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The Tokyo Metro Ginza Line is famous as Japan's first "subway" (sometimes referred to as Asia's first). While there is no doubt that the Ginza Line is Japan's first subway line to run underground in its entirety, it is actually not the first line in Japan to have passenger trains running underground. That first line was the JR Senseki Line in Miyagi Prefecture, or more precisely, its predecessor, the "Miyagi Electric Railway."
What is the JR Senseki Line?
The JRSenseki Lineis a JR East line connecting Aoba-dori Station in Aoba Ward, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, to Ishinomaki Station in Ishinomaki City, covering a distance of 49.0 km. Sendai Station, one stop away from Aoba-dori Station, is the main station of Sendai City, the largest city in the Tohoku region. "Senseki Line" because it connects Sendai and Ishinomaki.
The Senseki Line is responsible for commuter transport on the eastern side of Sendai City, as well as intercity transport between Sendai City and municipalities along the line such as Tagajo City, Shiogama City, Matsushima Town, and Ishinomaki City, and transport to tourist destinations such as Matsushima. According to JR East's published data for fiscal year 2023, the average number of users per kilometer per day (average passenger traffic) was 39,625 between Aoba-dori Station and Higashi-Shiogama Station, 7,371 between Higashi-Shiogama Station and Ishinomaki Station, and 18,693 for the entire section from Aoba-dori Station to Ishinomaki Station. SensekiJR East lines that do not pass through the Tokyo metropolitan areaamongthe highest average passenger traffic.
Matsushima sightseeing boat
The origins of the Senseki Line
The Senseki Line was established in June 1925 (Taisho 14). At the time of its opening, it was not a line of the Japanese National Railways (JNR), the predecessor of JR, buta line opened by the private railway company "Miyagi Electric Railway. The first section to open was from Sendai Station to Nishi-Shiogama Station, and it was gradually extended thereafter, with the entire line to Ishinomaki Station opening in 1928.
The Miyagi Electric Railway's starting point was Sendai Station (Miyaden Sendai Station), but it envisioned extending westward to the area around the prefectural office. Therefore, the section from Miyaden Sendai Station to Higashi Nanabancho Station ran underground to allow for westward extension while avoiding a level crossing with the JNR Tohoku Main Line (as will be explained again later, this underground section no longer exists). in the history of Japanese railwaysto have passenger trains running underground. The Tokyo Ginza Line (then called "Tokyo Underground Railway"), often referred to as "Japan's first subway," opened at the end of 1927, between Asakusa Station and Ueno Station, two and a half years after the opening of the Miyagi Electric Railway.
During the war, in 1944, the Miyagi Electric Railway line was acquired by the government and became the Senseki Line of the national railway. The reason for nationalization is thought to be the presence of military facilities such as factories and airfields along the line.
The Senseki Line, which was part of the Japanese National Railways (JNR) and later the JR, still retains traces of its origins as a private railway. private railways typically use direct current (DC) for electrification to power their trains , most electrified JR lines in the Tohoku region were converted to alternating current (AC) after World War II. However, the Senseki Line is the only DC-electrified JR line in the Tohoku region. This iswas DC-electrified from the very beginning when it opened as a private railway.
In 1952, after the war, the Senseki Line platform at Sendai Station, which was located underground on the west side of the station, was moved to the ground level on the east side of the station. Consequently,Japan's first underground railway section was abolishedand became a thing of the past.
Back underground
The section of the Senseki Line near Sendai Station was moved above ground in 1952, but because it ran above ground, there were level crossings, which caused traffic congestion on the roads. Therefore, it was decided to run the section of the Senseki Line near Sendai Station (the section west of Kuratake Station in Miyagino Ward) underground again. The groundbreaking ceremony was held in 1985, and the underground tracks opened 15 years later in 2000. This construction not only moved the Senseki Line tracks underground, but also shortened the route and extended it to Aoba-dori Station, which was newly built west of Sendai Station.
Senseki Tohoku Line begins operation
Because it runs along the Pacific coast of Miyagi Prefecture, the Senseki Line suffered significant damage in the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011. In particular, the section between Takagimachi Station and Rikuzen-Ono Station took a long time to restore. After construction work such as relocating the tracks to higher ground and inland, train service resumed on the entire Senseki Line on May 30, 2015, more than four years after the earthquake.
The former Nobiru Station platform in Higashimatsushima City, preserved as a relic from the earthquake disaster
began operation at the same time as the full line reopenedSenseki-Tohoku Line. Senseki-Tohoku Line trains run on the JR Tohoku Main Line from Sendai Station to Matsushima Station, then transfer to the Senseki Line via a connecting line between the Tohoku Main Line and the Senseki Line from Matsushima Station, and run on the Senseki Line from Takagimachi Station to Ishinomaki Station. By traveling on the Tohoku Main Line instead of the Senseki Line for a while from Sendai Station, trains can travel at higher speeds than if they were traveling on the Senseki Line, thusthe travel time from Sendai Station to Takagimachi Station and beyondshortening Additionally, Senseki-Tohoku Line trains depart from and arrive at the above-ground Tohoku Main Line platforms at Sendai Station, rather than the underground Senseki Line platformsconvenient boarding and alighting at Sendai Stationwhich offers the advantage of
It should be noted that the Tohoku Main Line uses AC electrification, while the Senseki Line uses DC electrification, meaning the power sources for the trains are different. Therefore, the Senseki-Tohoku Line uses HB-E210 series hybrid diesel railcars (vehicles that run on electricity from their own onboard diesel generators and batteries), which can operate regardless of the electrification system.
HB-E210 series hybrid diesel railcars deployed on the Senseki Tohoku Line
using the HB-E300 seriesDate SATONO,, sometimes operates via the Senseki-Tohoku Line. For more information sightseeing train, which mainly operates on the Ban'etsuSATONOLine, please see this article.
Since 2003, the Senseki LineMangattan Linerhas been operating aラッピング train called the a renowned manga artistShotaro Ishinomori, who had ties to the Nakase area of Ishinomaki City during his lifetime, and the fact that the "Ishinomori Manga Museum" is located there. The name "Mangattan" was personally coined by Mr. Ishinomori, as the Nakase area is located on a sandbar in the middle of a river, similar in location to Manhattan in New York City.
The latest Mangattan Liner is the fourth generation, introduced in 2022, and features special wrapping on two of the HB-E210 series trains operating on the Senseki-Tohoku Line. Every Sunday, the Ishinomori Manga Museum offers a commemorative boarding certificate to passengers who ride the Mangattan Liner and get off at Ishinomaki Station (information as of December 2024).
In addition, two four-car 205 series trains used on the Senseki Line (trains that run on the Senseki Line for the entire section from Sendai Station to Ishinomaki Station) have also been wrapped
205 series trains deployed on the Senseki Line (on the left is the Senseki Line Mangattan Liner II)
Although the underground section of the Senseki Line, which was part of the Miyagi Electric Railway when it first opened, no longer exists and is therefore not well-known, it was the first section in Japan where passenger trains ran underground. Furthermore, it continues to transport many passengers today, including commuters and students in the Sendai metropolitan area, making it a standout line among the Tohoku region's railways, which are struggling with declining passenger numbers. It will undoubtedly continue to be an indispensable part of the transportation network along Miyagi Prefecture's Pacific coast.
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