The Iiyama Line(飯山線, Iiyama-sen) is a railway line in Japan linking Toyono Station in Nagano, Nagano Prefecture and Echigo-Kawaguchi Station in Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture. It is operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East).

Stations

At Toyono all trains operate a through service to/from Nagano on the Shinano Railway Kita-Shinano Line.

At Echigo-Kawaguchi selected morning trains operate a through service to/from Nagaoka via the Jōetsu Line and Shin'etsu Main Line.

LineStationJapanesekmConnectionsLocation
Shinano Railway Kita-Shinano LineNagano長野0.0Hokuriku Shinkansen Shinano Railway Kita-Shinano Line Shinano Railway Line Shin'etsu Main Line Shin'etsu Main Line Nagano Electric RailwayNagano CityNagano Prefecture
Kita-Nagano北長野3.9
Sansai三才6.8
Toyono豊野10.8Shinano Railway Kita-Shinano Line (through service)
Iiyama Line0.0
Shinano-Asano信濃浅野2.2
Tategahana立ヶ花3.9
Kamiimai上今井6.9Nakano City
Kaesa替佐8.8
Hachisu14.6Iiyama City
Iiyama飯山19.2Hokuriku Shinkansen
Kita-Iiyama北飯山20.5
Shinano-Taira信濃平23.8
Togari-Nozawaonsen戸狩野沢温泉27.5
Kamisakai上境31.1
Kami-Kuwanagawa上桑名川35.4
Kuwanagawa桑名川37.6
Nishi-Ōtaki西大滝39.7
Shinano-Shiratori信濃白鳥41.8Sakae Village, Shimominochi District
Hirataki平滝44.7
Yokokura横倉46.6
Mori-Miyanohara森宮野原49.7
Ashidaki足滝52.5Tsunan Town, Nakauonuma DistrictNiigata Prefecture
Echigo-Tanaka越後田中54.9
Tsunan津南57.9
Echigo-Shikawatari越後鹿渡62.1
Echigo-Tazawa越後田沢64.5Tōkamachi City
Echigo-Mizusawa越後水沢67.5
Doichi土市70.4
Tōkamachi十日町75.3Hokuhoku Line
Uonuma-Nakajō魚沼中条78.4
Gejō下条82.8
Echigo-Iwasawa越後岩沢88.1Ojiya City
Uchigamaki内ヶ巻93.2
Echigo-Kawaguchi越後川口96.7Jōetsu Line (some trains operate a through service to/from Nagaoka)Nagaoka City

Rolling stock

KiHa 110 series (Iiyama Station)

History

The Iiyama Railway Co. opened the first section from Toyono to its namesake town in 1921, and extended the line in sections to Tokamachi in 1929, where it connected to the Japanese Government Railways line from Echigo-Kawaguchi which had opened in 1927.

The Iiyama Railway Co. was nationalised in 1944, and freight services ceased in 1987.

The line sees much snow in the winter. The line uses avalanche fences along steep slopes, snow sheds and has a melting system at level crossings to deal with the snow. A record 7.85m of snow fell at Mori-Miyanohara Station in February 1945, an event that is remembered with a pole just outside the station marking the vast amount of snow.

Notes

External links