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The is a Japanese railway line operated by the private railway operator Matsuura Railway, which connects Arita in Saga Prefecture with Sasebo in Nagasaki Prefecture. This is the westernmost railway line in Japan, with Tabira-Hiradoguchi Station being the westernmost station ==History== The Kansai Coal Mining Co. opened a 12 km, gauge line from Sasaki to Sechihara via Yoshii in 1896. The Arita - Imari section of the line was opened on 7 August 1898 by the , which merged with the Kyushu Railway Co. in December of the same year.〔 In 1907, the line was nationalised, becoming the .〔 The line was extended to Imabuku in 1930, Matsuura in 1933, Tabira-Hiradoguchi in 1935, and Senryugataki in 1939. The then isolated Hidariishi - Ainoura section was opened as a gauge line by the for coal transportation on 27 March 1920,〔 and extended to Kami-Sasebo the following year. In 1931, it was extended to Sasaki, with the company acquiring the Kansai Coal Co. line to Sechihara in 1933 and passenger services to Yoshii commencing in 1934. A connection to Sasebo opened in 1935, and the company was nationalised in October 1936.〔 Between 1943 and 1944, the line was regauged to ,〔 with a new alignment opened in March 1945, linking the two sections.〔 Mixed (freight trains with passenger accommodation attached) trains were replaced by railcars in 1971, and steam locomotives withdrawn the following year. Freight services ceased between Sasebo and Imari in 1982, and on the remainder of the line in 1986. From 1 April 1988, the line between Arita and Sasebo was transferred from JNR operation to the privately owned Matsuura Railway.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Nishi-Kyūshū Line」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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