Kitto Line

The Kitto Line (吉都線, Kitto-sen) is a railway line on the island of Kyushu, Japan. It connects Yoshimatsu Station in Yūsui, Kagoshima Prefecture with Miyakonojō Station in Miyakonojō, Miyazaki Prefecture. It is also known as Ebino Kōgen Line (えびの高原線, Ebino-kōgen-sen) together with the Yatsushiro–Yoshimatsu segment of the Hisatsu Line. Between 1916 and 1923 this line was part of the original rail connection from Kokura to Miyazaki, until the opening of the Nippo Main Line.

Kitto Line
KiHa 40 series DMU at Kobayashi Station
Overview
Other name(s)	Ebino Kōgen Line
Native name	吉都線
Owner	JR Kyushu
Locale	Kagoshima Miyazaki
Termini	Yoshimatsu Miyakonojō
Stations	17
Service
Operator(s)	JR Kyushu
Rolling stock	KiHa 40 series DMU
Daily ridership	576
History
Opened	1 October 1912 (1912-10-01)
Technical
Line length	61.6 km (38.3 mi)
Number of tracks	Entire line single tracked
Character	Fairly rural with a few urban areas
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	None
Operating speed	85 km/h (53 mph)
Route map

Stations

Station		Distance (km)	Transfers	Location
Yoshimatsu	吉松	0.0	■ Hisatsu Line	Yūsui, Aira District	Kagoshima
Tsurumaru	鶴丸	2.6
Kyōmachi Onsen	京町温泉	5.0		Ebino	Miyazaki
Ebino	えびの	9.6
Ebino Uwae	えびの上江	13.0
Ebino Iino	えびの飯野	15.0
Nishi Kobayashi	西小林	20.6		Kobayashi
Kobayashi	小林	26.8
Hirowara	広原	30.8		Takaharu Nishimorokata District
Takaharu	高原	34.8
Hyūga Maeda	日向前田	39.4		Miyakonojō
Takasaki Shinden	高崎新田	43.8
Higashi Takasaki	東高崎	48.1
Mangatsuka	万ケ塚	51.0
Tanigashira	谷頭	54.5
Hyūga Shōnai	日向庄内	57.5
Miyakonojō	都城	57.5	■ Nippō Main Line

History

The Yoshimatsu–Kobayashi section opened in 1912, and was extended to Miyakonojo the following year. Construction continued east and opened to Miyazaki in 1916, with the line formally named the Miyazaki Main Line in 1917.

With the opening of the Nippo Main Line from Kokura to Miyazaki in 1923, the line adopted that name. In 1932, with the opening of the Miyakonojo–Hayato line, that became part of the Nippo Main Line, and this line's name became the Kitto Line.

Freight service ceased in 1987.