Hakata-Minami Line

Hakata-Minami Line
700-7000 series set on the Hakata-Minami Line, June 2004
Overview
Native name	博多南線
Type	Shinkansen
Locale	Fukuoka, Fukuoka
Termini	Hakata Hakata-Minami
Stations	2
Operation
Opened	1990
Owner	JR West
Depot(s)	Hakata Shinkansen Depot
Rolling stock	500-7000 series, 700-7000 series, N700-7000/8000 series
Technical
Line length	8.5 km (5.3 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Electrification	25 kV AC 60 Hz overhead catenary
Operating speed	120 km/h (75 mph)

The Hakata-Minami Line (博多南線, Hakataminami-sen) is an 8.5 km long railway line in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, connecting Hakata Station in Fukuoka with Hakata-Minami Station in Kasuga. It is operated by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West).

Service

Although the line uses Shinkansen equipment, trains are officially designated as limited express trains. In practice, however, most services are extensions of Sanyo Shinkansen Kodama services. The Kyushu Shinkansen, opened on 12 March 2011, shares part of the route.

The trip from Hakata to Hakata-Minami takes ten minutes and costs ¥290.

• 

  100 yen limited express supplementary ticket (left) and 190 yen regular fare ticket (right) for travel from Hakata to Hakata Minami

Rolling stock

• 500-7000 series 8-car sets
• 700-7000 series 8-car Rail Star sets
• N700-7000/8000 series 8-car sets

History

The line was originally opened in March 1975 to transport Sanyō Shinkansen trains from the Hakata terminal to Hakata Depot in Kasuga. At that time, Kasuga was a rural region and did not merit a train station of its own. By the late 1980s, however, the area had become a sprawling suburb of Fukuoka. JR decided to build a station adjacent to the depot, and inaugurated service on 1 April 1990 with 0 Series Shinkansen trains.

See also

• Gala-Yuzawa Line, another Shinkansen-style non-Shinkansen line