Yonesaka Line
# Yonesaka Line

The Yonesaka Line (米坂線, Yonesaka-sen) is a railway line in Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It connects Yonezawa Station in Yamagata Prefecture to Sakamachi Station in Niigata Prefecture. At Yonezawa, connections to the Yamagata Shinkansen and Ōu Main Line can be made; while the Uetsu Main Line connects at Sakamachi Station. The line takes its name from the first kanji of Yonezawa (米沢) and Sakamachi (坂町).

Trains can only pass each other at Uzen-Komatsu, Imaizumi, Uzen-Tsubaki, Oguni, Echigo-Kanamaru, and Echigo-Shimoseki stations.

## Stations

| Station | Japanese | Distance (km) | Distance (km) | Transfers | | Location | Location |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Station | Japanese | Between stations | Total | Transfers | | Location | Location |
| Yonezawa | 米沢 | - | 0.0 | Yamagata Shinkansen ■Ōu Main Line | ∨ | Yonezawa | Yamagata Prefecture |
| Minami-Yonezawa | 南米沢 | 3.1 | 3.1 | | ｜ | Yonezawa | Yamagata Prefecture |
| Nishi-Yonezawa | 西米沢 | 3.4 | 6.5 | | ｜ | Yonezawa | Yamagata Prefecture |
| Narushima | 成島 | 3.1 | 9.6 | | ｜ | Yonezawa | Yamagata Prefecture |
| Chūgun | 中郡 | 2.9 | 12.5 | | ｜ | Kawanishi | Yamagata Prefecture |
| Uzen-Komatsu | 羽前小松 | 4.4 | 16.9 | | ◇ | Kawanishi | Yamagata Prefecture |
| Inukawa | 犬川 | 2.5 | 19.4 | | ｜ | Kawanishi | Yamagata Prefecture |
| Imaizumi | 今泉 | 3.6 | 23.0 | ■Flower Nagai Line | ◇ | Nagai | Yamagata Prefecture |
| Hagyū | 萩生 | 4.3 | 27.3 | | ｜ | Iide | Yamagata Prefecture |
| Uzen-Tsubaki | 羽前椿 | 2.8 | 30.1 | | ◇ | Iide | Yamagata Prefecture |
| Tenoko | 手ノ子 | 4.6 | 34.7 | | ｜ | Iide | Yamagata Prefecture |
| Uzen-Numazawa | 羽前沼沢 | 9.2 | 43.9 | | ｜ | Oguni | Yamagata Prefecture |
| Isaryō | 伊佐領 | 6.1 | 50.0 | | ｜ | Oguni | Yamagata Prefecture |
| Uzen-Matsuoka | 羽前松岡 | 4.7 | 54.7 | | ｜ | Oguni | Yamagata Prefecture |
| Oguni | 小国 | 3.6 | 58.3 | | ◇ | Oguni | Yamagata Prefecture |
| Echigo-Kanamaru | 越後金丸 | 9.5 | 67.8 | | ◇ | Sekikawa | Niigata Prefecture |
| Echigo-Katakai | 越後片貝 | 5.3 | 73.1 | | ｜ | Sekikawa | Niigata Prefecture |
| Echigo-Shimoseki | 越後下関 | 6.6 | 79.7 | | ◇ | Sekikawa | Niigata Prefecture |
| Echigo-Ōshima | 越後大島 | 3.8 | 83.5 | | ｜ | Sekikawa | Niigata Prefecture |
| Sakamachi | 坂町 | 7.2 | 90.7 | ■Uetsu Main Line | ^ | Murakami | Niigata Prefecture |

Symbols:

* | - Single-track
* ◇ - Single-track; station where trains can pass
* ^ - Double-track section starts from this point
* ∨ - Single-track section starts from this point

## Rolling stock

As of April 2020, the following rolling stock is used on the Yonesaka Line. All are based at Niitsu Depot.

* KiHa 110 series DMUs
* GV-E400 series DEMUs (since March 2020)
* KiHa 110 DMU at Yonezawa Station in October 2016

### Past

The following rolling stock was used on the Yonesaka Line. All were based at Niitsu Depot.

* KiHa 40/47/48 DMUs (until 2009)
* KiHa 52 DMUs (until 2009)
* KiHa 58 DMUs (until 2009)
* KiHa E120 DMUs (since November 2008, until March 2020)
* KiHa 52 and 47 on Yonesaka Line in September 2008
* KiHa 58 on Yonesaka Line in October 2008
* A JR East KiHa E120 DMU at Imaizumi Station in July 2009

## History

The Yonezawa to Oguni section was opened in stages between 1926 and 1935. The Sakamachi to Echigo-Kanamaru section was opened between 1931 and 1933. The line was completed with the opening of the Oguni to Echigo-Kanamaru section in 1936.

