Uetsu Main Line
Kirakira Uetsu (Joyful Train)
Overview
Native name	羽越本線
Status	Operating
Owner	JR East
Locale	Niigata, Yamagata, Akita Prefectures
Termini	Niitsu Station Akita Station
Stations	61
Service
Type	Heavy rail
System	JR East
Operator(s)	JR East, JR Freight
History
Opened	September 2, 1912; 111 years ago (1912-09-02)
Technical
Track length	274.4 km (170.5 mi)
Number of tracks	Sections of double track and single track
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Electrification	1,500 V DC, 20 kV AC 50 Hz
Operating speed	120 km/h (75 mph)
Route map

The Uetsu Main Line (羽越本線, Uetsu-hon-sen) is a railway line in the Tohoku and Chubu regions of Japan. Part of the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) system, it connects Niitsu Station in the city of Niigata and Akita Station in Akita. The name "Uetsu" refers to the ancient provinces of Dewa (出羽) and Echigo (越後), which the line connects.^[1]

Route data

• Total length: 274.4 km (170.5 mi) (Fukushima–Aomori, Tsuchizaki–Akitakō)
• Operators, distances:
  • East Japan Railway Company (Services and tracks)
    • Niitsu — Akita: 271.7 km (168.8 mi)
  • Japan Freight Railway Company (Services and tracks)
    • Sakata — Sakata-Minato: 2.7 km (1.7 mi)
  • Japan Freight Railway Company (Services)
    • Niitsu — Akita: 271.7 km (168.8 mi)
• Tracks:
  • See station list for details
• Electrification:
  • Niitsu — Murakami: 1,500 V DC
  • Murakami — Akita: 20 kV AC, 50 Hz
• Railway signalling:
• Maximum speed:
  • Niitsu — Murakami: 120 km/h (75 mph)
  • Murakami — Imagawa: 100 km/h (62 mph)
  • Imagawa — Sanze: 95 km/h (59 mph)
  • Sanze — Sakata: 120 km/h (75 mph)
  • Sakata — Akita: 95 km/h (59 mph)

Services

Limited express, Rapid

As of March 2020^[update], the following services are operated.

Local

Niitsu – Shibata: every 60-180 minutes

Shibata – Murakami: every 60-120 minutes

Murakami – Sakata: every 60-180 minutes

Sakata – Akita: every 60-180 minutes

Between Shibata and Murakami, most of the local trains travel through to/from Niigata via Hakushin Line.

Stations

A: Limited Express Inaho

B: Rapid Kairi

C: Rapid Rakuraku Train Murakami, Benibana and other Rapid service trains

Trains stop at stations marked "O", skip at stations marked "|".

Symbols:

• | - Single-track
• ◇ - Single-track; station where trains can pass
• ^ - Double-track section starts from this point
• ∥ - Double-track
• ∨ - Single-track section starts from this point

Rolling stock

Present

Local

• E129 series 2/4-car DC EMUs (Niitsu—Murakami, since December 2014)
• 701 series 2/3-car AC EMUs (Sakata—Akita)
• KiHa 110 series (Niitsu - Nezugaseki)
• GV-E400 series (Niitsu-Sakata, since August 2019)

Inaho/Rakuraku Train Murakami

• E653-1000 series 7-car DC/AC EMUs (since September 2013)

Kairi

• HB-E300 series

• 
  701 series passing Omonogawa Bridge
• 
  E653 series Inaho, near Higashi-Sakata Station
• 
  Kairi at Shibata Station, April 2020

Former

• 115 series DC EMUs (Niitsu—Murakami, until March 2018)
• E127-0 series 2-car DC EMUs (Shibata—Murakami, until March 2015)
• KiHa 40/47/48 series DMUs (Until March 2020)
• KiHa E120 DMUs (Niitsu—Sakata, until March 2018)
• KiHa 58 series DMUs
• KiHa 52 DMUs
• 485 series DC/AC EMUs (until July 2014) - Inaho, Hakucho, Rakuraku Train Murakami

• 
  E127 series and 115 series at Murakami Station, March 2009
• 
  KiHa 40/47/48 series, Amarume - Nishibukuro, March 2017
• 
  KiHa 40/47/48 series, Tsuruoka - Fujishima, October 2016
• 
  KiHa E120 and 110 at Sakamachi Station, July 2009
• 
  485 series Hakucho limited espress, Akita Station, 1987
• 
  485-3000 series Inaho limited express, Kosagawa - Kamihama, March 2014

History

The line was opened in sections between 1912 and 1924, and electrified in 1972, the same year CTC signalling was commissioned.^{[citation needed]}

Work to double-track the line in sections commenced in 1957, and continued for 25 years until being suspended due to capital expenditure restrictions in 1983, at which time 51% of the route was double-tracked.^{[citation needed]}

On July 28, 2022, JR East announced that ridership in some sectors was less than 2000 persons/day, the deficit for the sector between Murakami Station to Tsuruoka Station being 4,990 billion yen, the largest deficit within the JR East system.^[2][3]

Accidents

On December 25, 2005, all six cars of a limited express train Inaho No.14 on the Uetsu Line derailed in Yamagata prefecture, about 350 kilometres (220 mi) north of Tokyo. The train was headed south towards Kita-Amarume Station. Three of the cars turned over, causing the deaths of five people and injuring 33 others. Three other persons were originally reported missing, but authorities later discovered that they had disembarked from the train before the accident. It is likely that the event was caused by a tornado although it is uncertain whether or not a tornado was involved with this accident.^{[4][citation needed]}