The Ōigawa Main Line (大井川本線 Ōigawa honsen) is a Japanese railway line which connects Kanaya Station in Shimada City, Shizuoka Prefecture with Senzu Station in Kawanehon, Shimada City, Shizuoka Prefecture. It is owned and operated by the Ōigawa Railway.
The Ōigawa Main Line began operations on June 10, 1927 as a private line for the Ōigawa Electric Company, to carry workers and materials upstream to facilitate dam construction. The single track line was extended from Kanaya in stages, reaching it current terminal station of Senzu on December 1, 1931.
The entire line was electrified on November 18, 1949, with EMUs for the passenger services commencing then and freight operation by electric-powered locomotives beginning in August 1951. Express train operations commenced in 1971.
Interior of a heritage carriage hauled by C11-190 Steam Locomotive.
The line runs through an isolated mountain area with no cities or towns, and has a very small population density. Most of the passengers are tourists visiting one of the hot spring resorts along the line, or alpinists and hikers heading for the peaks of the Southern Alps National Park. To boost ridership and popularity of the line, steam locomotive were restored from July 9, 1976. A variety of historical locomotives and carriages are used, both for the steam and for the electric services, making the line a favourite with train enthusiasts and photographers.
Freight services ceased in 1983.
KANAYA STATION/金谷駅
JR Kanaya Station
Location, Kanaya, Shimada City, Shizuoka Prefecture（静岡県島田市金谷）
Kanaya Station (金谷駅 Kanaya-eki) is an interchange railway station in Shimada City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, on the Tōkaidō Main Line, and a terminus of the Ōigawa Railway’s Ōigawa Main Line. It is located 212.9 rail kilometers from Tokyo Station. It is operated by Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central).
Kanaya Station was opened on May 16, 1890, a year after when the section of the Tōkaidō Main Line connecting Shizuoka with Hamamatsu was completed. The Ōigawa Railway service began on June 10, 1927. Regularly scheduled freight service was discontinued in 1971.
JR Kanaya Station has a two opposing side platforms serving Track 1 and Track 2 which are on headshunts, allowing for tracks for express trains to pass in between. The platforms are connected to the station building by an underpass. The station building has automated ticket machines, TOICA automated turnstiles and a manned “Green Window” service counter.
The adjacent Ōigawa Kanaya Station has a single side platform. The platform is equipped with Selective Door Operation, as trains longer than four cars in length are too long for the platform. The station originally was built with a terminal headshunt, which is no longer in existence.
SHIN KANAYA STATION/新金谷駅
Location, Kanaya, Shimada City, Shizuoka Prefecture（静岡県島田市金谷）
Shin-Kanaya Station was opened on June 10, 1927, the same day that the Ōigawa Railway began service.
Shin-Kanaya Station has a single island platform. The station originally was built with a turntable, which is no longer in existence. The station has many shunt tracks, and is a boneyard for obsolete locomotives formerly in use on the Ōigawa Railway or the Japan National Railway. The station building is a two-story clapboard wooden structure.
DAIKANCHOO STATION/代官町駅
Location, Kanaya Kawahara, Shimada City, Shizuoka Prefecture（静岡県島田市金谷河原）
Daikanchō Station was opened on September 16, 1965.
Daikanchō Station is an unattended station with a single side platform and a rustic log-cabin style wooden station building.
HIGIRI STATION/日切駅
Location, Shima-aze, Onishishita, Shimada City, Shizuoka Prefecture（静岡県島田市島字大西下）
Higiri Station was opened on July 23, 1985.
Higiri Station is an unattended station with a single side platform and a wooden station building.
GOKA STATION/五和駅
Location, Shima Takeshita-aze, Shimada City, Shizuoka Prefecture（静岡県島田市島竹下字）
Goka Station was one of the original stations of the Ōigawa Main Line and was opened on June 10, 1927.
Goka Station is an unmanned station with a single island platform and a rustic wooden station building.
KAMIO STATION/神尾駅
Location, Kamio, Shimada City, Shizuoka Prefecture（静岡県島田市島神尾）
Kamio Station was one of the original stations of the Ōigawa Main Line and was opened on July 20, 1928.
Kamio Station is an unmanned station with a single island platform and a wooden passenger shelter.
FUKUYOO STATION/福用駅
Location, Fukuyō, Shimada City, Shizuoka Prefecture（静岡県島田市福用）
Fukuyō Station was rebuilt in 1998.
Fukuyō Station is an unattended station with a single island platform and a wooden passenger building connected to the platform by a level crossing.
OWADA STATION/大和田駅
Owada Station
Location, Owada Shinji, Kawanehon, Shimada City, Shizuoka Prefecture（静岡県島田市川根町家山大和田新地）
Openng date unknown.
Owada Station is an unattended station with a single side platform.
IEYAMA STATION/家山駅
Location, Kawane-cho, Ieyama Oshima-shinchi, Shimada City, Shizuoka Prefecture（静岡県島田市川根町家山大島新地）
This station is a splendid spot to take picture of the steam locomotives!
Ieyama Station was one of the original stations of the Ōigawa Main Line, and was opened on December 1, 1929.
Ieyama Station is a manned station with a single island platform, with two headshunts on either side. The rustic wooden station building is popular with photographers who come to shoot the steam locomotives on the line. It was also used as a location for a number of movies, including Otoko wa Tsurai yo.
Try and spare some time in Ieyama to savor famous local Taiyaki made with matcha, Shizuoka-style oden and great yaki soba at !Taiyakiya!
See related article HERE!
NUKURI STATION/抜里駅
Location, Kawane-cho, Nukuri, Shimada City, Shizuoka Prefecture 静岡県島田市川根町抜里追出）
This particular station is considered as the cutest by many!
Nukuri Station was one of the original stations of the Ōigawa Main Line, and was opened on July 16, 1930.
Nukuri Station is a manned station with a single side platform.
KAWANE-ONSEN-SASAMADO STATION/川根温泉笹間渡駅
Location, Kawane-Sasamado Tamabuchi, Shimada City, Shizuoka Prefecture（静岡県島田市川根町笹間渡タマブチ）
Kawaneonsen-Sasamado Station was one of the original stations of the Ōigawa Main Line, and was opened on July 16, 1930. Originally named Sasamado Station, its name was changed in 2003 to emphasize its proximity to the Kawane hot spring resort.
Kawaneonsen-Sasamado Station is an unmanned station with a single side platform and a small wooden station building.
JINA STATION/地名駅
Location, Jina, Kawanehon, Shimada City, Shizuoka Prefecture（静岡県榛原郡川根本町地名）
Jina Station was one of the original stations of the Ōigawa Main Line, and was opened on July 16, 1930.
Jina Station is an unmanned station with a single island platform and a small wooden station building.
SHIOGOO STATION/塩郷駅
Location, Shimoizumi, Kawanehon, Shimada City, Shizuoka Prefecture（静岡県榛原郡川根本町下泉）
Shiogō Station was one of the original stations of the Ōigawa Main Line, and was opened on September 23, 1931.
Shiogō Station is an unmanned station with a single side platform and a small wooden station building. It is located on the banks of the Ōi River, near the Shiogō Dam.
SHIMOIZUMI STATION/下泉駅
Location, Shimoizumi, Kawanehon, Shimada City, Shizuoka Prefecture（静岡県榛原郡川根本町下泉）
Shimoizumi Station was one of the original stations of the Ōigawa Main Line, and was opened on February 1, 1931.
Shimoizumi Station is an unmanned station with a single island platform and a small wooden station building.
TANOKUCHI STATION/田野口駅
Location, Tanoguchi, Kawanehon, Shimada City, Shizuoka Prefecture（静岡県榛原郡川根本町田野口）
Tanoguchi Station was one of the original stations of the Ōigawa Main Line, and was opened on April 12, 1931.
Tanoguchi Station is an unmanned station with a single island platform and a small wooden station building with antique wooden benches. It retains much of the atmosphere of the early Showa period and is often used as a set for movies and TV dramas.
SURUGA TOKUYAMA STATION/駿河徳山駅
Location, Tokuyama, Kawanehon, Shimada City, Shizuoka Prefecture（静岡県榛原郡川根本町徳山）
Suruga-Tokuyama Station was one of the original stations of the Ōigawa Main Line, and was opened on April 12, 1931.
Suruga-Tokuyama Station is a manned station with a single island platform and a small wooden station building.
AOBE STATION/青部駅
Location, Aobe, Kawanehon, Shimada City, Shizuoka Prefecture（静岡県榛原郡川根本町青部）
Aobe Station was one of the original stations of the Ōigawa Main Line, and was opened on April 12, 1931.
Aobe Station is an unmanned station with a single side platform and a small wooden station building. It retains much of the atmosphere of the early Showa period and is often used as a set for movies and TV dramas, including the 1975 police drama Castle of Sand.
SAKIDAIRA STATION/崎平駅
Location, Sakidaira, Kawanehon, Shimada City, Shizuoka Prefecture（榛原郡川根本町崎平）
Sakidaira Station was one of the original stations of the Ōigawa Main Line, and was opened on December 1, 1931.
Sakidaira Station is an unattended station with a single side platform and a small wooden station building.
SENZU STATION/千頭駅
Location, Senzu, Kawanehon, Shimada City, Shizuoka Prefecture（静岡県 榛原郡川根本町千頭）
Senzu Station (千頭駅 Senzu-eki) is a railway station Kawanehon, Haibara District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It is the terminal station for the Ōigawa Main Line and the Ikawa Line, and is operated by the Ōigawa Railway.
Senzu Station was one of the original stations of the Ōigawa Main Line, and was opened on December 1, 1931.
Senzu Station is a major station with a bay platform for six tracks, only 2 of which are in regular use. The station building is also a local department store. The station retains a manually operated turntable for use by the line’s steam locomotives, but this is no longer operational. The station also maintains a small museum pertaining to the line’s steam locomotive operations.
Terminus!
SHIZUOKA TOURISM 