Oga Line

Stations9ServiceOperator(s)JR EastRolling stockKiHa 40 series DMU, EV-E801 series BEMUHistoryOpened9 November 1913 (1913-11-09)TechnicalLine length26.4 km (16.4 mi)Number of tracksEntire line single trackedCharacterRuralTrack gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)ElectrificationNoneOperating speed85 km/h (53 mph)

Route map
Legend 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

• KiHa 40 series
• 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

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]

This would make the Oga Line another non-electrified railway line in Japan where battery electric trains completely replaced diesel trains; this has already happened, for example, on the Kashii Line and the Karasuyama Line.

References