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22-801: The predecessor to the Aoimori Railway Line was completed as the Metoki – Aomori portion of the Nippon Railway on 1 September 1891. When the Nippon Railway was nationalized on 1 November 1906, it became part of the Japanese National Railways (JNR) system and was designated part of the Tōhoku Main Line on 12 October 1909. With the privatization and dissolution of JNR on 1 April 1987, the line came under

44-535: A "snow corridor" where visitors are allowed to walk. It meets Japan National Route 102 at a junction near the Oirase River . Route 103 begins a concurrency with Route 102 here, traveling to southwest towards Lake Towada , while Route 102's eastbound traffic continues following the river's flow towards the city of Towada. The concurrency follows the Oirase River upstream until it reaches Lake Towada. At

66-425: A short descent, the road meets Japan National Route 394 at a signaled intersection. Just a couple of kilometers from here is Sukayu Onsen , the snowiest inhabited place on earth famous for its 1,000 person mixed-use bath. The road continues winding down the mountain in southeasterly path, passing other onsen and resorts along the way. This section of road is closed during the winter, but is reopened in early spring as

88-557: Is 622.8 kilometers from Tokyo Station . Metoki Station has two opposed side platforms serving two tracks, connected to the station building by a footbridge. The station building is relatively large, but is unattended. Metoki Station opened on 20 December 1924 as the Metoki Signal Stop on the Tōhoku Main Line on the Japanese National Railways (JNR). It was elevated to the status of a full station on 1 October 1948. Freight operations were discontinued from April 1962. With

110-568: Is operated by the third sector railway operators Aoimori Railway Company and Iwate Galaxy Railway Company . Metoki Station is the southern terminus of the Aoimori Railway Line , and is 121.9 kilometers from the northern terminus of the line at Aomori Station . It is also the northern terminus of the Iwate Galaxy Railway Line , and is 82.0 kilometers from the southern terminus at Morioka Station . It

132-661: The Hakkōda Gold Line. Continuing its ascent up the mountain, the route meets Aomori Prefecture Route 40, a route that provides access to the nearby memorial of the Hakkōda Mountains incident and then travels southeast to Towada, Aomori . Route 103 winds its way up the mountain where it reaches the Hakkōda Ropeway , a cable car that takes skiers and hikers to the peak of Mount Tamoyachi of the Hakkōda Mountains. After

154-473: The Railway Business Act of Japan. The Aoimori Railway Company leases these facilities from the prefectural government and is responsible for operation of passenger trains on the tracks. This scheme is intended to mitigate the company's burden as an owner of fixed assets and is known as "track/service separation" ( 上下分離方式 , jōge bunri hōshiki ) . The Aoimori Railway Line is designated as

176-654: The Tōhoku Main Line tracks between Hachinohe and Aomori were transferred from JR East to the Aoimori Railway Company , resulting in the completion of the Aoimori Railway Line. There have been a few new developments along the line since its transfer to the Aoimori Railway Company. On 12 March 2012, Nonai Station was relocated 1.5 kilometers (0.93 mi) southwest of its original location. Tsutsui Station , near Aomori High School ,

198-418: The capital of Aomori Prefecture , Aomori to Ōdate in northeastern Akita Prefecture . It has a total length of 130.0 km (80.8 mi). The route's northern terminus is an intersection with Japan National Route 4 in the center of the city of Aomori. From here it begins its journey south through the city. Within the urbanized parts of the city it is known as Kankō Dori (Tourism Road). After passing by

220-718: The city of Kazuno. In the city it passes under the Tōhoku Expressway and then crosses over the Yoneshiro River where it has a junction with the expressway. The road again crosses the Yoneshiro River several times as it crosses into Ōdate . In Ōdate the road first meets Japan National Route 285 , it later has a junction with the Akita Expressway , shortly after the route again meets National Route 7 at Route 103's southern terminus. National Route 103

242-502: The commercial area, the highway passes Aomori Chuo Gakuin University . After passing the institution the road divides with the western route serving as a bypass to the main highway to the east. At this point the highway is known as the Hakkōda Gold Line. After passing through a residential area, the main highway and bypass begin the ascent of the Hakkōda Mountains . The highways merge near Aomori Public University , now known solely as

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264-817: The control of the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). On 1 December 2002, with the opening of the Tōhoku Shinkansen , the portion of the Tōhoku Main Line located in Iwate Prefecture became the Iwate Galaxy Railway Line , and the portion in Aomori Prefecture from the Iwate border to Hachinohe Station became the Aoimori Railway Line. With the opening of the Tōhoku Shinkansen extension to Shin-Aomori on 4 December 2010,

286-546: The headquarters of Michinoku Bank , the highway crosses over the Aoimori Railway Line . It then travels through a heavily commercialized area of the city before reaching an intersection with the Aomori Belt Highway ( National Route 7 ) and the Aomori Expressway . Route 7 serves as a frontage road to the expressway and as an eventual access point to it at Aomori-chūō Interchange . Continuing out of

308-405: The lake's southern shore, the road meets the western end of the concurrency, Route 454 continues toward Route 102 as the remaining portion of the road to circle the lake while Route 103 begins traveling to the southeast. The road meets Japan National Route 104 and turns to the southwest towards Kazuno, Akita . In Kazuno it passes by the Ōyu Stone Circles a Jōmon period site. It continues into

330-617: The line is the Resort Asunaro sightseeing train that runs between Hachinohe and Ōminato stations, using the line between Hachinohe and Noheji . The Aoimori Railway operates a fleet of 701 series two-car electric multiple units (EMUs). One set was built from new in September 2002, while eight more were transferred from JR East . Two new two-car Aoimori 703 series EMUs were delivered in November 2013 and introduced from

352-623: The privatization of the JNR on 1 April 1987, it came under the operational control of JR East. It came under the joint control of the Aoimori Railway and the Iwate Galaxy Railway Company on 1 December 2002. In fiscal 2018, the station was used by an average of 423 passengers daily. Japan National Route 103 National Route 103 ( 国道103号 , Kokudō Hyakusangō ) is a national highway of Japan connecting

374-460: The rail line between Aomori and Metoki stations that was formerly the northernmost section of the Tōhoku Main Line. Trains operated by the Aoimori Railway Company primarily operate between Aomori and Hachinohe stations; however, some of the railway's trains continue south beyond Hachinohe to Sannohe Station , with fewer continuing south to Morioka Station . Some of the trains that run along the railway between Hachinohe and Metoki Station are carried by

396-656: The rolling stock of the Iwate Galaxy Railway Company , the operator of the former Tōhoku Main Line between Metoki and Morioka stations. Japan Freight Railway Company (JR Freight), the nationwide freight train operator, continues to use the line for freight services. For maintenance work, the line relies on the services of the Hachinohe Rinkai Railway Company . As of January 2021, the only JR East limited express operate along

418-448: The shore of the lake, the concurrency ends with Route 102 forming the northeast and northern parts of a road that circles the lake, while Route 103 forms the eastern and southern part of the road. As the road begins to travel along the southern shore of the lake it meets Japan National Route 454 where the routes form a concurrency. Along the southern part of this circular road, Routes 103 and 454 cross into Akita Prefecture. Continuing along

440-486: The start of the 15 March 2014 timetable revision. The railway has been negotiating with the city of Aomori since December 2015 on a proposal to open a new station between Tsutsui Station and Aomori Station near the point at which the railway passes under Japan National Route 103 . The station would be part of a sports arena development for the 2025 National Sports Festival of Japan to be held in Aomori. The neighborhood

462-503: The station would serve is a primarily residential area, but it would also provide access to some busy shopping centers within walking distance to the station. As of January 2021, no final decision has been made regarding the construction of the new station. Metoki Station Metoki Station ( 目時駅 , Metoki-eki ) is a railway station in the town of Sannohe in the Sannohe District of Aomori Prefecture , Japan. It

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484-435: Was opened on 15 March 2014. Two-car Aoimori 703 series sets began operations on the line on the same day to handle the increased loads presented by the opening of Tsutsui Station. The Aoimori Railway Line is operated by the Aoimori Railway Company, a " third-sector " publicly and privately owned company. The railway facilities and tracks are owned by the prefectural government of Aomori as a "Category 3 Railway Business" under

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