# Shimabara Railway Line

The Shimabara Railway Line (島原鉄道線, Shimabara Tetsudō-sen) is a Japanese railway line connecting Isahaya Station, Isahaya and Shimabarakō. The line parallels the coast of Shimabara Peninsula, Nagasaki Prefecture. The third-sector railway company Shimabara Railway owns the line and also operates buses and ships. The first section of the line opened in 1911. The former line between Shimabarakō and Kazusa had few passengers and closed on 1 April 2008. The line uses the older diesel-powered KiHa 20-type train which was developed in the mid-1950s. Because of the line's vintage trains which maintain the old Japanese National Railways colors of red and beige, it remains popular among train enthusiasts. This is the only railway on Kyushu outside the Fukuoka area that has remained private throughout its history.

## History

The Shimabara Railway Co. opened the Isahaya – Aino section in 1911, extending the line to Kojiromachi in 1912 and Minami-Shimabara the following year.
The Kuchinotsu Railway Co. opened the Minami-Shimabara – Dozaki section in 1922, extending the line to Harajo in 1926 and Kazusa two years later.
Diesel power was introduced by the Kuchinotsu Railway Co. in 1930, and by the Shimabara Railway Co. in 1934. In 1943 the two companies merged under the name Shimabara Railway Co.
In 1958 direct services to/from Nagasaki were introduced, operating until 1980.

### Former connecting lines

* The Hizen Obama Railway Co. opened a 17 km line from Aino station to Unzen Obama between 1923 and 1927. Direct services from the Shimabara line operated from 1927 until 1932. The line closed in 1938.

### Volcanic disruptions

Services were disrupted for six months in 1991 owing to lava flows from Mount Unzen, which also caused a one-month service disruption the following year.
In 1993 a major lava flow forced the closure of the line between Shimabarakō and Fukae, and services did not resume on that section until 1997.
The Shimabarakō – Kazusa section was closed on 1 April 2008 owing to declining patronage.

## Stations

    ●：Always stops ▲：Sometimes stops ｜：Does not stop
| Station | Japanese | Distance (km) | Express Stops | Connecting lines | Location | Location |
| Isahaya | 諫早 | 0.0 | ● | JR Kyushu: Nagasaki Main Line, Ōmura Line | Isahaya | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Hon-Isahaya | 本諫早 | 1.5 | ● | | Isahaya | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Saiwai | 幸 | 2.9 | ▲ | | Isahaya | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Ono | 小野 | 4.8 | ▲ | | Isahaya | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Kantakunosato | 干拓の里 | 5.5 | ▲ | | Isahaya | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Moriyama | 森山 | 7.5 | ▲ | | Isahaya | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Kamanohana | 釜ノ鼻 | 9.6 | ▲ | | Isahaya | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Isahaya-higashi-kōkō | 諫早東高校 | 11.4 | ▲ | | Isahaya | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Aino | 愛野 | 12.4 | ● | | Unzen | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Abozaki | 阿母崎 | 14.4 | ｜ | | Unzen | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Azuma | 吾妻 | 16.6 | ● | | Unzen | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Kobe | 古部 | 19.6 | ｜ | | Unzen | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Taishō | 大正 | 20.8 | ｜ | | Unzen | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Saigō | 西郷 | 23.0 | ● | | Unzen | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Kōjiro | 神代 | 25.5 | ● | | Unzen | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Taira | 多比良 | 29.4 | ● | | Unzen | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Ariake-Yue | 有明湯江 | 31.8 | ｜ | | Shimabara | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Ōmisaki | 大三東 | 34.1 | ● | | Shimabara | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Matsuo | 松尾 | 35.2 | ｜ | | Shimabara | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Mie | 三会 | 37.5 | ｜ | | Shimabara | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Shimabara | 島原 | 40.5 | ● | | Shimabara | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Reikyūkōen-Taiikukan | 霊丘公園体育館 | 41.5 | ● | | Shimabara | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Shimabara-Funatsu | 島原船津 | 42.3 | ● | | Shimabara | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Shimabarakō | 島原港 | 43.2 | ● | | Shimabara | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Shimabara-gaikō (now Shimabarakō) – Kazusa: Discontinued on April 1, 2008 |||||||
| Chichibu-ga-ura | 秩父が浦 | 44.3 | | | Shimabara | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Antoku | 安徳 | 45.4 | | | Shimabara | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Seno-fukae | 瀬野深江 | 47.5 | | | Minamishimabara | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Fukae | 深江 | 49.6 | | | Minamishimabara | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Futsu-shinden | 布津新田 | 52.0 | | | Minamishimabara | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Futsu | 布津 | 53.9 | | | Minamishimabara | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Dōzaki | 堂崎 | 56.9 | | | Minamishimabara | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Kamaga | 蒲河 | 58.4 | | | Minamishimabara | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Arie | 有家 | 59.9 | | | Minamishimabara | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Nishi-arie | 西有家 | 61.2 | | | Minamishimabara | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Tatsuishi | 龍石 | 63.4 | | | Minamishimabara | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Kitaarima | 北有家 | 65.3 | | | Minamishimabara | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Jōkōjimae | 常光寺前 | 66.1 | | | Minamishimabara | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Uradakannon | 浦田観音 | 67.1 | | | Minamishimabara | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Harajō | 原城 | 68.2 | | | Minamishimabara | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Arimayoshikawa | 有馬吉川 | 70.6 | | | Minamishimabara | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Higashi-ōya | 東大屋 | 74.6 | | | Minamishimabara | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Kuchinotsu | 口之津 | 75.8 | | | Minamishimabara | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Shirahama-kaisuiyokujōmae | 白浜海水浴場前 | 76.8 | | | Minamishimabara | Nagasaki Prefecture |
| Kazusa | 加津佐 | 78.5 | | | Minamishimabara | Nagasaki Prefecture |