Kita-Matsue Line
# Kita-Matsue Line

The Kita-Matsue Line (北松江線, Kita-matsue-sen) is a 22.9 km railway line owned by the Ichibata Electric Railway. The line connects Dentetsu-Izumoshi Station in Izumo with Matsue-Shinjiko-Onsen Station in Matsue, all within Shimane Prefecture, Japan. Tracks run parallel to JR West's San'in Main Line on the north of Lake Shinji.

## History

The line was first built to transport worshippers between Izumo and Ichibata Yakushi, a shrine to the east of the city. An extension to Matsue was completed in 1928. Before World War II, the line connected directly to Ichibata Yakushi, where a station named Ichibata Station was located nearby. However, during the war, the line was designated as an "unnecessary line", and in 1944 the section between Ichibata and Ichibataguchi Station was closed. This section would later be disassembled in 1960 and parts were offered to the Nagoya Railroad. Because of this, there is still a switchback at Ichibataguchi Station.

Centralized traffic control was introduced to the line in 1966.

## Operations

The line is electrified with overhead lines and is single-tracked for the entire line.

Some services branch off the line at Kawato Station and continue along the Taisha Line to Izumo Taisha-mae Station. There are local, express, and limited express services that run along on the line, along with the Izumotaisha express service and the Superliner limited express.

## Stations

All stations are within Shimane Prefecture.

| Code | Name | Name | Distance (km) | Connections | Location |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Dentetsu-Izumoshi | 電鉄出雲市 | 0.0 | JR West: San'in Main Line (via Izumoshi Station) | Izumo |
| 2 | Izumo Science Center Park Town Mae Station | 出雲科学館 パークタウン前 | 0.8 | | Izumo |
| 3 | Ōtsumachi | 大津町駅 | 2.0 | | Izumo |
| 4 | Takeshi | 武志 | 4.1 | | Izumo |
| 5 | Kawato | 川跡 | 4.9 | Taisha Line | Izumo |
| 6 | Ōtera | 大寺 | 6.4 | | Izumo |
| 7 | Midami | 美談 | 7.7 | | Izumo |
| 8 | Tabushi | 旅伏 | 9.0 | | Izumo |
| 9 | Unshū-Hirata | 雲州平田 | 10.9 | | Izumo |
| 10 | Nunozaki | 布崎 | 14.5 | | Izumo |
| 11 | Koyūkan-Shineki | 湖遊館新駅 | 15.2 | | Izumo |
| 12 | Sono | 園 | 15.9 | | Izumo |
| 13 | Ichibataguchi | 一畑口 | 17.5 | | Izumo |
| 14 | Inonada | 伊野灘 | 19.4 | | Izumo |
| 15 | Tsunomori | 津ノ森 | 21.2 | | Matsue |
| 16 | Takanomiya | 高ノ宮駅 | 22.5 | | Matsue |
| 17 | Matsue Vogel Park | 松江フォーゲルパーク | 23.8 | | Matsue |
| 18 | Aikamachi | 秋鹿町 | 25.0 | | Matsue |
| 19 | Nagae | 長江 | 26.7 | | Matsue |
| 20 | Asahigaoka | 朝日ヶ丘 | 28.0 | | Matsue |
| 21 | Matsue English Garden Mae | 松江イングリッシュ ガーデン前 | 29.6 | | Matsue |
| 22 | Matsue-Shinjiko-Onsen | 松江しんじ湖温泉 | 33.9 | | Matsue |
