Shinonoi Line

Shinonoi Line
E257 series EMU on a Rapid service between Nagano and Matsumoto in April 2008
Overview
Native name	篠ノ井線
Type	Heavy rail
Locale	Nagano Prefecture
Termini	Shinonoi Shiojiri
Stations	15
Operation
Owner	JR East
Technical
Line length	66.7 km (41.4 mi)
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	1,500 V DC overhead catenary
Route map

The Shinonoi Line (篠ノ井線, Shinonoi-sen) is a railway line in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It connects Shinonoi Station in Nagano with Shiojiri Station in Shiojiri.

The line is a corridor between the Shinetsu Main Line and the Chūō Main Line. All the limited express trains on the Shinonoi Line come from the Chūō Main Line: Azusa and Super Azusa from Tokyo and Shinano from Nagoya.

Stations

All stations are located in Nagano Prefecture.

●: All trains stop, ▲: Some trains stop, ｜: non-stop

Line name	Station	Japanese	Distance (km)	Rapid service	Rapid Misuzu	Transfers	Location
Shinonoi Line	Shiojiri	塩尻	0.0		●	■ Chūō Main Line	Shiojiri
	Hirooka	広丘	3.8		▲
	Murai	村井	6.8		●		Matsumoto
	Hirata	平田	8.8		▲
	Minami-Matsumoto	南松本	10.9		▲
	Matsumoto	松本	13.3	●	●	■ Ōito Line Alpico Kōtsū Kamikōchi Line
	Tazawa	田沢	21.6	●	●		Azumino
	Akashina	明科	28.2	●	●
	Nishijō	西条	37.2	●	●		Chikuhoku, Higashi­chikuma District
	Sakakita	坂北	40.9	●	●
	Hijiri-Kōgen	聖高原	45.0	●	●		Omi, Higashi­chikuma District
	Kamuriki	冠着	48.3	▲	▲		Chikuhoku, Higashi­chikuma District
	Obasute	姨捨	54.2	▲	▲		Chikuma
	Inariyama	稲荷山	62.9	▲	▲		Nagano
	Shinonoi	篠ノ井	66.7	●	●	Shinano Railway Line
Shin'etsu Main Line
	Imai	今井	68.8	｜	▲
	Kawanakajima	川中島	71.0	▲	●
	Amori	安茂里	73.1	｜	▲
	Nagano	長野	76.0	●	●	Hokuriku Shinkansen Shinano Railway Kita-Shinano Line ■ Iiyama Line[* 1] Nagano Electric Railway

Passing loops and switchbacks

Hirase loop

A passing loop is located in Azumino, known as Hirase shingōjō (平瀬信号場). It has two tracks.

• Coordinates:36°15′47″N 137°56′54″E / 36.263133°N 137.948305°E / 36.263133; 137.948305

Haneo switchback

A switchback is located in Azumino, known as Haneo shingōjō (羽尾信号場)

• Coordinates: 36°29′08″N 138°05′55″E / 36.485612°N 138.09856°E / 36.485612; 138.09856

Kuwanohara switchback

A switchback is located in Azumino, known as Kuwanohara shingōjō (桑ノ原信号場)

• Coordinates: 36°31′20″N 138°04′40″E / 36.522274°N 138.077726°E / 36.522274; 138.077726

• 
  Hirase loop (A: to Matsumoto, B: to Tazawa)
• 
  Haneo switchback (A: to Kamuriki (uphill), B: to Obasute)
• 
  Kuwanohara switchback (A: to Obasute (uphill), B: to Inariyama)

Rolling stock

Limited express

• E257 series (Azusa, Kaiji)
• E351 series (Super Azusa)
• 383 series (Wide View Shinano)

• 
  JR East E257 series EMU, July 2005
• 
  JR Central 383 series EMU on a Shinano service

Local

• E127 series
• 211 series
• 313 series

Former rolling stock

• 115 series
• 123 series
• 381 series (Shinano)

History

The Shinonoi to Nishijo section opened in 1900, and was extended via Matsumoto to Shiojiri in 1902.

The Shiojiri to Matsumoto section was double-tracked between 1961 and 1965, with the Tazawa to Akashina section double-tracked in 1966. The Akashina to Nishijo section was also double-tracked, but the original line was decommissioned in 1988.

The Shiojiri to Matsumoto section was electrified in 1964/5, and extended to Shinonoi in 1973, CTC signalling being commissioned on the entire line the previous year.

Former connecting lines

• Matsumoto Station: The Chikuma Electric Railway opened a 5 km line, electrified at 600 V DC, to Asama Onsen in 1924. In 1958 the voltage was raised to 750 V DC, but the line closed in 1964.

References

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

Transit in Nagano Prefecture
JR East	Hokuriku Shinkansen ■Chūō Main Line ■Iiyama Line ■Koumi Line ■Ōito Line ■Shin'etsu Main Line ■Shinonoi Line
JR Central	■Chūō Main Line ■Iida Line
JR West	■Ōito Line
Shinano Railway	■Shinano Railway Line ■Kita-Shinano Line
Other railways	Nagano Electric Railway Ueda Electric Railway Alpico Kōtsū
Named trains	Azusa Shinano Moonlight Shinshū Resort View Furusato Oykot Rokumon
Misc	Nagano Station Matsumoto Station Matsumoto Airport
Japan transit: Tokyo Osaka Nagoya Fukuoka Hakone Fuji Izu Hokkaido Sendai Niigata Toyama Nagano Okayama Hiroshima Shikoku Metro systems Shinkansen trams (list) aerial lifts (list)

JR East lines
Shinkansen	Hokuriku Jōetsu Tōhoku Akita Yamagata
Main	Chūō Ōu Shin'etsu Sōbu Tōhoku Tōkaidō Uetsu
Local	Agatsuma Aterazawa Ban'etsu East Ban'etsu West Echigo Gonō Hachikō Hachinohe Hakushin Hanawa Iiyama Ishinomaki Itō Itsukaichi Jōban Jōetsu Kamaishi Karasuyama Kashima Kawagoe Keiyō Kesennuma Kitakami Koumi Kururi Mito Musashino Nambu Narita Negishi Nikkō Ōfunato Oga Ōito Ōme Ōminato Rikuu East Rikuu West Ryōmō Sagami Senseki Senzan Shinonoi Sotobō Suigun Tadami Takasaki Tazawako Tōgane Tsugaru Tsurumi Uchibō Utsunomiya Yahiko Yamada Yamanote Yokohama Yokosuka Yonesaka
Others	Chūō Rapid Chūō-Sōbu Gala-Yuzawa Keihin-Tōhoku Saikyō (incl. Akabane) Senseki-Tōhoku Shōnan-Shinjuku Sōbu Rapid Ueno-Tōkyō
Past	Aizu Ashio Iwaizumi Kihara Marumori Mōka Nagai Shin'etsu Main (Shinano / Echigo Tokimeki) Tōhoku Main (Aoimori / Iwate Galaxy)