The Meitetsu Chita New Line (名鉄知多新線, Meitetsu Chita-shin-sen) is a Japanese railway line connecting Taketoyo with Minamichita within Aichi Prefecture. It is owned and operated by the private railway operator Nagoya Railroad (Meitetsu). The line features seven tunnels and a maximum grade of 3.4% (approximately 1 in 29). It is the fourth railway line to be constructed in the Chita Peninsula, and the only railway line owned by Meitetsu to be named as a "New Line".
Meitetsu, in a part of an effort to develop the southern Chita peninsula, planned building a line to Utsumi.[3] Three potential routes were suggested: extending the Meitetsu Tokoname Line down south, extending the Meitetsu Kōwa Line southwest from Kōwa Station, and the route branching off Kōwa Line southwest.[clarification needed] The Tokoname route was rejected due to the length of the line needed to extend to Utsumi, and the Fuki route was preferred by the line as it was easier to develop the central part of the peninsula. For the route running west of the peninsula, the hillside route was taken to allow housing developments.[3] In 1969, Meitetsu gained permits to construct the first section of the line from Fuki Station to Bessouike signaling station.[1] Meitetsu gained permit to build the rest of the line from Bessouike to Utsumi in 1971, and started extending the line. The line was extended to Kaminoma Station in 1974.
