The Ōito Line(大糸線, Ōito-sen) is a railway line in Japan which connects Matsumoto Station in Nagano Prefecture with Itoigawa Station in Niigata Prefecture. There are two operators on the line: East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and West Japan Railway Company (JR West). Minami-Otari is the boundary for the two companies. The section of the line operated by JR East, between Minami-Otari and Matsumoto, is electrified and trains are fairly regular along this section. The JR West section from Minami-Otari to Itoigawa, however, is not electrified and sees less use. Trains operate less frequently along this section.

Route data

  • Operators, services: East Japan Railway Company (Services and tracks) Matsumoto — Minami-Otari: 70.1 km West Japan Railway Company (Services and tracks) Minami-Otari — Itoigawa: 35.3 km
  • Stations: JR East: 33 JR West: 8 including Itoigawa, excluding Minami-Otari
  • Double-tracked section: None
  • Electrification: Matsumoto — Minami-Otari (1,500 V DC) Minami-Otari — Itoigawa (None)
  • Railway signalling: Matsumoto — Itoigawa: Automatic Train Stop, S-type

Services

JR East section

Limited express, Rapid

As of March 2025[update], the following services are operated.

NameThrough from/toStartEndService frequency (daily)
Limited Express AzusaShinjukuMatsumotoHakuba1 return trip
RapidKami-SuwaMatsumotoShinano-Ōmachi1 up trip
-Shinano-ŌmachiMinami-Otari1 up trip

Local

Matsumoto – Shinano-Ōmachi: every 30-60 minutes

Shinano-Ōmachi – Minami-Otari: every 60-180 minutes

JR West section

Local

Minami-Otari - Itoigawa: every 120-180 minutes

No limited-stop services such as rapids operate on the JR West section. All trains are local services, which stop at every station.

Rolling stock

JR East section

JR West section

Stations

JR East section

All stations are within Nagano Prefecture.

A: Limited Express Azusa

R: Rapid

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

No.StationJapaneseDistance(km)ARTransfersLocation
Between stationsTotal
42Matsumoto松本-0.0OOShinonoi LineAlpico Kōtsū Kamikōchi LineMatsumoto
41Kita-Matsumoto北松本0.70.7|O
40Shimauchi島内1.92.6|O
39Shimatakamatsu島高松1.23.8|O
38Azusabashi梓橋1.45.2|OAzumino
37Hitoichiba一日市場1.66.8|O
36Nakagaya中萱1.68.4|O
35Minami-Toyoshina南豊科2.010.4|O
34Toyoshina豊科1.011.4OO
33Hakuyachō柏矢町2.814.2|O
32Hotaka穂高2.016.2OO
31Ariake有明2.218.4|O
30Azumi-Oiwake安曇追分1.519.9|O
29Hosono細野2.922.8|Matsukawa, Kitaazumi District
28Kita-Hosono北細野1.023.8|
27Shinano-Matsukawa信濃松川2.226.0|O
26Azumi-Kutsukake安曇沓掛1.628.6|Ōmachi
25Shinano-Tokiwa信濃常盤2.330.9|O
24Minami-Ōmachi南大町3.134.0|
23Shinano-Ōmachi信濃大町1.135.1OO
ORapid terminus / transfer
22Kita-Ōmachi北大町2.137.2|
21Shinano-Kizaki信濃木崎2.239.4|O
20Inao稲尾2.241.6|
19Uminokuchi海ノ口1.342.9|
18Yanaba簗場3.446.3|O
16Minami-Kamishiro南神城4.952.8|Hakuba, Kitaazumi District
15Kamishiro神城2.455.2|O
14Iimori飯森1.556.7|
13Hakuba白馬3.059.7OO
12Shinano-Moriue信濃森上1.961.6O
11Hakuba-Ōike白馬大池3.865.4Otari, Kitaazumi District
10Chikuni千国3.468.7
9Minami-Otari南小谷1.470.1O

Closed Stations Yanabaskijōmae Station closed on 16 March 2019

JR West section

StationJapaneseDistance(km)TransfersLocation
Between stationsTotal
Minami-Otari南小谷-70.1Otari, Nagano
Nakatsuchi中土4.074.1
Kita-Otari北小谷4.478.5
Hiraiwa平岩5.585.0Itoigawa, Niigata
Kotaki小滝6.891.8
Nechi根知3.695.4
Kubiki-Ōno頸城大野4.9100.3
Himekawa姫川1.9102.2
Itoigawa糸魚川3.2105.4Hokuriku Shinkansen ETR Nihonkai Hisui Line

History

The section between Matsumoto and Shinano-Ōmachi was built between 1915 and 1916 by the Shinano Railway(信濃鉄道, Shinano Tetsudō), which electrified the line in 1926. The company was nationalised in 1937 and was not the same entity as the present Shinano Railway.[citation needed]

The rest of the line was built by the Japanese Government Railways (JGR) and the Japanese National Railways (JNR) between 1929 and 1957. The Shinano-Ōmachi to Minami Otari section was electrified between 1959 and 1967. CTC signalling was commissioned in 1983, and freight services ceased in 1987.[citation needed]

Following privatization of JNR on 1 April 1987, the line was divided and assigned to JR East and JR West.

Station numbering was introduced on the line by JR East from 12 December 2016, with stations numbered in sequence from 9 (Minami-Otari) to 42 (Matsumoto).

See also