Nishitetsu Kaizuka Line

The Kaizuka Line (貝塚線, Kaizuka-sen) is an 11.0 km (6.8 mi) Japanese railway line in Fukuoka prefecture, run by the private railway operator Nishi-Nippon Railroad which operates publicly as Nishitetsu. It links Kaizuka Station in Higashi-ku, Fukuoka with Nishitetsu Shingū Station in Shingū. It connects to the Kashii Line of JR Kyushu at Wajiro, and the Hakozaki Line of Fukuoka City Subway at Kaizuka.

Kaizuka Line
Kaizuka Line 600 series train
Overview
Owner	Nishi-Nippon Railroad (Nishitetsu)
Line number	NK
Termini	Kaizuka Nishitetsu Shingū
Stations	10
Service
Depot(s)	Tatara
History
Opened	23 May 1927 (1927-05-23)
Technical
Line length	11.0 km (6.8 mi)
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	1,500 V DC

Route map
Fukuoka City Subway Hakozaki Line Kagoshima Main Line 0.0 Kaizuka Old Tatara Station 1.4 Najima 2.5 Chihaya Nishitetsu Chihaya 3.0 Kashii-Miyamae 3.6 Nishitetsu Kashii Kashii Line Kashii 5.0 Kashii-Kaenmae 6.1 Tōnoharu 7.2 Wajiro Kashii Line 9.0 Mitoma 11.0 Nishitetsu Shingū ↓Closed in 2007 13.0 Koga-Golfjomae 14.2 Nishitetsu-Koga Koga 15.6 Hanami Fukuma 18.2 Nishitetsu-Fukuma 19.6 Miyajidake (1) -1951 Miyajidake Eik-mae 19.5 Miyajidake (2) 1951- 20.9 Tsuyazaki

The line was 20.9 km (13.0 mi) long until Nishitetsu closed the 9.9 km section between Nishitetsu Shingū and Tsuyazaki stations on April 1, 2007. Until then, the line was called Miyajidake Line (宮地岳線, Miyajidake-sen).

The Kaizuka Line is the most congested railway line in Japan outside the Tokyo Metropolitan area. In Fiscal Year 2022 the congestion rate between Najima and Kaizuka stations was 154% during the morning peak, making it the 2nd most congested railway line in Japan. In Fiscal Year 2023 the congestion rate was 158%, which was equal 5th most congested and the only line outside the Tokyo Metropolitan Area in the list of top 10 most congested railway lines.

Services

All services on the Kaizuka Line are Local trains, stopping at all stations.

As of January 2024, services operate every 10 minutes during weekday morning & afternoon peaks, and every 15 minutes at other times.

Rolling Stock

2-car Nishitetsu 600 Series electric multiple unit trains.

Station list

Station name	Japanese	Distance (km)	Connections	Location
NK 01 Kaizuka	貝塚	0.0	Fukuoka City Subway Hakozaki Line	Higashi-ku, Fukuoka	Fukuoka Prefecture
NK 02 Najima	名島	1.4
NK 03 Nishitetsu Chihaya	西鉄千早	2.5	JA Kagoshima Main Line (Chihaya)
NK 04 Kashii-Miyamae	香椎宮前	3.0
NK 05 Nishitetsu Kashii	西鉄香椎	3.6	JA Kagoshima Main Line (Kashii)
NK 06 Kashii-Kaenmae	香椎花園前	5.0
NK 07 Tōnoharu	唐の原	6.1
NK 08 Wajiro	和白	7.2	JD Kashii Line
NK 09 Mitoma	三苫	9.0
NK 10 Nishitetsu Shingū	西鉄新宮	11.0		Shingū

History

The Hakata Bay Railway opened the 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) gauge Shinhakata to Wajiro line in 1924, and extended the line to Miyajidake the following year. The line was electrified at 1,500 V DC in 1929. The company merged with the Nishi-Nippon Railway in 1942. The 1 km section from Miyajidake to Tsuyazaki opened in 1951, and in 1954 the line was re-gauged to 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) and connected to the Fukuoka line.

The line was grade separated over the JR Kashii Line at Wajiro Station in 1966, and CTC signalling was commissioned in 1978.

In 1986, the Shinhakata to Kaizuka section was closed and replaced by the Fukuoka City Subway Hakozaki Line.

In 2007, the 10 km Nishitetsu Shingū to Tsuyazaki section closed due to declining patronage.

References

This article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia.