# Furusato Ginga Line

vteFurusato Ginga Line :
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The Furusato Ginga Line (ふるさと銀河線, Furusato Ginga-sen) was a railway line operated by the third-sector Hokkaidō Chihoku Kōgen Railway Company in Hokkaidō, Japan. The 140 km (87 mi) line connected the municipalities of Ikeda and Kitami until its closure in 2006.

## History

The first segment of the line, originally called the Abashiri Line (網走線, Abashiri-sen) and operated by Japanese Government Railways, was opened on September 22, 1910, and ran for 77.4 km, connecting Ikeda and Rikunbetsu (later renamed to Rikubetsu). The line was then extended further north, and on September 25, 1911, the segment connecting Rikunbetsu and Nokkeushi (present-day Kitami) was opened. In 1912 the Abashiri Line was further extended to Abashiri, and the line was renamed the Abashiri Main Line (網走本線, Abashiri-honsen).
Once the Sekihoku Line was extended to Nokkeushi in 1932, traffic largely shifted to the shorter Sekihoku Line. On April 1, 1961, the section of the Abashiri Main Line from Ikeda to Kitami (renamed from Nokkeushi in 1942) was named the Chihoku Line (池北線, Chihoku-sen), and the rest of the Abashiri Main Line was absorbed into the Sekihoku Main Line. The name "Chihoku Line" was created from the on'yomi of each of the first characters for Ikeda (池田) and Kitami (北見).
In 1987 Japanese National Railways (JNR), the successor to Japanese Government Railways, was privatized and JR Hokkaido took over management of the line. However, on June 4, 1989, JR Hokkaido ceased operation of the Chihoku Line. Unlike all other lines shut down by JNR and JR Hokkaido, in the Chihoku Line's case a successor company was established by local governments and private investors. The new company, Hokkaidō Chihoku Kōgen Railway Company, renamed the Chihoku Line to the Furusato Ginga Line ("Hometown Galaxy Line") and introduced new cars. However 17 years later, the company came to the decision to close the line, which thus ceased operations on April 21, 2006.

## Stations

| Station | Station | Distance (km) | Connections | Location | Location |
| Ikeda | 池田駅 | 0.0 | JR Hokkaido: Nemuro Main Line | Ikeda | Hokkaidō |
| Samamai | 様舞駅 | 5.7 | | Ikeda | Hokkaidō |
| Takashima | 高島駅 | 11.5 | | Ikeda | Hokkaidō |
| Ōmori | 大森駅 | 16.5 | | Ikeda | Hokkaidō |
| Yūtari | 勇足駅 | 20.8 | | Honbetsu | Hokkaidō |
| Minami-Honbetsu | 南本別駅 | 23.5 | | Honbetsu | Hokkaidō |
| Okamedō | 岡女堂駅 | 27.3 | | Honbetsu | Hokkaidō |
| Honbetsu | 本別駅 | 29.8 | | Honbetsu | Hokkaidō |
| Senbiri | 仙美里駅 | 36.2 | | Honbetsu | Hokkaidō |
| Ashoro | 足寄駅 | 44.6 | | Ashoro | Hokkaidō |
| Aikappu | 愛冠駅 | 50.7 | | Ashoro | Hokkaidō |
| Nishiissen | 西一線駅 | 54.0 | | Ashoro | Hokkaidō |
| Shiohoro | 塩幌駅 | 55.9 | | Ashoro | Hokkaidō |
| Kamitoshibetsu | 上利別駅 | 58.4 | | Ashoro | Hokkaidō |
| Sasamori | 笹森駅 | 62.2 | | Ashoro | Hokkaidō |
| Oyochi | 大誉地駅 | 66.5 | | Ashoro | Hokkaidō |
| Kunbetsu | 薫別駅 | 70.7 | | Rikubetsu | Hokkaidō |
| Rikubetsu | 陸別駅 | 77.4 | | Rikubetsu | Hokkaidō |
| Bunsen | 分線駅 | 83.1 | | Rikubetsu | Hokkaidō |
| Kawakami | 川上駅 | 87.2 | | Rikubetsu | Hokkaidō |
| Shōtoshibetsu | 小利別駅 | 93.5 | | Rikubetsu | Hokkaidō |
| Oketo | 置戸駅 | 109.4 | | Oketo | Hokkaidō |
| Toyozumi | 豊住駅 | 113.8 | | Oketo | Hokkaidō |
| Sakaino | 境野駅 | 116.6 | | Oketo | Hokkaidō |
| Nishi-Kunneppu | 西訓子府駅 | 118.4 | | Kunneppu | Hokkaidō |
| Nishitomi | 西富駅 | 121.4 | | Kunneppu | Hokkaidō |
| Kunneppu | 訓子府駅 | 123.5 | | Kunneppu | Hokkaidō |
| Honami | 穂波駅 | 125.3 | | Kunneppu | Hokkaidō |
| Hinode | 日ノ出駅 | 127.4 | | Kunneppu | Hokkaidō |
| Hirosato | 広郷駅 | 129.4 | | Kitami | Hokkaidō |
| Kami-Tokoro | 上常呂駅 | 132.2 | | Kitami | Hokkaidō |
| Hokkōsha | 北光社駅 | 135.5 | | Kitami | Hokkaidō |
| Kitami | 北見駅 | 140.0 | JR Hokkaido: Sekihoku Main Line | Kitami | Hokkaidō |