Misumi Line

The line is one of the older railways in Japan. It was built by the Kyushu Railway, a private company, to link the Kumamoto area with the Amakusa Islands and the Shimabara Peninsula, laying track as far as Misumi, from which boats connected onward to those destinations. The original plan was to run from Matsubase along the southern shore of the Uto Peninsula to the port at Misumi, but opposition from residents of the south coast, which was lined with fishing harbours, led to the route instead being laid along the northern shore as far as Akase. The Kyushu Railway opened the entire Uto–Misumi line on 25 December 1899, establishing Sumiyoshi, Ōda and Misumi stations.

Under the Railway Nationalization Act, the Kyushu Railway was bought out and the line became a government railway on 1 July 1907. On 12 October 1909 the Uto–Misumi route was formally designated the "Misumi Line" under the national railway line-naming system. The line's coastal alignment left it exposed to the sea: on 13 September 1927 a storm surge driven by an Ariake Sea typhoon washed away the area around the railway bridge between Ōda and Sumiyoshi, severing the line. Through the following decades the route gradually gained intermediate stations, with Higo-Nagahama, Hataura and Midorikawa among those added between the 1930s and 1960.

For much of the National Railways era the Misumi Line was more than a local branch. Beyond its ordinary trains it carried express services running through from the Hōhi Main Line — most notably the "Hinoyama," introduced as a semi-express between Misumi, Kumamoto and Beppu on 25 March 1963 and upgraded to an express in 1966 — making it part of a sightseeing route that tied the Unzen and Amakusa areas to Aso and Beppu. The line also saw an Imperial Train: on 28 October 1966 a special working carrying Emperor Shōwa and Empress Kōjun ran between Kumamoto and Misumi, hauled by C11-class steam locomotives. As private cars and buses spread and overseas honeymoon travel drew passengers away, however, patronage of these through services declined.

All freight operations on the line were abolished on 15 November 1982. With ridership of the through expresses falling, the Kumamoto–Misumi portion of the "Hinoyama" express was discontinued on 1 November 1986, shortly before the privatisation of the Japanese National Railways. On 1 April 1987, with the division and privatisation of JNR, the line was taken over by the Kyushu Railway Company. JR Kyushu introduced one-man operation on some trains from 13 March 1988 and opened a new station, Ishiuchi Dam, on 11 March 1989.

In the twenty-first century the line has leaned into sightseeing. A weekends-and-holidays "Amakusa Gourmet Rapid Okoshiki" rapid service ran from 13 March 2004 until it was withdrawn on 12 March 2011. Later that year the line gained its nickname and, on 8 October 2011, its first-ever limited express: the tourist train "A-Train" (A列車で行こう), operated mainly on weekends and holidays as an extra service between Kumamoto and Misumi and stopping only at Kumamoto, Uto and Misumi. Initially running two round trips a day, the A-Train was increased to three round trips on 16 March 2013, and it remains the line's signature service, running along the shore of the Ariake Sea past views of the Shimabara Peninsula.

• 189925 December: the Kyushu Railway opens the entire Uto–Misumi line, establishing Sumiyoshi, Ōda and Misumi stations.
• 19071 July: under the Railway Nationalization Act, the Kyushu Railway is bought out and the line becomes a government railway.
• 190912 October: the Uto–Misumi route is formally designated the 'Misumi Line' under the national railway line-naming system.
• 192713 September: a storm surge from an Ariake Sea typhoon washes away the area around the railway bridge between Ōda and Sumiyoshi, severing the line.
• 19391 January: Higo-Nagahama, opened as a provisional stop in 1931, is upgraded to a full station; Midorikawa Station would follow in 1960.
• 196325 March: the semi-express 'Hinoyama' (Misumi–Kumamoto–Beppu) begins, running through from the Hōhi Main Line.
• 196628 October: an Imperial Train carrying Emperor Shōwa and Empress Kōjun runs between Kumamoto and Misumi, hauled by C11-class steam locomotives (the 'Hinoyama' had been upgraded to an express on 5 March).
• 198215 November: all freight operations on the line are abolished.
• 19861 November: the Kumamoto–Misumi section of the 'Hinoyama' express is discontinued amid falling ridership, shortly before JNR privatisation.
• 19871 April: with the division and privatisation of the Japanese National Railways, the line is taken over by the Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu).
• 198911 March: Ishiuchi Dam Station opens (one-man operation had begun on some trains on 13 March 1988).
• 2011The 'Amakusa Gourmet Rapid Okoshiki' (run since 2004) is withdrawn on 12 March; the line adopts the nickname 'Amakusa Misumi Line' on 1 September; and on 8 October the tourist limited express 'A-Train' begins — the line's first-ever limited express — increased from two to three round trips a day on 16 March 2013.