Nanao Line


The Nanao Line is a railway line in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, operated by West Japan Railway Company and the Noto Railway. It runs between Tsubata Station in Tsubata and Anamizu Station in Anamizu.
JR West operates the section between Tsubata and, while the Noto Railway operates the section between and Anamizu. The section between Wakura-Onsen and Nanao is served by both companies. A further section of the line between Anamizu and closed in 2001.
Prior to the transfer of the Wakura-Onsen — Wajima section from JR West to Noto Railway in 1991, Noto Railway took control of another former Japanese National Railways line in 1988, the Noto Line. It closed in 2005.
In 2015, the IR Ishikawa Railway took over the Hokuriku Main Line at Tsubata, effectively isolating the Nanao Line from the rest of the JR network.

JR West

JR West owns the entire Nanao Line between Tsubata and Anamizu, but it only operates the southern section while Noto Railway operates the rest of the line.
Nearly all local and rapid trains run between Nanao and Kanazawa or Komatsu. Between Nanao and Anamizu, only Noto Railway operates local trains.
The JR section is electrified and operates both local and limited express trains. Among others, there are nine Thunderbird limited express trains per day between and Wakura-Onsen, as well as a single round-trip Shirasagi limited express train between and Wakura-Onsen. JR West also operates the Hanayome Noren excursion train from Kanazawa to Wakura-Onsen Station.

Basic data

The Nanao Line is entirely within Ishikawa Prefecture.
Rapid trains stop at stations marked with a "●". Of trains bound for, some stop at stations marked with a "▲" while all stop at stations marked "■". All rapid trains pass stations marked "｜".

Rolling stock

Electric

The Noto Railway section is not electrified and operates local trains only. Between Nanao and Anamizu, only Noto Railway operates local trains; there is no through service to the JR West-operated part of the line south of Nanao.

Basic data

The Nanao Line is entirely within Ishikawa Prefecture.

History

The section between Tsubata Station and Yatashin Station via Nanao Station was constructed and opened by the Nanao Railway on April 24, 1898. The terminal in Tsubata was moved to the present Tsubata Station on August 2, 1900, and connected to the government-owned Hokuriku Main Line. Nanao Railway was nationalized on September 1, 1907.
The line was extended and had been operated by the Japanese Government Railways. In 1925, the Nanao to Wakura section opened, and in 1935 the line was completed with the opening of the Anamizu to Wajima section. In 1991, the Nanao Line was electrified to Wakura-Onsen, enabling through operation of trains from the Hokuriku Main Line. Operation of the Nanao to Wajima section was transferred to the Noto Railway. In 2001, the section between Anamizu and Wajima was closed.