The is a Japanese railway line operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido) in Hokkaido. The line connects Asahikawa Station in Asahikawa and Wakkanai Station in Wakkanai, and is the northernmost railway line in Japan. The name comes from Sōya Subprefecture.
On 19 November 2016, JR Hokkaido's president announced plans to rationalize the network by up to 1,237 km, or ~50% of the current network, including proposed conversion of the Nayoro - Wakkanai section of the Soya Line to Third Sector operation, but if local governments are not agreeable, the section will face closure.
Services One Sōya limited express service operates each way between and daily, and two Sarobetsu limited express services also operate each way between Asahikawa and Wakkanai daily.
All-station "Local" train services operate between and at approximately 2 to 3 hour intervals (although some skip extremely low-usage stations). All-station "Local" train services operate between Nayoro and Wakkanai twice a day. Four Rapid Nayoro services operate between Nayoro and Asahikawa in each direction daily.
Stations L: Limited Express ( Sōya / Sarobetsu ) R: All Rapid Nayoro services r: Some Rapid Nayoro services -: Some local trains skip marked stations
Station Distance(km) Limited Express Sōya / Sarobetsu /Rapid Nayoro Connections Location Staffed station 旭川 0.0 L R Hakodate Main Line Sekihoku Main Line Furano Line Asahikawa Asahikawa-Yojō 旭川四条 1.8 r Sekihoku Main Line 新旭川 3.7 Sekihoku Main Line Kita-Asahikawa Freight Terminal 北旭川(貨) 6.6 (Closed 1 November 1967) 西永山 7.2 NagayamaStation with passing loop 永山 9.3 R 北永山 11.4 - (Closed 13 March 2021) 南比布 14.7 Pippu, Kamikawa Pippu 比布 17.1 R (Closed 13 March 2021) 北比布 20.2 Ranru 蘭留 22.8 R Shiokari 塩狩 28.4 Wassamu, Kamikawa Wassamu 和寒 36.3 L R (Closed 13 March 2021) 東六線 41.4 Kenbuchi, Kamikawa Kembuchi 剣淵 45.2 R (Closed 13 March 2021) 北剣淵 50.2 Shibetsu 士別 53.9 L R Shibetsu (Closed 13 March 2021) 下士別 58.3 Tayoro 多寄 61.7 r Mizuho 瑞穂 64.5 - Fūren 風連 68.1 r Nayoro Nayorokōkō 名寄高校 74.1 R Nayoro 名寄 76.2 L R Nayoro Main Line (Closed 1989) Shinmei Line (Closed 1994) Nisshin 日進 80.2 (Closed 18 March 2006) 智東 87.9 (Closed 13 March 2021) 北星 89.3 Chiebun 智恵文91.2 Chihoku 智北93.3 - (Closed 13 March 2021) 南美深 95.6 Bifuka, Nakagawa Bifuka 美深 98.3 L Bikō Line (Closed 1985) Hatsuno (Closed 16 March 2024) 初野101.9 (Closed 13 March 2021) 紋穂内 105.0 Onnenai (Closed 16 March 2024) 恩根内112.1 Toyoshimizu signal base (Converted 13 March 2021) 豊清水信号場 117.9 Teshiogawa-Onsen 天塩川温泉 121.5 -Otoineppu, Nakagawa Sakkuru 咲来124.7 Otoineppu 音威子府 129.3 L Tempoku Line (Closed 1989) Osashima 筬島135.6 Kamiji signal base(Converted 25 May 1977, closed 14 March 1985) 神路信号場 143.1 Nakagawa, Nakagawa Saku 佐久 153.6 (Closed 1 September 1990) 琴平 158.2 Teshio-Nakagawa 天塩中川 161.9 L (Closed 1 July 2001) 下中川 165.8 (Closed 13 March 2022) 歌内 170.3 Toikanbetsu 問寒別 175.8 Horonobe, Teshio Nukanan 糠南178.0 (Closed 1 July 2001) 上雄信内 181.5 Onoppunai (Closed 15 March 2025) 雄信内 183.7 (Closed 13 March 2021) 安牛 189.7 Minami-Horonobe (Closed 15 March 2025) 南幌延 191.6 (Closed 13 March 2021) 上幌延 194.6 Horonobe 幌延 199.4 L Haboro Line (Closed 1987) (Closed 18 March 2006) 南下沼 205.6 Shimonuma 下沼 207.2 Toyotomi 豊富 215.9 L Toyotomi, Teshio (Closed 13 March 2021) 徳満 220.9 (Closed 18 March 2006) 芦川 226.6 Kabutonuma 兜沼 230.9 Yūchi 勇知 236.7 Wakkanai Bakkai (Closed 15 March 2025) 抜海 245.0 Minami-Wakkanai 南稚内 256.7 L Tempoku Line (Closed 1989) Wakkanai 稚内 259.4 L Northern extremity: Wakkanai
Closed stations
Ashikawa, Kami-Onoppunai and Shimo-Nakagawa: Since 1 July 2001 and Minami-Shimonuma: Since 18 March 2006 W39 , W50 , W71 , W41 , W35 , W53 , W33 , W56 , W43 , W75 , W58 and W69 : Since 13 March 2021, of which Toyoshimizu is downgraded to a signal base W65 : Since 12 March 2022 W55 and W57 : Since 16 March 2024 W68 , W70 , W78 : Since 15 March 2025
History The line was originally built as part of a link between mainland Japan and the then Japanese northern frontier of Karafuto (southern half of Sakhalin Island). From Wakkanai Port, a ferry to then Ōdomari (present Korsakov) operated until the end of World War II.
The first segment of the line from Asahigawa (present Asahikawa) to Nagayama was built by the Hokkaido Government Railway in 1898. The line was extended to Nayoro in 1903, and to Wakkanai in 1922 along the route of the later Tempoku Line (, Tenpoku-sen) via Hamatombetsu. The present route via was opened as part of the Teshio Line (, Teshio-sen).
After Japan's defeat in the war, the line lost its function as a link to Sakhalin, but remained important as a trunk line into the northern part of Hokkaido. The Sōya Main Line gradually lost all of its branch lines, and presently constitutes a long branch from the Hakodate Main Line.
Timeline August 12, 1898: Opened as (I) of Hokkaido Government Railway, between Asahigawa (present Asahikawa) and Nagayama November 25, 1898: Extended to Ranru November 15, 1899: Extended to Wassamu August 5, 1900: Extended to Shibetsu September 3, 1900: Extended to Nayoro April 1, 1905: Transferred to Imperial Japanese Government Railways November 3, 1911: Extended to Onnenai September 21, 1912: Renamed November 5, 1912: Extended to Otoineppu October 20, 1919: Renamed October 5, 1921: Renamed Sōya Line November 1, 1922: Completed to Wakkanai (present Minami-Wakkanai) via later Tempoku Line November 4, 1922: Renamed back to Sōya Main Line November 8, 1922: Teshio Line (II) between Otoineppu and Pompira (present Teshio-Nakagawa) May 1, 1923: commenced Wakkanai - Ōdomari November 10, 1923: Extended to Toikambetsu June 25, 1924: opened Wakkanai - Kabutonuma. Teshio Line renamed July 20, 1925: Teshio South Line extended to Horonobe September 25, 1926: Teshio South and North lines connected, renamed to (II), Otoineppu - Wakkanai December 26, 1928: Extended to Wakkanaikō (present Wakkanai). April 1, 1930: Entire stretch of the Teshio Line became a part of Sōya Main Line. The section Otoineppu - Hamatombetsu - Wakkanai separated as , later . June 30, 1935: Teshio Line (III), later Haboro Line from Horonobe opened. August 25, 1945: Chihaku Ferry ceased operation when all of Sakhalin becomes part of the Soviet Union. July 15, 1965: The 1256m Shimodaira Tunnel and realignment opened to avoid an avalanche trouble-spot. November 10, 1984: Automated block system introduced, ticketing of most (29) stations unstaffed November 1, 1986: CTC implemented, above noted stations completely unstaffed. April 1, 1987: Japanese National Railways privatized, Hokkaido Railway Company succeeded the entire line as Category 1, Japan Freight Railway Company as Category 2 between Asahikawa and Nayoro. All the temporary stations were reclassified as regular stations 1995: The ferry between Wakkanai and Korsakov "resumed" after 50 years, although not directly connected to the railway. March 2000: Tracks of Asahikawa - Nayoro upgraded for faster operation. The Super Sōya limited express train commenced.
Former connecting lines
Shibetsu station - A 762mm (2'6") gauge line was constructed between 1920 and 1925 along the Teshio River valley to transport forestry products, extending 21.4 km to 'Upper' Shibetsu, where it connected to the Shibetsu Forest Railway. Initially horse drawn, a steam locomotive was introduced in 1928. The line closed in 1959. Nayoro station - A 138 km line known as the Nayoro Main Line was built from Nayoro to Engaru on the Sekihoku Main Line between 1915 and 1921, operating until 1989. There were four lines connecting to the Nayoro Main line: The 20 km Kohin'nan line from Okoppe to Om, operated from 1935 to 1985. Some construction work on a proposed extension to Kitami Esashi (see below) was undertaken before the proposal was abandoned. The 34 km line from Shokotsu to Kitami Takinoue, opened 1923 and closed 1985. The 28 km 762mm gauge line from Monbetsu to Motoyama, which operated from 1943 to 1973 The 6 km 762mm gauge line from Yubetsu to Saromako, which operated from 1930 to 1939 Nayoro was also the junction for the Shinmei Line to Fukagawa on the Hakodate Main Line, which reached the Soya line in 1941, closing in 1995. A 51.2 km line was proposed from on that line to on the Haboro Line (see below) with construction commencing in 1959. A substantial steel truss bridge was constructed before work was abandoned in 1962. Bifuka station - A 21 km 762mm gauge line was built to Niupu in 1935. In 1960 it was decided to replace the line with a 1067mm gauge line and extend it 58 km to Kitami Esashi, the terminus of a line from Hamatonbetsu on the Tempoku line (see below). The 762mm gauge line closed in 1963 and the 1067mm line opened in 1964. Substantial construction of the line to Kitami Esashi continued until abandoned in 1979, after 13.3 Billion Yen had been expended. The Bifuka - Niupu section closed in 1985. Otoineppu station - The Tempoku line was constructed north commencing in 1914, reaching Minami-Wakkanai in 1922. It closed in 1989. This line had the Hamatonbetsu - Kitami Esashi branch line operating from 1936 until 1985. The Utanobori Municipal Tramway was a network of 762mm gauge lines, with a 16.2 km line from Shotonbetsu to Kitami Esashi and 2 branch lines, each 10 km long. It operated 1929–70, being horse drawn until 1933. Toyotomi station - The Nisso Coal Co. operated an 18 km line to Sanko from 1940/45 until the mine closed in 1972. Toikanbetsu station - The Horonobe Municipal Tramway was a 16 km 762mm gauge line to Kamitoikan, which operated 1930–71. It was extended 4 km to a coal mine in 1941, at which time a steam locomotive was introduced. The coal mine and extension closed in 1958. Horonobe station - The initial northern section of the Haboro Line opened in 1935. The initial southern section from Rumoi opened in 1927, and the sections were linked in 1958. The line closed in 1987.
See also List of railway lines in Japan
References