The Taita Line (太多線, Taita-sen) is a 17.8-kilometer (11.1 mi) railway line in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, operated by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central). It connects Tajimi Station in the city of Tajimi via Kani to Mino-Ōta Station in Minokamo. The name of the line includes a kanji from each of the terminal stations.
| Taita Line | |
|---|---|
 | |
 A JR Central KiHa 75 series DMU on the Taita Line in March 2015 | |
| Overview | |
| Native name | 太多線 |
| Status | In operation |
| Owner | JR Central |
| Locale | Gifu Prefecture |
| Termini | |
| Stations | 8 |
| Service | |
| Type | Regional rail |
| Operator(s) | JR Central |
| Rolling stock | KiHa 75 series DMU, KiHa 25 series DMU |
| History | |
| Opened | 1926 |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 17.8 km (11.1 mi) |
| Number of tracks | Entirely single-track |
| Character | Mostly urban with a few rural areas |
| Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) |
| Electrification | None |
| Operating speed | 85 km/h (53 mph) |
| Signalling | Single track automatic closed block |
| Train protection system | ATS-PT |
Operations
editDuring the day, service operates at approximately 30 minute intervals. In addition to trains running between Tajimi and Mino-Ōta Stations, there are also trains that enter the Takayama Main Line and run through to Gifu Station. During weekday morning and evening rush hours and on Saturday mornings, a train serves commuters by going to Nagoya Station.
Stations
edit| No. | Name | Japanese | Distance (km) | Transfers | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CI07 | Tajimi | 多治見 | 0.0 | Chūō Main Line | Tajimi | Gifu |
| CI06 | Koizumi | 小泉 | 3.2 | |||
| CI05 | Nemoto | 根本 | 4.8 | |||
| CI04 | Hime | 姫 | 7.9 | |||
| CI03 | Shimogiri | 下切 | 9.4 | Kani | ||
| CI02 | Kani | 可児 | 12.8 | Meitetsu Hiromi Line (Shin Kani) | ||
| CI01 | Mino Kawai | 美濃川合 | 15.4 | Minokamo | ||
| CI00 | Mino-Ōta | 美濃太田 | 17.8 | Takayama Main Line Nagaragawa Railway Etsumi-Nan Line | ||
History
editThe line traces its origin to the Tōnō (Eastern Mino) line, an 11.9 km (7.4 mi), 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) gauge railway that opened in 1918. The section from Shin-Tajimi to Hiromi Station was nationalized in 1926, named the Taita Line, and regauged to 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in), and extended to Mino-Ōta in 1928.
Passenger trains were replaced by DMUs in 1934, and steam locomotives ceased operating on the line in 1969. From 1 April 1987, with the privatization and division of the Japanese National Railways (JNR) into regional companies, the Taita Line became part of JR Central.
CTC signalling was commissioned in 1993.