The Nishitetsu Tenjin Ōmuta Line (西鉄天神大牟田線, Nishitetsu Tenjin Ōmuta sen) is a railway line in Fukuoka Prefecture in Kyushu, Japan. It is the main line of the private railway company Nishi-Nippon Railroad (Nishitetsu). The line connects Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) Station in Chūō-ku, Fukuoka with Ōmuta Station in Ōmuta. Until 2000, the line was called the Nishitetsu Ōmuta Line (西鉄大牟田線, Ōmuta sen).
Track
Double: Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) - Shikenjōmae, Daizenji - Kamachi, Hiraki - Ōmuta
Single: the rest
The line runs approximately parallel with to the JR Kyushu Kagoshima Main Line, but connection between the lines are poor.
The operator Nishitetsu offers two types of limited-stop "Rapid" train services in addition to all-stations "Local" trains.
Local (普通, Futsū)
Stops all stations. Between Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) and Chikushi or Daizenji inside the line, Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) and Dazaifu of Dazaifu Line, Amagi of Amagi Line and Ōmuta. Trains inside the line and Dazaifu Line with 4-7 car EMUs, through trains to Amagi Line with 2-car 7000 and 7050 series EMUs
Express (急行, Kyūkō) (Ex)
Operated all day. Some Expresses are operated as Locals in southern part (Ōmuta side). In day hours, 2 per hour per direction between Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) and Nishitetsu Ogōri, and 2 between Nishitetsu Fukuoka and Hanabatake. Five-car 3000 series EMUs, 6-car 2000 and 5000 series EMUs
Limited Express (特急, Tokkyū) (LE)
Between Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) and Ōmuta, 2 service per direction per hour. Seven-car 8000 series in day hours, 5000, 6000 and 6050 series EMUs in the morning and evening hours
During the daytime between 10:00 and 16:00, the numbers of trains per direction per hour are as follows.
Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) - Nishitetsu Futsukaichi
2 LE, 4 Ex, 6 Lo
Nishitetsu Futsukaichi - Chikushi
2 LE, 4 Ex, 4 Lo
Chikushi - Nishitetsu Ogōri
2 LE, 2 Ex, 2 Lo (north of Chikushi as Ex), 2 Lo
Nishitetsu Ogōri - Miyanojin
2 LE, 2 Ex, 2 Lo
Miyanojin - Hanabatake
2 LE, 2 Ex, 2 Lo, 2 Lo through to Amagi Line
Hanabatake - Daizenji
2 Lo, 4 Lo
Daizenji - Ōmuta
2 LE, 2 Lo
lower case shows some trains stop
e1: Expresses only for Chikushi stop
e2: Expresses only down for Nishitetsu Ogōri, some ups from Hanabatake, Shikenjōmae, Tsubuku, Nishitetsu Yanagawa stop
New three- and two-car 9000 series electric multiple unit trains were introduced on the line from March 2017.
The Kyushu Railway (九州鉄道, Kyūshū Tetsudō) built and operated the first Interurban railway line in Kyushu from Fukuoka, planned to extend to Kumamoto, but difficulty in securing a corridor south of Omuta resulted in that plan being abandoned.
April 12, 1924: Fukuoka (presently Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin)) - Kurume (presently Nishitetsu Kurume) opened by the Kyushu Railway (II). 1,435mm gauge, electrified, double tracked
December 28, 1932: Kurume - Tsubuku opened, single tracked
June 22, 1937: The Ōkawa Railway was merged into the Kyushu Railway. Kamikurume - Tsubuku - Daizenji - Enokizu became a part of Kūshū Railway network, single tracked, 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge
October 1, 1937: Tsubuku - Daizenji of ex-Ōkawa Railway regauged to 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) (the remainder abandoned later). Daizenji - Yanagawa (presently Nishitetsu Yanagawa) opened
December 1, 1938: Fukuoka - Tsubuku from Tram Act to Local Railway Act
September 1, 1938: Yanagawa - Nakashima (presently Nishitetsu Nakashima) opened
October 1. 1938: Nakashima - Sakaemachi (presently Shin-Sakaemachi) opened
July 1, 1939: Sakaemachi - Ōmuta opened, the line completed
September 19, 1942: Kyushu Electric Tramway (九州電気軌道, Kyūshū Denki Kidō) merged, under wartime condition, Kyushu Railway and some other railway companies in Fukuoka Prefecture
September 22, 1942: Kyushu Electric Tramway renamed Nishi-Nippon Railroad, the line became its Ōmuta Line
November 11, 1951: Nishitetsu Kurume - Shikenjōmae track doubled
March 20, 1960: Kuranaga - Nishitetsu Ginsui track doubled
April, 1961: Nishitetsu Ginsui - Sakaemachi track doubled
June 21, 1961: Sakaemachi - Ōmuta track doubled
November 20, 1965: Hiraki - Kuranaga track doubled
February, 1967: Daizenji - Mizuma, Ōmizo - Kamachi track doubled
June 10 1974: CTC signalling is commissioned on the entire line
January 15, 1997: Mizuma - Ōmizo track doubled
January 1, 2001: Proper names changed to Tenjin-Ōmuta Line from Ōmuta Line, Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) Station (with Tenjin in parentheses) from Nishitetsu Fukuoka Station
February 16 2008: The maximum speed on the line is increased from 100 km/h to 110 km/h
March 27, 2010: Rapid Express (快速急行, Kaisoku Kyūkō) and Non-Stop (直行, Chokkō) services were discontinued
