Ou Line

Northern section of Ou Line

The Ou Main Line (奥羽本線) is a rail line which runs from Fukushima City, Fukushima prefecture, across Akita Prefecture, and ends at Aomori City, Aomori prefecture.

Rail Line Data

• Length: Fukushima City to Aomori City 484.5km
• Rail Gauge: 1067mm (1435mm where joined with Shinkansen)
• Stations
  • Passenger Stations: 100 (including terminus)
  • Passenger Stations in Akita: 46
  • Cargo Stations: 2 (Tsuchizaki Station & Akita Port Station)

Double Track Sections: 13 Electrification Sections: all passenger stations

Form of Service

The entire line is under one name, but it actually operates in four separate segments.

Fukushima Station ~ Shinjo Station

Shinjo Station ~ Omagari Station This segment passes from Yamagata prefecture to Yuzawa, Yokote, Misato, and into Daisen. One train, either regular or express, will pass every hour or two.

Omagari Station ~ Akita Station The Akita Shinkansen also operates on this line and requires a wider rail gauge along this segment. Therefore, one will find three parallel rails along the tracks in this segment.

Akita Station ~ Aomori Station Except for some special and large trains, this segment is actually broken into three sub-segments: Akita Station~Ōdate Station, Ōdate Station~Hirosaki Station, Hirosaki Station~Aomori Station. Only two or three trains make the full trip from Akita Station to Aomori Station daily.

• Daytime Express Trains
  • Express Train "Kamoshika" (Akita Station~Aomori Station
  • Express Train "Inaho" (A direct line cross the Uetsu Main Line and Hakushin Line onto the Ou Main Line, running from Niigata Station~Aomori Station

• Nighttime Express Trains
  • Express Sleeper Train "Akebono" (Ueno Station~Aomori Station
  • Express Sleeper Train "Nihonkai" (Osaka Station~Aomori Station
  • Special Express Sleeper Train "Twilight Express" (Osaka Station~Sapporo Station

Stops in Akita Prefecture:

• Yuzawa
  • Yokobori Station
  • Mitsuseki Station
  • Kamiyuzawa Station
  • Yuzawa Station
  • Shimoyuzawa Station
• Yokote
  • Jumonji Station
  • Daigo Station
  • Yanagita Station
  • Yokote Station - connects with the JR Kitakami Line.
• Misato
  • Gosannen Station
  • Itzume Station
• Daisen
  • Omagari Station - connects to JR Tazawako Line
  • Jinguji Station
  • Kariwano Station
  • Mineyoshikawa Station
  • Ugosakai Station
• Akita City
  • Obarino Station
  • Wada Station
  • Yotsugoya Station
  • Akita Station - connects to JR Uetsu Main Line
  • Tsuchizaki Station
  • Kamiijima Station
  • Oiwake Station - connects to JR Oga Line
• Katagami
  • Oshimizu Signal Cabin
  • Okubo Station
  • Ugoitzuka Station
• Ikawa
  • Ikawa Sakura Station
• Hachirōgata
  • Hachirōgata Station
• Mitane
  • Koikawa Station
  • Kado Station
  • Moritake Station
  • Kitakanaoka Station
• Noshiro
  • Minami Noshiro Signal Cabin
  • Higashi Noshiro Station - connects to the JR Gono Line
  • Tsurugata Station
  • Tomine Station
  • Futatsui Station
• Kitaakita
  • Maeyama Station
  • Takanosu Station - connects to the Akita Nairiku Line.
  • Nukazawa Station
• Ōdate
  • Hayaguchi Station
  • Shimokawazoi Station
  • Ōdate Station - connects with the JR Hanawa Line and the prive Kosaka Line
  • Hakutaku Station
  • Jimba Station