# Jōetsu Line

The Joetsu Line (上越線, Jōetsu-sen) is a major railway line in Japan, owned by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It connects Takasaki Station in Gunma Prefecture with Miyauchi Station in Niigata Prefecture, linking the northwestern Kanto region and the Sea of Japan coast of the Chūbu region. The name refers to the old provinces of Kōzuke (上野) and Echigo (越後), which the line connects.

## Services

Before the opening of the Jōetsu Shinkansen in 1982, the Joetsu Line had frequent service by express trains connecting Tokyo and Niigata. With the opening of the Jōetsu Shinkansen, however, the line became dominated by local and freight trains.
The branch of the Jōetsu Shinkansen between Echigo-Yuzawa Station and Gala-Yuzawa Station (the Gala-Yuzawa Line) technically belongs to the Joetsu Line.

## Stations

| Station | Japanese | Distance (km) | Distance (km) | Transfers | Location | Location |
| Station | Japanese | Between Stations | Total | Transfers | Location | Location |
| Takasaki | 高崎 | - | 0.0 | Joetsu Shinkansen Hokuriku Shinkansen ■Takasaki Line ■Shōnan-Shinjuku Line ■Hachikō Line ■Shinetsu Main Line ■Jōshin Dentetsu: Jōshin Line | Takasaki | Gunma |
| Takasakitonyamachi | 高崎問屋町 | 2.8 | 2.8 | | Takasaki | Gunma |
| Ino | 井野 | 1.2 | 4.0 | | Takasaki | Gunma |
| Shin-Maebashi | 新前橋 | 3.3 | 7.3 | ■Ryōmō Line | Maebashi | Gunma |
| Gumma-Sōja | 群馬総社 | 4.8 | 12.1 | | Maebashi | Gunma |
| Yagihara | 八木原 | 5.6 | 17.7 | | Shibukawa | Gunma |
| Shibukawa | 渋川 | 3.4 | 21.1 | ■Agatsuma Line | Shibukawa | Gunma |
| Shikishima | 敷島 | 6.4 | 27.5 | | Shibukawa | Gunma |
| Tsukuda | 津久田 | 3.0 | 30.5 | | Shibukawa | Gunma |
| Iwamoto | 岩本 | 5.8 | 36.3 | | Numata | Gunma |
| Numata | 沼田 | 5.0 | 41.3 | | Numata | Gunma |
| Gokan | 後閑 | 5.2 | 46.5 | | Minakami, Tone District | Gunma |
| Kamimoku | 上牧 | 7.1 | 53.6 | | Minakami, Tone District | Gunma |
| Minakami | 水上 | 5.4 | 59.0 | | Minakami, Tone District | Gunma |
| Yubiso | 湯檜曽 | 3.7 | 62.7 | | Minakami, Tone District | Gunma |
| Doai | 土合 | 6.6 | 69.3 | | Minakami, Tone District | Gunma |
| Tsuchitaru | 土樽 | 10.8 | 80.1 | | Yuzawa, Minamiuonuma District | Niigata |
| Echigo-Nakazato | 越後中里 | 7.3 | 87.4 | | Yuzawa, Minamiuonuma District | Niigata |
| Iwappara-Skiing Ground | 岩原スキー場前 | 3.7 | 91.1 | | Yuzawa, Minamiuonuma District | Niigata |
| Echigo-Yuzawa | 越後湯沢 | 3.1 | 94.2 | Jōetsu Shinkansen Jōetsu Line (for Gala-Yuzawa) | Yuzawa, Minamiuonuma District | Niigata |
| Ishiuchi | 石打 | 6.4 | 100.6 | | Minamiuonuma | Niigata |
| Ōsawa | 大沢 | 4.0 | 104.6 | | Minamiuonuma | Niigata |
| Jōetsu International Skiing Ground | 上越国際スキー場前 | 1.0 | 105.6 | | Minamiuonuma | Niigata |
| Shiozawa | 塩沢 | 2.3 | 107.9 | | Minamiuonuma | Niigata |
| Muikamachi | 六日町 | 3.9 | 111.8 | ■Hokuetsu Express Hokuhoku Line | Minamiuonuma | Niigata |
| Itsukamachi | 五日町◇ | 6.6 | 118.4 | | Minamiuonuma | Niigata |
| Urasa | 浦佐 | 5.5 | 123.9 | Jōetsu Shinkansen | Minamiuonuma | Niigata |
| Yairo | 八色 | 3.1 | 127.0 | | Minamiuonuma | Niigata |
| Koide | 小出 | 5.2 | 132.2 | ■Tadami Line | Uonuma | Niigata |
| Echigo-Horinouchi | 越後堀之内 | 2.5 | 134.7 | | Uonuma | Niigata |
| Kita-Horinouchi | 北堀之内 | 3.4 | 138.1 | | Uonuma | Niigata |
| Echigo-Kawaguchi | 越後川口 | 4.7 | 142.8 | ■Iiyama Line | Nagaoka | Niigata |
| Ojiya | 小千谷 | 6.6 | 149.4 | | Ojiya | Niigata |
| Echigo-Takiya | 越後滝谷 | 7.2 | 156.6 | | Nagaoka | Niigata |
| Miyauchi | 宮内 | 6.0 | 162.6 | ■Shinetsu Main Line (for Naoetsu) | Nagaoka | Niigata |
| Through to Nagaoka on the Shin'etsu Main Line |||||||
| Nagaoka | 長岡 | 1.6 | 165.6 | Jōetsu Shinkansen ■Shinetsu Main Line (for Niigata) | Nagaoka | Niigata |

## Rolling stock
### Present
#### Local

Takasaki to Minakami
* 211-3000 series 4- and 6-car EMUs (since August 2016)
Minakami to Nagaoka
* E129 series 2/4-car EMUs (since November 2015)
Takasaki to Shin-Maebashi (Takasaki Line, Ryomo Line through services)
* E231-1000 series
* E233-3000 series

#### Limited Express

Takasaki to Shibukawa (Takasaki Line, Agatsuma Line through services)
* E257-5500 series 5-car EMUs (Kusatsu limited express services since March 2023)

#### SL

SL Gunma Minakami and SL YOGISHA Minakami
* JNR 12 series 6-car Vehicles and C61-20

#### Joyful Train

Yuzawa to Joetsu-Myoko
* KiHa 40 3 Car DMUs Used for Koshino Shu*Kura ( since May 2014 )

### Former
#### Local

Takasaki to Minakami
* 115-1000 series 4-car EMUs (until March 2018)
Minakami to Nagaoka
* 115 series 2/3/4-car EMUs (until March 2016)

#### Limited Express

Takasaki to Shibukawa (Takasaki Line, Agatsuma Line through services)
* 185 series 7-car EMUs (Kusatsu limited express services until March 2014)
Four-car 211-3000 series EMUs entered service on the section between Takasaki and Minakami from 23 August 2016.
* An E129 series EMU at Echigo-Nakazato Station in April 2016
* A 211-3000 series EMU
* A 115 series EMU between Gokan Station and Kamimoku Station in February 2017
* A 115 series EMU at Echigo-Yuzawa Station
* 181 series Limited Express Toki (Echigo-Nakazato - Iwappara Skiing Ground, August 1978)
* 165 series Express Sado (Echigo-Nakazato - Iwappara Skiing Ground, August 1978)

## History

The Nippon Railway opened the Takasaki to Maebashi (now Shin-Maebashi) section in 1884. The company was nationalised in 1906.
The first railway between Niigata and the east coast of Honshu was the Ban'etsu West Line, completed in 1914. In 1920, it was decided to build the Jōetsu Line as a more direct route between Tokyo and Niigata. The Miyauchi to Echigo-Yuzawa section opened in stages between 1920 and 1925, and the Shinmaebashi to Minakami section of the line opened in stages between 1921 and 1928.
In 1931, with the completion of the 9,702 m (31,830 ft 9 in) Shimizu tunnel, the Echigo-Yuzawa - Minakami section of the line opened, including electrification at 1,500 V DC between Echigo-Yuzawa and Ishiuchi. When completed, the line shortened the Ueno to Niigata route by 98 km (61 mi), and included two spiral sections in the tunnels.
In 1947, the Takasaki to Minakami and Ishiuchi to Miyauchi sections were electrified, making this one of the first non-urban JNR lines to be completely electrified.
The Takasaki to Shinmaebashi section was double-tracked in 1957, and the rest of the line was double-tracked between 1961 and 1967, the final section involving the construction of the 13,500 m (44,291 ft 4 in) Shin-Shimizu tunnel. Passengers catching Miyauchi-bound (northbound) trains at Yubiso and Doai stations do so from platforms situated underground within the Shin-Shimizu tunnel.

### Service disruptions

The 2004 Chūetsu earthquake seriously damaged the Jōetsu Line, closing the Minakami to Miyauchi section for about two months. Single-line operation at speeds limited to 35–40 km/h (22–25 mph) then resumed, being raised to 45–65 km/h (28–40 mph) four months after the earthquake, and the second track reopened, also with speed restrictions, 5 months after the quake. Full service was restored 9 months after the line had first closed.
In late July 2011, torrential rainfall damage resulted in the closure of the Echigo-Yuzawa - Muikamachi section for two weeks.