Standard gauge tracks are shown in red, narrow gauge is shown in blue.
The Ōu Main Line (Japanese: 奥羽本線, Hepburn: Ōu-honsen) is a railway line in Japan, operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It connects Fukushima Station through Akita Station to Aomori Station. Since the opening of the Yamagata Shinkansen on July 1, 1992, the Fukushima–Yamagata section (as well as the Yamagata–Shinjō section since 1999) is sometimes referred to as the Yamagata Line (山形線, Yamagata-sen). The name of the line as a whole refers to the ancient provinces of Mutsu (陸奥) and Dewa (出羽), as it connects both ends of Mutsu by passing north–south through Dewa.
The Ōu Main Line is split into the following four sections. Due to the differences in the tracks of these sections, there are no trains that go through more than one (with the exception of an Akita–Shinjō connection). Local and rapid services on the line are generally operated by 701 series (entire line) and 719 series (Fukushima–Shinjō only) electric multiple unit trains.
On this section, which extends for 148.6 kilometres (92.3mi), the Ōu Main Line shares tracks with the Yamagata Shinkansen, a so-called mini-Shinkansen line. Mini-Shinkansen projects convert existing narrow-gauge main lines to standard gauge so that Shinkansen-specification trains can operate directly onto conventional routes.
The tracks were re-gauged between 1988 and 1992, with services commencing on 1 July 1992 under the Tsubasa service name. The rail gauge is 1,435mm (4ft8+1⁄2in) standard gauge to allow Yamagata Shinkansen trains to operate. The Ōu Main Line is known as the Yamagata Line on this section.
Shinjō–Ōmagari
This section is 98.4 kilometres (61.1mi) long, crossing the border between Yamagata and Akita. Demand is relatively low, and all trains except one limited-stop "Rapidservice operate as all-stations "Localtrains.
Ōmagari–Akita
Covering 51.7 kilometres (32.1mi), this section is shared with the Akita Shinkansen, which is also a mini-Shinkansen line converted from narrow gauge to standard gauge. Services began on 22 March 1997 under the Komachi service name. The conversion involved the installation of a parallel single standard-gauge track. On a 13-kilometre (8.1mi) section between Jingūji and Mineyoshikawa, a third running rail was added to the narrow-gauge, allowing mini-Shinkansen trains to operate over either track. The arrangement allows narrow-gauge Ōu Main Line services to continue to operate between Shinjō and Akita.
Akita–Aomori
The northernmost section runs for 185.8 kilometres (115.5mi) between Akita and Aomori. Together with the San'in Main Line, Maizuru Line, Obama Line, Hokuriku Main Line (including the IR Ishikawa Railway, Ainokaze Toyama Railway, and the Nihonkai Hisui Line), part of the Shinetsu Main Line (including the Myoko Haneuma Line), Hakushin Line, and the Uetsu Main Line, it forms part of the Nihonkai Jūkan-sen (Sea of Japan Trans-Japan Line), used by both express and freight services.
Station list
Legend:
●
All trains stop
↓
Trains stop when travelling in the indicated direction
Steam-hauled service between Futatsui and Maeyama in 1971, hauled by a class C61
The Japanese national government built the Ōu Main Line, starting construction from Aomori in 1894, from Fukushima in 1899 and linking the two sections in 1905. In 1909 the formal name of the line was declared.
Opening dates for the individual sections are as follows.
Ōu North Line
December 1, 1894: Aomori–Hirosaki
October 21, 1895: Hirosaki–Ikarigaseki
June 21, 1899: Ikarigaseki–Shirasawa
November 15, 1899: Shirasawa–Ōdate
October 7, 1900: Ōdate–Takanosu
November 1, 1901: Takanosu–Noshiro (present-day Higashi–Noshiro)
August 1, 1902: Noshiro–Gojōme (present-day Hachirōgata)
August 23, 1901: Yamagata–Tateoka (present-day Murayama)
October 21, 1901: Tateoka–Ōishida
July 21, 1902: Ōishida–Funagata
June 11, 1903: Funagata–Shinjō
October 21, 1904: Shinjō–Innai
July 5, 1905: Innai–Yuzawa
September 14, 1905: Yuzawa–Yokote, completion of Fukushima–Aomori connection
Line upgrading
Various sections of the line have been double-tracked since 1963.
The section between Niwasaka and Akaiwa stations proved to be geologically unstable, with one of the original tunnels collapsing in 1910. A realignment involving two new tunnels was opened a year later. Geological instability was suspected as the cause of a derailment on the section in 1948 that killed three crewmen, and another realignment was undertaken when the section was double-tracked in 1968.[citation needed]
Itaya station was originally a reversing station, and was realigned as a through station in conjunction with the gauge conversion work (see below) in 1990.
Electrification
The Fukushima to Yonezawa section was electrified at 1,500 V DC in 1949, and the Uzen-Chitose–Yamagata section in conjunction with the Senzan Line (also at 1,500 V DC) in 1960. Trials on the Senzan Line subsequently resulted in the adoption of 20 kV AC for all further electrification, and the abovementioned sections were converted to the new standard when the Yonezawa to Yamagata section was electrified in 1968. The Aomori to Akita section was electrified (at 20 kV AC) in 1971, as was the Akita to Uzen-Chitose section in 1975.[citation needed] Following a severe rainstorm in July 2024 that necessitated a months-long closure of the line between Shinjō and Innai, the track structure was repaired but the electrification system was decommissioned on the section.
Former connecting lines
Akayu human-powered tramwayKosaka Railway sulphuric acid train in its final year of operationKawabe station with a Konan Railway train bound for Kuroishi in 1997
Akayu Station: The Yamagata Prefectural Government operated a 2km (1.2mi)610mm (2ft) gauge human powered tramway between 1919 and 1926.
Oishida Station: The Obabazawa Railway opened a 3km (1.9mi) line to its namesake town in 1916, the line closed in 1970.
Yuzawa Station: The Ogachi Railway Co. opened a 12km (7.5mi) line to Zentsu, electrified at 600 V DC, between 1928 and 1935. The last 3km section closed in 1967, the electrification was decommissioned in 1971 and the rest of the line closed in 1973.
Yokote Station: The Yokote Railway opened a 38km (24mi) line to Oikata between 1918 and 1930. Construction commenced on an extension to Maego station on the company's Yuri Kogen Railway Chokai Sanroku Line but was not completed. The 12km section from Oikata to Niiyama was closed following typhoon damage in 1947, the 7km (4.3mi) section from Niiyama to Tateai closed in 1965 when a bridge was destroyed by floodwaters, and the balance of the line closed in 1971.
Akita Station: The 762mm (2ft 6.0in) gauge Nibetsu Forest Railway, consisting of a 22km (14mi) main line and five branches between 1.3km (0.81mi) and 5km (3.1mi) in length (and a 550m (1,800ft) tunnel) operated between 1909 and 1968.
Hachirogata Station: The Akita Chuo Kotsu operated a 4km (2.5mi) line to Gojome, electrified at 600 V DC, from 1922 until 1969.
Odate Station: The Kosaka Railway opened a 23km (14mi)762mm (2ft6in) gauge line to its Kosaka Refinery in 1908, together with a 4km branch from Shigenai to Kizawa the following year. Passenger services ceased on the Kizawa branch in 1926, and it closed in 1951. The 10km (6.2mi) Kosaka to Shigenai section was electrified in 1928, and extended 6km (3.7mi) in 1949, but was decommissioned when the line was converted to 1,067mm (3ft6in) in 1962. Passenger services ended in 1994, and the remaining traffic was sulphuric acid, but following two major derailments the line closed in 2009.
The company also opened a 5km 762mm (2ft6in) gauge line to the Hanaoka mine in 1914 including a bridge over the Ōu Main Line at Odate, which was converted to 1,067mm gauge in 1951 to enable ore wagons to be forwarded via JNR trains. Freight services ceased in 1983 and the line closed in 1985.
Kawabe Station: The 7km line to Kuroishi was opened in 1912, transferred to the Konan Railway in 1984, the year that freight services ceased, and closed in 1998.
Gauge conversion
Full standard Shinkansen lines are constructed using 1,435mm gauge track on a separate alignment, with a high speed (240–320km/h or 150–200mph) and a commensurately high construction cost. Following privatisation and regionalisation of the JNR network in 1987, the JR East company decided to convert the Fukushima–Yamagata section of the 1,067mm gauge Ōu Main line to 1,435mm gauge, enabling Shinkansen trains from Yamagata to travel on the Tohoku Shinkansen line through to Tokyo. Called Mini-shinkansen, this was a cost-effective way of providing an improved level of service on the line, although only purpose-built Shinkansen trains can travel on such lines, as the loading gauge was not changed, nor the voltage (full standard Shinkansen lines use 25 kV AC). The Yamagata Shinkansen opened in 1992, and although the maximum speed is 130km/h (81mph), the overall transit time to places beyond Fukushima is improved due to the elimination of the need to change trains at the junction.
The success of this project led to the conversion of the Omagari to Akita section in conjunction with the opening of the Akita Shinkansen in 1997, and the extension of the Yamagata Shinkansen to Shinjo in 1999. These projects also created parallel 1,435 and 1,067mm gauge lines between Omagari and Akita and between Yamagata and Uzen-Chitose respectively, and a dual-gauge section between Jinguji and Minejoshikawa (on the Omagari to Akita section), enabling Shinkansen trains to pass at speed on the mostly single-track line.
Additionally, local services continue to be provided on the gauge-converted lines by 701-5000 series standard-gauge suburban/interurban rolling stock.
JR East announced on 26 November 2025 that the 701 series and 719 series would be replaced by E723 series trainsets by late 2026.
Notes
↑Rapid Resort Shirakami doesn't stop at the station
References
12Muroya, Hideki (2025-04-25). "JR奥羽線の新庄―院内、「非電化」で運転再開 東日本管内で2例目"[JR Ou Line between Shinjo and Innai resumes operation without electrification, the second such case in the JR East area]. The Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese).
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JR East
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