Oga Line

The Oga Line is a railway line in Japan operated by East Japan Railway Company. It Oiwake Station in Akita, Akita Prefecture to Oga Station in Oga, Akita Prefecture, although all trains begin and end at Akita Station and run via through service onto the Ōu Main Line. It is nicknamed the Oga Namahage Line.

Stations

All stations are in Akita Prefecture.

Rolling stock

Current

EV-E801 series

Former

KiHa 40 series

History

The line first opened on 9 November 1913 as the Funakawa Light Railway from Oiwake to Futada. This was extended to Wakimoto on 8 November 1914, to Hadachi on 1 December 1915, and to Funakawa on 16 December 1916. On 2 September 1922, the line was renamed the Funakawa Line.
A freight-only branch from Funakawa to Funakawaminato was opened on 10 June 1937.
On 1 April 1968, the line was renamed the Oga Line, coinciding with the renaming of Funakawa Station to Oga Station.
With the privatization of Japanese National Railways on 1 April 1987, the line came under the control of JR East.

Recent developments

In spring 2017, a new EV-E801 series battery electric multiple unit train was introduced on the Oga Line service from Akita. A special recharging facility was built at Oga Station.
So far, there is only one battery electric trainset operated on this line, but in December 2019 JR East announced the plan to introduce additional such trainsets on this route after the fiscal year 2020, completely replacing KiHa 40 and 48 diesel multiple units.
JR East ordered 5 additional trainsets, and as of March 2021, Oga Line service consists of only battery electric trains; this has already happened in other non-electrified railway lines in Japan, for example, on the Kashii Line and the Karasuyama Line.