| Aonami Line | |
|---|---|
 | |
 A 1000 series EMU | |
| Overview | |
| Native name | あおなみ線 |
| Owner | Nagoya Rinkai Rapid Transit |
| Locale | Nagoya |
| Termini | |
| Stations | 11 |
| Service | |
| Type | Commuter rail |
| Depot(s) | Shionagi (between Inaei and Noseki Stations) |
| Rolling stock | 1000 series |
| Daily ridership | 43,888 (2018)[1] |
| History | |
| Opened | 1 June 1950; 75 years ago (1 June 1950) as Nishi-Nagoyakō Line 6 October 2004 (as Aonami Line) |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 15.2 km (9.4 mi) |
| Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) |
| Minimum radius | 191 m |
| Electrification | 1,500 V DC, overhead catenary |
| Operating speed | 110 km/h (70 mph)[2] |
TheAonami Line (あおなみ線,Aonami-sen) is athird-sector commuter railway line in the city ofNagoya operated by the Nagoya Rinkai Rapid Transit (名古屋臨海高速鉄道,Nagoya Rinkai Kōsoku Tetsudō). Officially called the Nishi-Nagoyakō Line (西名古屋港線,Nishi-Nagoyakō-sen; West Nagoya Port Line), it connectsNagoya Station withKinjō-futō Station.
The line was formerly a freight branch line ofTokaido Main Line, converted for passenger usage in October 2004.[2] It is still operated as a freight line byJapan Freight Railway Company between Nagoya and Nagoya Freight Terminal; thus, the section between Nagoya andArako Station is used for both passenger and freight traffic. Since its opening in 2017, the Aonami Line is used as the main rapid transit access toLegoland Japan Resort andSCMaglev and Railway Park, both located nearby the terminus.
The line's name is a combination of the company's colorao ("blue"),na for Nagoya, andmi forMinato ward.[3] As two words,ao nami can also be read as "blue waves."
The Nishi-Nagoyakō Line opened on 1 June 1950 as a freight branch of theTokaido Main Line between Sasashima Freight Terminal (笹島貨物) and Nishi-Nagoyakō (西名古屋港) operated byJapanese National Railways (JNR).[2] Nagoya Freight Terminal opened on 1 October 1980 as part of the initial construction of theNanpō Freight Line, and with the closure of Sasashima Freight Terminal on 1 November 1986, Nagoya Freight Terminal became the starting point of the line.[2] With the privatization and division of JNR on 1 April 1987, the line was transferred toCentral Japan Railway Company (JR Central) as a "Class 1 railway operator" andJR Freight as a "Class 2 railway operator".[2]
Plans to operate passenger services on the line were formalized in the 1990s, and Nagoya Rinkai Rapid Transit company was established in 1997 as a third-sector company funded by the city of Nagoya.[2] The passenger Aonami Line utilized approximately 12 km of existing freight line with a newly constructed approximately 4 km extension to Kinjō-futō Station.[2] Construction started in 2000, with improvement to the line and new stations added between Nagoya and Nakajima stations. The tracks between Nakajima and Kinjō-futō stations were raised to remove level crossings and alleviate road congestion.[4] Construction cost around 93 billion yen.[5] The line opened on 6 October 2004, and at the same time, the section of track between Nagoya Station and Nagoya Freight Terminal was closed.[2]
Despite serving attractions such as theNagoya International Exhibition Hall andNagoya Racecourse (moved toYatomi in 2022), passenger ridership figures fell short of targets, and in July 2010, the operating company declared debts of approximately 46 billion yen, applying foralternative dispute resolution (ADR) to avoid bankruptcy.[2]
A special "SL Aonami-go" steam train service operated on the Aonami Line on 16 and 17 February 2013, usingJNR Class C56 locomotive number 160 as well as three 12 series passenger coaches.[citation needed]
On 27 March 2017, a specialLegoland-themed train started operating on the line to commemorate the opening ofLegoland Japan, located near Kinjō-futō Station.[6]
There are two services on the line: Local and Non-stop.Non-stop services only stop at Nagoya and Kinjō-futō.
Services on the line are operated by a fleet of eight four-car 1000 serieselectric multiple unit (EMU) trains.[7] All trains are operated as conductorless "one man cars".[3]
| Shinkansen | |
|---|---|
 JR Central | |
 Nagoya Municipal Subway | |
 Meitetsu | |
 Kintetsu | |
| Minor private railways | |
| Third-sector railways | |
 Bus |
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| Terminals |
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| Miscellaneous |
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