b Sugiura 2023, p. 41.
  5. ^ Sugiura 2023, p. 153.
  6. ^ a b Sugiura 2023, p. 43.
  7. ^ a b Shimizu 2016, pp. 12–13.
  8. ^ Sugiura 2023, p. 152.
  9. ^ Shimizu 2016, pp. 13–14.
  10. ^ Sugiura 2023, p. 154.
  11. ^ Sugiura 2023, p. 42.
  12. ^ Sugiura 2023, pp. 154–155.
  13. ^ Shimizu 2016, p. 14.
  14. ^ Sugiura 2023, p. 155.
  15. ^ Shimizu 2016, p. 12.
  16. ^ Sugiura 2023, p. 156.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g h "名古屋鉄道". 名古屋鉄道 (in Japanese). Retrieved 21 September 2025.
  18. ^ Kawashima 4 2009, pp. 5–17.
  19. ^ Kawashima 5 2009, p. 8-17.
  20. ^ a b Kawashima 5 2009, p. 57.
  21. ^ Kawashima 4 2009, p. 6.
  22. ^ Kawashima 4 2009, pp. 60–68.
  23. ^ Kawashima 4 2009, pp. 61–62.
  24. ^ Kawashima 4 2009, p. 63.
  25. ^ Kawashima 4 2009, pp. 63–64.
  26. ^ Kawashima 4 2009, p. 64.
  27. ^ Kawashima 4 2009, pp. 64–65.
  28. ^ a b c Kawashima 4 2009, p. 65.
  29. ^ a b c Kawashima 4 2009, p. 66.
  30. ^ a b Kawashima 4 2009, p. 67.
  31. ^ Kawashima 4 2009, p. 68.
  32. ^ Kawashima 5 2009, p. 52.
  33. ^ a b c Kawashima 5 2009, p. 53.
  34. ^ a b c Kawashima 5 2009, p. 54.
  35. ^ a b c Kawashima 5 2009, p. 55.
  36. ^ Kawashima 5 2009, pp. 55–56.
  37. ^ a b c Kawashima 5 2009, p. 56.
  38. ^ Kawashima 5 2009, pp. 56–57.

Notes

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  1. ^ As the railway line was officially named as the Meitetsu Nagoya Main Line on this date, this is set as the completion date. However, due to the historical background of the line, parts of the line has been opened earlier than this date.
  2. ^ The two platforms are located in a different municipality.[35]

Bibliography

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  • Sugiura, Makoto (16 January 2023). 名古屋鉄道のすべて 改訂版 (鉄道まるわかり008) [Everything about Nagoya Railroad Revised edition] (in Japanese). Tabi To Tetsudo. ISBN 978-4635824569.
  • Kawashima, Ryozo (2009). 東海道ライン全線・全駅・全配線 第4巻 豊橋駅-名古屋エリア [Tokaido Line all route diagrams part 4 - Toyohashi-Nagoya Area] (in Japanese). Kodansha. ISBN 978-4-06-270014-6.
  • Kawashima, Ryozo (2009). 東海道ライン全線・全駅・全配線 第5巻 名古屋駅-米原エリア [Tokaido Line all route diagrams part 5 - Nagoya-Maibara Area] (in Japanese). Kodansha. ISBN 978-4-06-270015-3.
  • Shimizu, Takeshi (24 March 2016). 名古屋鉄道　各駅停車 [Nagoya Railroad All Stations] (in Japanese). ISBN 978-4-8003-0800-9.