Mugi Line

Mugi Line
300px Local train at Awa-Tachibana Station
Overview
Type	Heavy rail
Locale	Tokushima Prefecture
Termini	Tokushima Kaifu
Stations	30
Operation
Opened	1913
Operator(s)	JR Shikoku
Technical
Line length	79.3 km (49.3 mi)
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Operating speed	110 km/h (70 mph)
Route map 200px

The Mugi Line (牟岐線, Mugi-sen) is a railway line in southeastern Tokushima Prefecture, Japan, owned and operated by Shikoku Railway Company (JR Shikoku). It connects the prefectural capital of Tokushima with the town of Kaiyō in Kaifu District. The line's official nickname is "Awa-Muroto Seaside Line" (阿波室戸シーサイドライン, Awa-muroto-shiisaido-rain), but this is rarely used by local residents as it doesn't directly service Muroto, the intended destination of the line.

Services

Three limited express services run on the Mugi Line: the Muroto and Tsurugisan between Tokushima and Kaifu, and the Home Express Anan between Tokushima and Anan. Between Mugi and Kaifu, all limited express trains are operated as local services. All Tsurugisan and some Muroto trains have through service on the Tokushima and Dosan lines to/from Awa-Ikeda. On the New Year's holiday, the seasonal Yakuōji-gō limited express provides service to/from Takamatsu.

Although there are local trains that run the entire length of the Mugi Line, most service is divided at Mugi. There are trains that serve the Tokushima – Mugi, Tokushima – Kaifu, and Mugi – Kaifu　sections, as well as a single round-trip between Tokushima and Anan.　Some local trains have through service onto the Kōtoku, Tokushima, and Naruto lines. Driver-only operation is in effect for most daytime trains when there are few passengers.

Station list

• All stations are located in Tokushima Prefecture.
• Local trains stop at all stations. For the Muroto and Tsurugisan limited express services, see their respective articles.
• Trains can pass one another at stations marked "◇" and cannot pass at those marked "｜".

Station number	Station	Japanese	Distance (km)		Transfers		Location
			Between stations	Total
M00	Tokushima	徳島	-	0.0	Kōtoku Line (T00), Tokushima Line*, Naruto Line*	◇	Tokushima
M01	Awa-Tomida	阿波富田	1.4	1.4		｜
M02	Niken'ya	二軒屋	1.4	2.8		◇
M03	Bunkanomori	文化の森	1.1	3.9		｜
M04	Jizōbashi	地蔵橋	2.1	6.0		｜
M05	Chūden	中田	3.2	9.2		◇	Komatsushima
M06	Minami-Komatsushima	南小松島	1.7	10.9		◇
M07	Awa-Akaishi	阿波赤石	3.3	14.2		｜
M08	Tatsue	立江	1.4	15.6		◇
M09	Hanoura	羽ノ浦	2.1	17.7		◇	Anan
M10	Nishibara	西原	2.1	19.8		｜
M11	Awa-Nakashima	阿波中島	2.0	21.8		｜
M12	Anan	阿南	2.7	24.5		◇
M13	Minobayashi	見能林	1.9	26.4		｜
M14	Awa-Tachibana	阿波橘	2.2	28.6		｜
M15	Kuwano	桑野	4.0	32.6		◇
M16	Aratano	新野	3.6	36.2		｜
M17	Awa-Fukui	阿波福井	2.7	38.9		｜
M18	Yuki	由岐	6.0	44.9		◇	Minami, Kaifu District
	Tainohama	田井ノ浜	-	-	Seasonal station	｜
M19	Kiki	木岐	2.3	47.2		｜
M20	Kitagawachi	北河内	4.3	51.5		｜
M21	Hiwasa	日和佐	1.8	53.3		◇
M22	Yamagawachi	山河内	5.1	58.4		｜
M23	Hegawa	辺川	5.9	64.3		｜	Mugi, Kaifu District
M24	Mugi	牟岐	3.4	67.7		◇
M25	Sabase	鯖瀬	4.3	72.0		｜	Kaiyō, Kaifu District
M26	Asakawa	浅川	3.4	75.4		｜
M27	Awa-Kainan	阿波海南	2.4	77.8		｜
M28	Kaifu	海部	1.5	79.3	Asa Kaigan Railway Asatō Line (AK28)	◇

• Although the Tokushima and Naruto lines do not officially begin at Tokushima, most trains travel through on the Kōtoku Line to Tokushima.

History

The Awa Steamship Co., which operated a service between Honshu and Shikoku, built an 11km line from a port at Komatsushima to Tokushima which opened in 1913.

In 1916 the line was extended by 10km from Nakata to Furusho, resulting in the creation of the 2km Komatsushima - Nakata branch line, and the following year the lines were nationalised.

In 1936 the line was extended south from Hanoura 17km to Kumano, and the 2km Hanoura - Furusho section became a freight-only branch, which closed in 1961.

The line was extended a further 35km to Mugi in 3 stages opening 1937-42.

In 1959 it was decided to extend the line to Muroto, where it would connect with the planned extension of the Asa line from Kochi. The first 12km section to Kaifu opened in 1973, and further construction undertaken until work was suspended in 1980.

The Nakata - Komatsushima branch closed in 1985.

In 1987 with the privatization of JNR, the line became part of the Shikoku Railway Company (JR Shikoku).

In 1988 construction work south of Kaifu was recommenced by a private company underwritten by the Tokushima Prefectural Government, and the next section opened in 1992 as the Asa Kaigan Railway Asato Line.

Other significant dates

• April 1, 1988: Muroto express service renamed Asa
• November 3, 1990: Bunkanomori Station opens
• November 21, 1990: Track upgrade allowing speeds up to 110 km/h completed; Three round-trip Uzushio limited express trains begin operation; Asa express service abolished
• March 14, 1998: Tsurugisan limited express begins through operation onto the Mugi Line
• March 13, 1999: Portion of Uzushio limited express operation separated, renamed to Muroto

See also

• List of railway lines in Japan

References

This article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia

External links

• JR Shikoku official website (Japanese)