Hokuriku, Railway tunnel between Tsuruga and Minamiechizen, Japan
The Hokuriku tunnel is a railway passage in Fukui Prefecture that links Tsuruga and Minamiechizen through mountainous terrain with two parallel tracks. This tunnel stretches roughly 13.9 kilometers and carries both passenger and freight services on the Hokuriku Main Line.
The tunnel was finished in 1962 and created a crucial link through the difficult Konome mountain pass in the region. Construction presented major technical challenges for its era and marked an important step in Japan's railway expansion.
The tunnel represents Japanese engineering excellence in railway infrastructure, demonstrating the nation's commitment to connecting communities across challenging terrain.
This passage is part of an active railway system with trains passing through daily. Visitors can observe the structure from outside or experience it from a moving train by using the Hokuriku railway service.
The tunnel runs beneath the Konome Pass, a known geographical barrier that once hindered trade routes and travel in the region. This underground solution was one of Japan's boldest approaches to overcoming a mountain pass in the 20th century.
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