Tempoku Line

The **Tempoku Line** (天北線:*Tempoku-sen*) was a Japanese railway line operated by the Hokkaidō Railway Company (JR Hokkaidō).

The line connects Otoineppu Station in the Sōya Main Line, then passes through the Hamatombetsu Village at Hama-Tombetsu Station, and goes north to Wakkanai City at Minami-Wakkanai Station.

The line was discontinued in 1989 after JR Hokkaidō took control of the railway.

## Naming

The line got its name to the two former provinces that it went through: **Te**shio (天塩) and **Ki**tami (北見). The first character of Teshio (天) can also be read as "ten", and the first character of Kitami (北) can also be read as "hoku". By Japanese orthography, putting "ten" and "hoku" together makes "Tempoku".

## Services

The *Tempoku Express* service goes from Sapporo to Wakkanai through the Tempoku Line. The route is as follows:

Sapporo - Otoineppu - Hama-Tombetsu - Wakkanai

In the Tempoku Line, the *Tempoku Express* stops in the following stations;

Otoineppu ・Shō-Tombetsu ・Naka-Tombetsu ・Hama-Tombetsu ・Onishibetsu ・Minami-Wakkanai ・Wakkanai

The following is the schedule of the Tempoku Line.

All the timestamps displayed are in 24-hour format.

(*TE*) - *Tempoku Express* ; \*arrival at Otoineppu

## Stations

All stations are in Hokkaidō.

The **S** in the **TE** column means that the *Tempoku Express* service stops at this station. The vertical line/bar means that it will pass thru the station.

\*Formerly a temporary station/platform.

## History

The line was part of the construction of a link between mainland Japan and the then Japanese northern frontier of Karafuto (southern half of Sakhalin Island).

In 1926, the part of the **Teshio Line** (天塩線:*Teshio-sen*) from Otoineppu to Minami-Wakkanai was completed.

In 1930, The other part of the Teshio Line (Rumoi - Haboro - Horonobe) is also completed. The line from Otoineppu to Minami-Wakkanai is named the **Kitami Line** (北見線:*Kitami-sen*) In 1961, the Kitami Line was renamed the **Tempoku Line** (天北線:*Tempoku-sen*)

In 1980, JNR stated that the Nayoro Main Line, Chihoku Line, and Shibetsu Line will be closed soon.

Some years later, the daily ridership of the Tempoku Line continued to decrease.

It was discontinued in 1989 after JR Hokkaidō took over.

### **Timeline**

#### **1914 - 1920**

* November 7, 1914 - Extension of the Sōya Line (宗谷線:*Sōya-sen*) to Shō-Tombetsu.
* October 1, 1916 - Extended to Naka-Tombetsu.
* August 25, 1918 - Extended to Hama-Tombetsu.
* October 20, 1919 - Sōya Line renamed Sōya Main Line (宗谷本線:*Sōya-honsen*).
* November 1, 1919 - Extended to Asajino.
* November 1, 1920 - Extended to Onishibetsu.

#### **1921 - 1939**

* October 5, 1921 - Sōya Main Line renamed back to Sōya Line.
* November 1, 1922 - Extended to Wakkanai (now Minami-Wakkanai).
* November 4, 1922 - Sōya Line renamed back to Sōya Main Line.
* September 25, 1926 - Teshio Line (Otoineppu - Horonobe - Wakkanai) completed.
* December 26, 1928 - Extension to Wakkanai-kō completed.
* April 1, 1930 - Teshio Line (Otoineppu - Horonobe - Wakkanai) renamed Sōya Main Line. Teshio Line (Otoineppu - Hama-Tombetsu - Wakkanai) renamed Kitami Line (北見線:*Kitami-sen).*
* February 1, 1939 - Wakkanai Station renamed Minami-Wakkanai Station. Wakkanai-kō Station renamed Wakkanai Station.

#### **1952 - 1959**

* November 6, 1952 - Minami-Wakkanai Station is moved 1 kilometer closer to Koetoi.
* December 2, 1955 - 5 more temporary platforms (Kamikoma, Kotobuki, Tokiwa, Hikōjōmae, Uennai) are established.
* May 1, 1956 - 2 temporary platforms (Megumino, Shūmaro) established.
* November 19, 1956 - Yasubetsu Temporary Platform established.
* November 1, 1959 - Shin-Yayoi Temporary Platform established.

#### **1961 - 1967**

* April 1, 1961 - Kitami Line renamed Tempoku Line (天北線:*Tempoku-sen*).
* November 1, 1961 - *Tempoku Express* service commenced.
* October 1, 1963 - Makubetsu Station renamed Keihoku Station.
* October 1965 - Tempoku-Zakae Temporary Platform closed.
* October 1, 1967 - Kita-Tombetsu Temporary Platform closed.

#### **1984 - 1989**

* February 1, 1984 - Freight services discontinued.
* March 31, 1987 - All temporary platforms become permanent stations.
* April 1, 1987 - JNR privatization. JR Hokkaidō takes operations.
* June 1, 1987 - Higashi-Koetoi Temporary Platform built.
* November 10, 1987 - Kami-Otoineppu Station became a seasonal station (a station having services on specific times of the year).
* May 1, 1989 - Abolition of the whole line. The *Tempoku Express* service has been replaced by the *Super Sōya* limited express service. Sōya Bus takes over the whole route.