vteHōhi Main Line
Kyushu Shinkansen (Kagoshima Route) Kagoshima Main Line Kumamoto City Tram：Trunk Line 0.0 Kumamoto Kumamoto City Tram：Tasaki Line Kagoshima Main Line Kumamoto City Tram：Kawajiri Line 2.7 Heisei Saibu Gas,Kumamoto Factory Leased Line Yūen Railway 3.6 Minami-Kumamoto Kumamoto City Tram：Harutake Line Japan Food Agency,Kumamoto Food Office Leased Line 5.2 Shin-Suizenji Shin-Suizenji Kumamoto City Tram：Suizenji Line 5.8 Suizenji Mitsubishi Heavy Industries,No.9 Aircraft Manufacturing Leased Line 7.8 Tōkai-Gakuen-mae 8.9 Tatsutaguchi Kumamoto Light Railway 12.9 Musashizuka 14.8 Hikarinomori 15.8 Sanrigi 18.9 Haramizu 22.6 Higo-Ōzu 27.2 Seta 32.3 Tateno Minamiaso Railway：Takamori Line 40.2 Akamizu 42.6 Ichinokawa 46.4 Uchinomaki 49.9 Aso 51.2 Ikoi-no-Mura 53.4 Miyaji Sakanokami Tunnel 2283m 64.1 Namino 69.0 Takimizu Kumamoto -> Ōita 75.2 Bungo-Ogi 84.9 Tamarai 88.0 Bungo-Taketa 93.9 Asaji Station 100.3 Ogata 105.4 Bungo-Kiyokawa 111.9 Miemachi 117.3 Sugao 125.2 Inukai 130.8 Takenaka 136.3 Nakahanda 138.8 Ōita-Daigaku-mae 140.2 Shikido 142.9 Takio Nippō Main Line Ōita Railway Division Ōita Depot 145.8 Shimogori signal field Kyūdai Main Line Ōita-Shi Station 148.0 Ōita Station Ōita Eki-mae Oita Transportation Co., Ltd：Betsudai Line (tram) Nippō Main Line
Kyushu Shinkansen (Kagoshima Route)
Kagoshima Main Line
Kumamoto City Tram：Trunk Line
0.0Kumamoto
Kumamoto City Tram：Tasaki Line
Kagoshima Main Line
Kumamoto City Tram：Kawajiri Line
2.7Heisei
Saibu Gas,Kumamoto Factory Leased Line
Yūen Railway
3.6Minami-Kumamoto Kumamoto City Tram：Harutake Line
Japan Food Agency,Kumamoto Food Office Leased Line
5.2Shin-Suizenji
Shin-Suizenji Kumamoto City Tram：Suizenji Line
5.8Suizenji
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries,No.9 Aircraft Manufacturing Leased Line
7.8Tōkai-Gakuen-mae
8.9Tatsutaguchi
Kumamoto Light Railway
12.9Musashizuka
14.8Hikarinomori
15.8Sanrigi
18.9Haramizu
22.6Higo-Ōzu
27.2Seta
32.3Tateno
Minamiaso Railway：Takamori Line
40.2Akamizu
42.6Ichinokawa
46.4Uchinomaki
49.9Aso
51.2Ikoi-no-Mura
53.4Miyaji
Sakanokami Tunnel2283m
64.1Namino
69.0Takimizu
Kumamoto -> Ōita
75.2Bungo-Ogi
84.9Tamarai
88.0Bungo-Taketa
93.9Asaji Station
100.3Ogata
105.4Bungo-Kiyokawa
111.9Miemachi
117.3Sugao
125.2Inukai
130.8Takenaka
136.3Nakahanda
138.8Ōita-Daigaku-mae
140.2Shikido
142.9Takio
Nippō Main Line
Ōita Railway Division
Ōita Depot
145.8Shimogori signal field
Kyūdai Main Line
Ōita-Shi Station
148.0Ōita Station
Ōita Eki-mae
Oita Transportation Co., Ltd：Betsudai Line (tram)
Nippō Main Line

The Hōhi Main Line(豊肥本線, Hōhi-honsen) is a railway line in Kyushu, southern Japan, operated by the Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu). It connects the west and east coasts of the island. The line originates at Kumamoto Station in Kumamoto and ends at terminal of Ōita Station in Ōita.

Data

  • Gauge: 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
  • Length: 148.0 km
  • Stations: 37 (including terminals)
  • Track: Single track
  • Electrification: Kumamoto - Higo Ōzu: 20 kV AC (60 Hz) Higo Ōzu - Ōita: None
  • Maximum service speed: 95 km/h (59 mph)

Stations

•: Stops, |: Passes through

StationsDistance (km)Rapid Hōhi LinerTransfersLocation
Kumamoto熊本0.0•Kagoshima Main Line, Kyushu Shinkansen Kumamoto City Transportation Bureau: Trunk Line・Tasaki Line (Kumamoto-Ekimae Station)Nishi-ku, KumamotoKumamoto
Heisei平成2.7|Chūō-ku, Kumamoto
Minami Kumamoto南熊本3.6|
Shin Suizenji新水前寺5.2•Kumamoto City Transportation Bureau: Trunk Line (Suizenji-Ekidori Station)
Suizenji水前寺5.8•
Tōkai Gakuen-mae東海学園前7.8|Higashi-ku, Kumamoto
Tatsutaguchi竜田口8.9|Kita-ku, Kumamoto
Musashizuka武蔵塚12.9•
Hikari no Mori光の森14.8•
Sanrigi三里木15.8|Kikuyō
Haramizu原水18.9|
Higo Ōzu肥後大津22.6•Ōzu
Seta瀬田27.2
Tateno立野32.3Minami Aso Railway Takamori LineMinamiaso
Akamizu赤水40.2Aso
Ichinokawa市ノ川42.6
Uchinomaki内牧46.4
Aso阿蘇49.9
Ikoi no Muraいこいの村51.2
Miyaji宮地53.4
Namino波野64.1
Takimizu滝水69.0
Bungo-Ogi豊後荻75.2TaketaŌita
Tamarai玉来84.9
Bungo-Taketa豊後竹田88.0
Asaji朝地93.9Bungo Ōno
Ogata緒方100.3
Bungo-Kiyokawa豊後清川105.4
Miemachi三重町111.9
Sugao菅尾117.3
Inukai犬飼125.2
Takenaka竹中130.8Ōita
Nakahanda中判田136.3
Ōita-Daigaku-mae大分大学前138.8
Shikido敷戸140.2
Takio滝尾142.9
Ōita大分148.0Nippō Main Line, Kyudai Main Line

History

Construction of the line commenced from both Oita and Kumamoto in 1914, with connection being achieved with the opening of the Miyaji - Tamarai section in 1928.

Steam locomotives were withdrawn from the line in 1973, and CTC signalling was commissioned on the entire line in 1983. The 22.5 km Kumamoto - Higoozu section was electrified in 1999.

Damages by natural disasters

A derailed KiHa 147 series train after the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes

In 1990-91, the line was severed for a year by landslides caused by torrential rain, with a further eight-month period of disruption occurring in 1993-94.

A three-month period of disruption occurred in 2004, and the line was severed from July 2012 until August 2013 due to further landslides induced by torrential rainfall.

In 2016, the Kumamoto Earthquakes damage resulted in the closure of the section between Higo Ozu and Aso. The line has been restored since 8 August 2020.

Former connecting lines

  • Minami Kumamoto Station: the 29 km Yūen Railway to Tomochi opened in sections between 1915 and 1932, and closed in 1964.
  • Kamikumamoto Station: the 22 km 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) gauge Kumamoto Light Railway to Otsu opened 1907 and 1914, with a 2.4 km branch to Suizenji. Despite proposals to regauge the line to 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge and electrify it, the anticipated development of the area did not occur at an acceptable rate and the line was closed in 1921.