page_title: Shin'etsu Main Line
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Shin'etsu Main Line / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Electric locomotive of Abt system 10001 (Type 10000=JNR EC40) of JGR 日本語: アプト式の10000形（後の国鉄EC40形）電気機関車 10001
context_page_description: The Shinetsu Main Line is a railway line, consisting of three geographically separated sections, operated by the East Japan Railway Company in Japan. It was originally one continuous line connecting Takasaki and Niigata via Nagano; however, with the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen, some sections were transferred to the third-sector railway companies or abandoned.
  The name of the line refers to the old names for Nagano and Niigata Prefectures, Shinano and Echigo.
  The abandoned section through the Usui Pass was famous for its steep 66.7‰ gradient.
context_section_description: The Japanese Government Railways opened the Takasaki to Yokokawa section in 1885, the Naoetsu to Sekiyama section the following year, and the Sekiyama - Nagano - Karuizawa section in 1888. In order to surmount the 552 metre altitude difference between Yokokawa and Karuizawa (which are 10 km apart), it then constructed an Abt rack section through the Usui Pass, which opened in 1893, and was double-tracked for 1 km from Karuizawa to the top of the rack section. A horse-drawn tramway operated between Yokokawa and Karuizawa until the rack section opened.
   
  The Hokuetsu Railway opened the Naoetsu to Nagaoka section in 1897, extending the line to Niigata in 1904. That company was nationalised in 1907. In 1909, the Imperial Japanese Railway authories invited bids for the electrification of the route. A German company was selected to provide the engines and General Electric supplied the turbines at the power station. In 1912, the rack section was electrified using third rail at 600 V DC, this being the first use of this method in Japan. The electrification allowed for the use of faster and longer trains which reduced journey times and also pollution from the steam engines. A link to archival footage of the rack section operation is available here
caption: Abt rack railway loco used on the Usui Pass line, note the 'shoe' ahead of the nearest wheel to collect power via a third rail
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