Hapi-Line Fukui

Hapi-Line Fukui Line
Hapi-Line Fukui Line
Overview
Native name	ハピラインふくい線
Owner	Hapi-Line Fukui
Locale	Fukui Prefecture
Termini	Tsuruga; Daishoji;
Stations	20 (including freight stations)
Service
Type	Regional rail
Operator(s)	Hapi-Line Fukui
Rolling stock	521 series EMUs
History
Opened	1 November 1898 (as Hokuriku Main Line); 16 March 2024 (as Hapi-Line Fukui Line);
Technical
Line length	84.3 km (52.4 mi)
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	20 kV AC (60 Hz)

Hapi-Line Fukui
Native name	ハピライン福井
Company type	Third sector
Genre	Rail transport
Founded	13 August 2019
Headquarters	Fukui, Fukui, Japan
Area served	Fukui Prefecture
Services	Passenger railway
Website	Official website

Hapi-Line Fukui (株式会社ハピラインふくい, Kabushikigaisha Hapirain Fukui) is a Japanese third-sector railway company established in 2019 that operates passenger railway services on the section of the former JR West Hokuriku Main Line that lay within Fukui Prefecture. This section of the Hokuriku Main Line was separated from the JR West network on 16 March 2024, coinciding with the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension from Kanazawa to Tsuruga, and Hapi-Line Fukui trains began operation on that day.^[1]^[2]

History

In preparation for the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension between Kanazawa and Tsuruga stations,^[3] the company was founded on 13 August 2019 to inherit the parallel section between Tsuruga and Daishōji stations on the Hokuriku Main Line. Its headquarters are located in the city of Fukui, Fukui Prefecture.^[4]^[5]

Shares in the company are owned by Fukui Prefecture, the cities of Fukui and Tsuruga, the Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency, and private-sector businesses.^[6]

Hapi-Line Fukui Line

On 16 March 2024, Hapi-Line Fukui took over control of local passenger operations on the 84.3 km (52.4 mi) section JR West Hokuriku Main Line between Daishoji and Tsuruga, with 20 stations (although Tsuruga Station remains under the control of JR West, Daishoji was transferred to IR Ishikawa Railway).^[6] In addition, a new service type called "Rapid" was introduced on that same day, which operates during peak hours between Tsuruga and Fukui and stops at major stations along the route.^[7]^[8] From the time of takeover on 16 March 2024, 5 northbound trips and 4 southbound trips of Rapid Service are operated daily.^[9]^[10]

Some Hapi-Line Fukui trains provide through-service to the IR Ishikawa Railway Line, which continue on to Kanazawa Station.^[11]

Stations

Aside from the northern terminus, all stations are located in Fukui Prefecture.^[6]

Legend:

●	All Rapid trains stop
▲	Some Rapid trains stop
｜	All Rapid trains pass

Station	Japanese name	Rapid^[9]^[10]	Transfers	Location
Tsuruga	敦賀	●	Obama Line Hokuriku & Kosei Lines (for Omi-Shiotsu) Hokuriku Shinkansen	Tsuruga	Fukui
Minami-Imajō	南今庄	｜		Minamiechizen, Nanjō
Imajō	今庄	▲
Yunoo	湯尾	｜
Nanjō	南条	▲
Ōshio	王子保	｜		Echizen
Takefu	武生	●	Fukui Railway Fukubu Line (Takefu-shin)	Echizen
Sabae	鯖江	●		Sabae
Kita-Sabae	北鯖江	｜		Sabae
Ōdoro	大土呂	｜		Fukui
Echizen-Hanandō	越前花堂	｜	Etsumi-Hoku (Kuzuryū) Line
Minami-Fukui Freight Terminal	南福井	｜
Fukui	福井	●	Hokuriku Shinkansen Katsuyama Eiheiji Line & Mikuni Awara Line Etsumi-Hoku (Kuzuryū) Line Fukui Railway Fukubu Line (Fukui-eki)
Morita	森田
Harue	春江			Sakai
Maruoka	丸岡			Sakai
Awaraonsen	芦原温泉		Hokuriku Shinkansen	Awara
Hosorogi	細呂木
Ushinoya	牛ノ谷
Daishōji	大聖寺		IR Ishikawa Railway Line	Kaga	Ishikawa
↓Through service to/from Kanazawa on the IR Ishikawa Railway Line↓

Rolling stock

The company inherited 15 521 series EMU trainsets.^[6]

References

^ "Hokuriku Shinkansen's Kanazawa-Tsuruga extension set to open Saturday". The Japan Times. 14 March 2024. Archived from the original on 14 March 2024. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
^ "並行在来線「ハピラインふくい」開業記念グッズに目輝かせるファンも" [Parallel conventional line "Hapi-Line Fukui" opens as commemorative goods go on sale]. Fukui Keizai Shimbun. 16 March 2024. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
^ ハピラインふくい，車両・駅名標デザインが決定 [Hapi-Line Fukui branding unveiled]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 2 September 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
^ 新幹線並行在来線の準備会社発足 [Preparation company for Shinkansen parallel conventional lines established]. Fukui Shimbun (in Japanese). 14 August 2019. Archived from the original on 1 September 2019. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
^ "会社情報" [About us]. hapi-line.co.jp (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 15 December 2023. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "福井県並行在来線経営計画" [Fukui Prefecture Parallel Conventional Line Management Plan] (PDF). hapi-line.co.jp (in Japanese). Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 December 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
^ "ハピラインふくい快速は1日9本、福井―敦賀を最短38分開業後のダイヤ公表、昼はパターン運行" [Happy Line Fukui Rapid runs 9 times a day, connecting Fukui and Tsuruga in as little as 38 minutes. Schedule will be announced after opening.]. Fukui Shimbun ONLINE (in Japanese). 12 January 2024. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
^ "ハピラインふくい，開業ダイヤの概要を発表" [Hapi-Line Fukui announces outline of operating schedule.]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 15 December 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
^ ^a ^b "【下り】　ハピラインふくい列車運転時刻表" (PDF). Hapi-Line Fukui (in Japanese). Japan. 22 January 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
^ ^a ^b "【上り】　ハピラインふくい列車運転時刻表" (PDF). Hapi-Line Fukui (in Japanese). Japan. 22 January 2024. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
^ "IRいしかわ鉄道大聖寺～金沢間開業・ダイヤ改正" [IR Ishikawa Railway opens between Daishoji and Kanazawa accompanied with timetable revisions]. Tetsudo.com (in Japanese). 24 December 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2024.