Kusatsu Line
The Kusatsu Line (草津線, Kusatsu-sen) is a railway line in western Japan operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West). It connects Tsuge on the Kansai Main Line with Kusatsu on the Biwako Line (Tōkaidō Main Line).
| Kusatsu Line | |
|---|---|
![]() 113 series on the Kusatsu Line | |
| Overview | |
| Native name | 草津線 |
| Owner | JR West |
| Locale | Mie Prefecture and Shiga Prefecture |
| Termini | Tsuge Kusatsu |
| Stations | 11 |
| Service | |
| Type | Heavy rail |
| System | Urban Network |
| Rolling stock |
|
| History | |
| Opened | 1889 |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 36.7 km (22.8 mi) |
| Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) |
| Electrification | 1,500 V DC, overhead line |
| Operating speed | 95 km/h (59 mph) |
History
The Kansai Railway Co. opened the entire line in 1889/90, and was nationalised in 1907.
CTC signalling was commissioned in 1979, the line was electrified in 1980 and freight services ceased in 1987.
Construction of a new station, "Minami-Biwako", began in May 2006 and was planned to be completed in 2012; the station was proposed to allow passengers to transfer between the Tōkaidō Shinkansen and Kusatsu lines; however, in September 2006, the Otsu district court concluded that Ritto City issuing bonds to fund the station's construction was illegal under local finance law and the project was halted; the project was officially abandoned in October 2007.
Stations
| Station | km from Tsuge |
Connections | Location | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tsuge | 柘植 | 0.0 | Iga, Mie Prefecture | ||
| Aburahi | 油日 | 5.3 | Kōka | Shiga Prefecture | |
| Kōka | 甲賀 | 7.4 | |||
| Terashō | 寺庄 | 10.5 | |||
| Kōnan | 甲南 | 12.5 | |||
| Kibukawa | 貴生川 | 15.3 | ■ Shigaraki Kōgen Railway Shigaraki Line ■ Ohmi Railway Main Line | ||
| Mikumo | 三雲 | 20.5 | Konan | ||
| Kōsei | 甲西 | 24.3 | |||
| Ishibe | 石部 | 27.6 | |||
| Tehara | 手原 | 32.7 | Ritto | ||
| Kusatsu | 草津 | 36.7 | Kusatsu | ||
| Continuing service on the Biwako Line to Kyoto Station in mornings and evenings, and to Osaka Station in mornings only. | |||||
Train stops at all stations and operates as a local train within the line.
See also
References

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