Nemuro Main Line 根室線

Railway · JR Hokkaido 北海道旅客鉄道 · 51 stations

English name from Japanese Wikipedia (unofficial source).

How to ride JR Hokkaido (Hokkaido Railway Company) P

Operator-wide facts from JR Hokkaido (Hokkaido Railway Company)'s own pages; individual lines and stations can differ.

IC cards (Suica etc.)Some cards or areas PKitaca, Suica, PASMO, TOICA, manaca, ICOCA +4 more

Credit card touchNot confirmed

Delays & suspensionsLive status →Japanese only; by area; cancellations and delays of 30 minutes or more

Step-free accessStation list → PMany stations have no elevators or escalators, need a footbridge crossing or have gravel platforms, and platforms carry snow in winter; many stations are unstaffed, so ask a staffed station or the online form while planning. Some stations lend a wheelchair from gate to train; per-station details are on Raku Raku Odekake Net.

Passes9 valid herefrom ¥5,000

IC cards and payment in detail

IC cards work only inside JR Hokkaido's Kitaca area, not on the rest of the network. In the Kitaca area you can use Kitaca, Suica, PASMO, TOICA, manaca, ICOCA, PiTaPa, SUGOCA, nimoca and Hayakaken at the ticket gates. SAPICA (Sapporo's local card) is NOT accepted on JR. A trip must start and end inside one IC area: you cannot ride across areas on the card. The Kitaca area began around Sapporo; JR Hokkaido announced (September 2022) that 20 more stations would join in spring 2024: Hakodate area (Hakodate Main Line Hakodate–Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto: Hakodate, Goryōkaku, Kikyō, Ōnakayama, Nanae, Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto) and Asahikawa area (Hakodate Main Line Iwamizawa–Asahikawa: Minenobu to Asahikawa, 14 stations). The exact list of Sapporo-area stations and the actual start date of the expansion were not confirmed on the pages checked. Contactless credit card touch at gates: not confirmed. P

JR北海道Kitacaエリアでは、以下のICカードがお使いいただけます。※SAPICAはお使いいただけません。

Getting on

Inside the Kitaca area: use Kitaca or another listed nationwide IC card (not SAPICA) at the automatic ticket gate when you enter.
Outside the Kitaca area IC cards cannot be used: buy a ticket instead. JR Hokkaido did not publish a one-man / unstaffed-station procedure on the pages checked: follow the signs and announcements on the train.

Getting off

Inside the Kitaca area: use the same IC card at the exit gate.
If the card balance or ticket does not cover the trip, adjust the fare (乗り越し精算). With an IC card this works only when the whole trip is inside the Kitaca area.

Wheelchair assistance

Many JR Hokkaido stations are unstaffed, and many staffed stations have hours without staff, so help with boarding may need to be arranged in advance: ask at a staffed station or use JR Hokkaido's online form for boarding assistance. Form enquiries are answered on weekdays 9:00–17:50 (not over New Year), so ask on a weekday before a weekend trip; wheelchair-space reservations by form can be made from one month to two days before travel. Telephone enquiries go to the JR Hokkaido telephone information centre (電話案内センター); its number was not shown on the pages checked.

Sources checked 2026-10-09 · review: draft_unreviewed

www.jrhokkaido.co.jp/kitaca/02area.html · official ic card page · checked 2026-10-07
www.jrhokkaido.co.jp/CM/Info/press/pdf/220914_KO_Kitaca.pdf · official press release · checked 2026-10-07
www.jrhokkaido.co.jp/network/barrier/ · official accessibility page · checked 2026-10-07
www.jrhokkaido.co.jp/mailform/wheelchair-web-entry/ · official accessibility form · checked 2026-10-07
www.jrhokkaido.co.jp/mailform/request/index.html · official contact page · checked 2026-10-07
www3.jrhokkaido.co.jp/webunkou/index.html · official status page · checked 2026-10-09

Passes valid on this line 9 P

Day passes, regional passes and special tickets that include this line, cheapest first. 2 of them are sold only to foreign visitors. Prices and rules change: check the official page before you buy.

Anyone can buy Until 6 Nov 20261 day · Unlimited rides

JR Hokkaido "Doko Pass" Weekday Pass

JR北海道どこ行く？平日パス（どこパス） · JR Hokkaido

¥5,000 Adult, 1 day · ¥8,000 Adult, 2 consecutive weekdays

1 day or 2 consecutive weekdays, only on weekdays 26 Oct – 20 Nov 2026.

Compare

Anyone can buy Until 16 Oct 20263 days · Unlimited rides

Autumn Unlimited Ride Pass (Aki no Norihōdai Pass)

秋の乗り放題パス · JR Group

¥7,850 Adult · ¥3,920 Child (6–11) ¥2,617/day

3 consecutive days from the start date chosen when buying.

Compare

Anyone can buy On sale from 27 Nov 20263 days · Unlimited rides

Seishun 18 Kippu

青春18きっぷ · JR Group (sold by all six JR companies)

¥10,000 3-day ticket (any age, one person) · ¥12,050 5-day ticket (any age, one person) ¥3,333/day

3 or 5 consecutive days from the start date chosen when buying; only one person per ticket. Valid until the last train on the last day.

Compare

Anyone can buy On sale from 27 Nov 20267 days · Unlimited rides

Hokkaido & East Japan Pass (local trains)

北海道＆東日本パス（普通列車限定） · JR East and JR Hokkaido

¥11,780 Adult · ¥5,890 Child (6–11) ¥1,683/day

7 consecutive days; valid until the last train on the last day.

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Conditions apply On sale from 18 Dec 20265 days · Unlimited rides

Otona no Kyūjitsu Club Pass (Hokkaido)

大人の休日倶楽部パス（北海道） · JR Hokkaido

¥19,070 Ordinary car (ticket office) · ¥18,070 Ordinary car (Ekinet) ¥3,614/day

5 days. Up to 6 reserved seats.

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Foreign visitors only 5 days · Unlimited rides

Hokkaido Rail Pass

Hokkaido Rail Pass（北海道レールパス） · JR Hokkaido

¥22,000 Adult, 5 days (pre-purchase) · ¥11,000 Child (6–11), 5 days (pre-purchase) · ¥28,000 Adult, 7 days (pre-purchase) · +9 more ¥4,400/day

5, 7 or 10 consecutive days from the start date you choose.

Compare

Anyone can buy 7 days · Unlimited rides

Hokkaido Free Pass

北海道フリーパス · JR Hokkaido

¥29,000 Ticket office / ticket machine · ¥28,000 Ekinet (online) ¥4,000/day

7 days. Not usable 27 Apr–6 May, 10–19 Aug and 28 Dec–6 Jan.

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Conditions apply On sale from 18 Dec 20265 days · Unlimited rides

Otona no Kyūjitsu Club Pass (East Japan & Hokkaido)

大人の休日倶楽部パス（東日本・北海道） · JR East and JR Hokkaido

¥29,000 Ordinary car (station / ticket machine) · ¥28,000 Ordinary car (Ekinet) · ¥51,000 Green car (Ekinet only) ¥5,600/day

5 consecutive days. Up to 6 seat reservations included.

Compare

Foreign visitors only 7 days · Unlimited rides

Japan Rail Pass

ジャパン・レール・パス · JR Group (JR Hokkaido, JR East, JR Central, JR West, JR Shikoku, JR Kyushu)

¥50,000 Ordinary, 7 days, adult (official web sales) · ¥25,000 Ordinary, 7 days, child 6–11 (official web sales) · ¥80,000 Ordinary, 14 days, adult (official web sales) · +21 more ¥7,143/day

7, 14 or 21 consecutive days from the start date you choose. Child = 6 to 11 years old at the time of use.

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2 passes cover part of this line

Valid only between the stations named; outside that stretch you pay the fare. Stretches marked “unofficial source” come from Wikipedia or travel sites, and “estimated from the official map” ones were read off the issuer's map image, not its text: check the official map before you buy.

Ichinichi Sanpo Kippu (Sapporo area day pass) · ¥2,730 Adult · ¥1,360 Child · Takikawa – Furano (unofficial source)
Hokkaido Mannaka Nonbiri Train Pass (Asahikawa area) · ¥3,300 Adult, 1 day · ¥1,650 Child, 1 day · +4 more · Takikawa – Furano (estimated from the official map)

IC cards (Suica, ICOCA…) P

Kitaca area: Sapporo–Asahikawa Kitaca, Suica and the other nationwide IC cards (PASMO, TOICA, manaca, ICOCA, PiTaPa, SUGOCA, nimoca, Hayakaken); not SAPICA
1 of 51 stations estimated from the official map

No IC cards at 50 stationsOutside every JR Hokkaido IC card area: Shintoku 新得, Tokachi-Shimizu 十勝清水, Mikage 御影, Memuro 芽室, Taisei 大成, Nishi-Obihiro 西帯広, Hakurindai 柏林台, Obihiro 帯広, Satsunai 札内, Makubetsu 幕別, Toshibetsu 利別, Ikeda 池田 and 38 more. To or from these stations, buy a paper ticket.

How IC card areas work →

Trains to book on this line 1 P

Sightseeing trains and services whose seats you reserve in advance.

All seats reserved Limited express

JR Hokkaido limited expresses (Hokuto, Suzuran, Ozora, Tokachi, Kamui, Lilac, Soya, Sarobetsu, Okhotsk)

JR北海道の特急列車（北斗・すずらん・おおぞら・とかち・カムイ・ライラック・宗谷・サロベツ・オホーツク） · JR Hokkaido

From Sapporo to Hakodate (Hokuto), Muroran (Suzuran), Kushiro (Ozora), Obihiro (Tokachi), Asahikawa (Kamui, Lilac), Wakkanai (Soya) and Abashiri (Okhotsk); Sarobetsu runs Asahikawa – Wakkanai

Before you travel

Using passesBuying a pass: who can, where and when
The JAPAN RAIL PASS is for foreign tourists entering as Temporary Visitors; get the stamp at immigration. Buying on the official website is cheaper than an exchange order from an agency abroad. Pick the pass up in Japan with your original passport. JR passes run on consecutive days and the start date cannot be changed once you have the pass.
Using passesUsing a rail pass at the gates and on board
Put a paper JR pass through the automatic gate (not the IC-only ones) or show it at the staffed gate; app passes are shown to staff. Always carry your passport. Seat reservations are free with the pass, but the JAPAN RAIL PASS does not cover Nozomi/Mizuho, private railways or JR highway buses, and a lost pass is not reissued.
Seat reservationsBooking seats on JR Hokkaido limited expresses and the Hokkaido Shinkansen
All JR Hokkaido limited expresses are reserved-seat only. Book on Eki-net (JR East's service) or, as a visitor, on JR-EAST Train Reservation from 10:00 one month before travel, then collect tickets at a JR Hokkaido ticket machine or office.
LuggageLarge luggage on JR East and JR Hokkaido Shinkansen and limited express trains
No luggage booking is needed on the Tohoku, Hokkaido, Akita, Yamagata, Joetsu and Hokuriku Shinkansen: use any free luggage space, or keep the bag at your feet.

Stations

In order along the main route; branch stations, if any, are listed at the end. English names and readings where OpenStreetMap has them; names marked * are from Japanese Wikipedia or romanized for this guide (unofficial).

#	Station	English	Passengers / day (2024)	Guide / other lines
1	新得しんとく 🗣	Shintoku	230	Sekishō Line
2	十勝清水 🗣	Tokachi-Shimizu	318
3	御影 🗣	Mikage	72
4	芽室 🗣	Memuro	402
5	大成 🗣	Taisei	444
6	西帯広 🗣	Nishi-Obihiro	588
7	柏林台 🗣	Hakurindai	296
8	帯広おびひろ 🗣	Obihiro	1,516
9	札内 🗣	Satsunai	380
10	幕別 🗣	Makubetsu	192
11	利別 🗣	Toshibetsu	58
12	池田 🗣	Ikeda	270
13	十弗 🗣	Tōfutsu	4
14	豊頃 🗣	Toyokoro	40
15	新吉野 🗣	Shin-Yoshino	8
16	浦幌 🗣	Urahoro	80
17	厚内 🗣	Atsunai	8
18	音別 🗣	Onbetsu	74
19	白糠 🗣	Shiranuka	60
20	西庶路 🗣	Nishi-Shoro	40
21	庶路 🗣	Shoro	10
22	大楽毛 🗣	Otanoshike	150
23	新大楽毛 🗣	Shin-Otanoshike	20
24	新富士 🗣	Shin-Fuji	42
25	釧路くしろ 🗣	Kushiro	1,122
26	東釧路ひがしくしろ 🗣	Higashi-Kushiro	112	Senmō Main Line
27	武佐むさ 🗣	Musa	18
28	別保 🗣	Beppo	10
29	上尾幌かみおぼろ 🗣	Kami-Oboro	28
30	尾幌おぼろ 🗣	Oboro	22
31	門静もんしず 🗣	Monshizu	8
32	厚岸あっけし 🗣	Akkeshi	236
33	茶内 🗣	Chanai	20
34	浜中はまなか 🗣	Hamanaka	10
35	姉別あねべつ 🗣	Anebetsu	2
36	厚床あっとこ 🗣	Attoko	20
37	別当賀べっとが 🗣	Bettoga	2
38	落石おちいし 🗣	Ochiishi	22
39	昆布盛こんぶもり 🗣	Konbumori	12
40	西和田 🗣	Nishi-Wada	4
41	東根室 🗣	Higashi-Nemuro *
42	根室ねむろ 🗣	Nemuro	148
43	平岸 🗣	Hiragishi	28
44	野花南 🗣	Nokanan	2
45	赤平 🗣	Akabira	156
46	上芦別 🗣	Kami-Ashibetsu	32
47	芦別 🗣	Ashibetsu	208
48	茂尻 🗣	Moshiri	56
49	東滝川 🗣	Higashi-Takikawa *	6
50	滝川たきかわ 🗣	Takikawa	2,618	Hakodate Main Line
51	富良野ふらの 🗣	Furano	936	Furano Line

Passengers per day: people boarding and getting off on an average day, all operators at the station counted once each (MLIT station passenger data S12).

Lines and stations: 「国土数値情報（鉄道データ、駅別乗降客数データ）」（国土交通省）を加工して作成 (MLIT National Land Numerical Information, railway data N02-24 and station passengers S12-25, CC BY 4.0). English station names and readings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), where they match. Data & credits.