Oofunato Line

The Oofunato Line (大船渡線) is a local rail line in Japan. Part of the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) system, it runs from Ichinoseki Station in Ichinoseki, Iwate to Sakari Station in Ofunato, Iwate. This 105.7 km, 1067 mm gauge, non-electrified line acts as a spur line from the Tohoku Main Line and the Tohoku Shinkansen in Ichinoseki, running through southern Iwate and Kesennuma in northeastern Miyagi Prefecture. It connects with the Kesennuma Line at Kesennuma Station in Kesennuma and the privately owned Sanriku Railway's Minami-Riasu Line at Sakari Station in Ofunato.

The nickname of this line is the "Dragon Rail", as the spur line is thought to resemble the thin tail of a Chinese dragon and as a a statement of the speed of the train over the considerable distance. Express trains on this line are marked "Super Dragon".

As of April, 2005, there were 27 trips daily using this line (14 east-bound, 13 west-bound). In all cases, Kesennuma was a stop on a run, but run endpoints varied. These were Ichinoseki-Sakari (8 east-bound, 7 west-bound, including 4 express, 2 each way), Ichinoseki-Kesennuma (4 east-bound, 4 west-bound including 2 express, 1 each way), and Kesennuma-Sakari (2 east-bound, 2 west-bound, no express).

Station List

Ichinoseki, Iwate Stations

• Ichinoseki
• Mataki

Kawasaki, Iwate Station

• Rikuchuu-Kanzaki

Higashiyama, Iwate Stations

• Iwanoshita
• Rikuchuu-Matsukawa
• Geibikei
• Shibajyuku

Daito, Iwate Station

• Surisawa

Senmaya, Iwate Stations

• Senmaya
• Konashi

Murone, Iwate Stations

• Yagoshi
• Orikabe
• Niitsuki

Kesennuma, Miyagi Stations

• Kesennuma
• Shishiori-Karakuwa
• Kami-shishiori

Rikuzentakata, Iwate Stations

• Rikuzen-Yahagi
• Takekoma
• Rikuzen-Takata
• Wakinosawa
• Otomo

Oofunato, Iwate Stations

• Hasoura
• Shimofunato
• Oofunato
• Sakari

External Links

Article on Tohoku Railways