Kurihara Den'en Railway Line
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| Company | Kurihara Den'en Railway |
| Total Distance | 25.7km (Ishikoshi — Hosokura Mine Park Mae) |
| Rail Gauge | 1067mm |
| Stations | 16 |
| Tracks | Single-track |
| Electrification | None |
| Block System | Staff Block System (Ishikoshi-Wakayanagi, Kurikoma-Hosokura Mine Park Mae)
Tablet Black System (Wakayanagi-Kurikoma) |
The Kurikoma Den'en Line (くりはら田園鉄道線; -sen) is a rural rail line in Japan. Starting from Ishikoshi Station in Tome, Miyagi to Hosokura Mine Park Mae in Kurihara, Miyagi, Miyagi. The route links central Kurihara with the Tōhoku Main Line. This line used to be called the Kurihara Electric Railway (栗原電鉄 Kurihara Dentetsu) and its common abbreviation of Kuriden is from that time.
Previously, this line was used for hauling ore from mines along the route, but in 1988 the mine closed. The mine site was remodeled and the line overhauled to serve as a sightseeing railway. The electrical cabling had degraded, however, so it was removed and diesel cars were used on the line.
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[edit] Service
The service on the line, as well as the manpower is limited and the bus has become preferred in the area. Most of the stations of the line are unmanned (ghost) stations, so payment is made by taking a ticket when entering the train, and then putting ticket and money in a machine beside the driver when getting off.
Due to a lost subsidy from the Miyagi government in 2006, the line will close in 2007.
[edit] Infrastructure
Kuriden has used diesel multiple units (DMU) since its reorganization in 1995, but the old 750V DC electric installation has never been removed because of the cost. It is one of only a few railways in Japan that is operating under a rather old semaphore signal system and non-automatic blocking system. All trains are just one car with a one person crew. The fare is twice as high as comparable distances on JR lines. Only three of the sixteen stations are regularly staffed with railway personnel.
[edit] History
Originally it began as Kurihara Railway (栗原軌道 Kurihara Kidō?), but was renamed to Kurihara Railway (栗原鉄道 Kurihara Tetsudō?) in 1941 and again to Kurihara Den'tetsu in 1955. It transported passengers, crops, and ore from the Hosokura Mine (細倉鉱山?). The service began from the east terminal, Ishikoshi Station, which had been a station of Tōhoku Main Line of the National Railway of Japan. It was gradually extended westward and reached Hosokura Kōzan (Hosokura mine) station in 1942.
The closure of Hosokura Mine in 1988 has reduced freight traffic. The company had hoped for tourists to the Hosokura Mine Park, which is an amusement park built at the mine site. But it could not stop the decrease in passengers. Municipalities discussed this severe situation and decided to maintain the railway of the third sector (enterprise by joint capital of public and private investment). Therefore Kurihara Den'en Railway Company and Kurihara Den'en Railway began service on April 1, 1995.
The new company has curtailed investment and maintenance measures and made some efforts to increase passengers. But the rapid shift to car traffic has overwhelmed railways everywhere in Japan since the 1990s. Miyagi prefecture subsidized the deficit for several years. But in 2001 it pressured the municipalities with notice of a future suspension of the subsidy. In December of 2003 they decided to close the railway in March 2007.
[edit] Timeline
- December 15, 1918: Kurihara Railway Freight Company established.
- December 20, 1921: Ishikoshi-Sawabe (8.85 km) opens.
- December 17, 1922: Sawabe-Iwasasaki (Now, Kurikoma) (7.73 km) opens.
- December 3, 1941: Classification changed from Tracked Freight to Railroad, and name changed to Kurihara Railroad Company.
- December 1, 1942: Iwasasaki-Hosokura Mine (~9.62 km) opens. Total track distance now 26.2 km.
- September 21, 1952: Track electrification. (DC 750V)
- September 26, 1955: Gauge changed from 762mm to 1067mm.
- November 29, 1955: Renamed to Kurihara Electric Railway Company.
- June 1, 1964: Bus and train traffic in the area combined to a single company, which is named Miyagi Central Traffic.
- August 31, 1968: Bus service separated as its own company. (Miyagi Central Bus)
- March 29, 1987: Hosura-Hosura Mine freight service ends.
- November 1, 1988: Hosura-Hosura Mine (0.8km) service ends.
- June 16, 1990: Hosura-Hosura Mine Park Mae (0.8km) service begins. Hosura Station abolished.
- December 15, 1993: Mitsubishi Material (a subsidy of Mitsubishi) transfers owership of the rail line to the five towns of the area. (Since then, amalgamation of towns has left two cities.)
- May 1, 1995: Renamed to Kurihara Den'en Railway. Electrification ends. One man cars begin.
- April, 2007: Abolition of railway, and a conversion to bus service.
[edit] Station List
| Station Name | Japanese | Transfers | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ishikoshi | 石越 | Tōhoku Main Line | Tome, Miyagi |
| Aramachi | 荒町 | Kurihara, Miyagi | |
| Wakayanagi | 若柳 | ||
| Yachihata | 谷地畑 | ||
| Ōokashōmae | 大岡小前 | ||
| Ōoka | 大岡 | ||
| Sawabe | 沢辺 | ||
| Tsukumo | 津久毛 | ||
| Sugihashi | 杉橋 | ||
| Toyasaki | 鳥矢崎 | ||
| Kurikoma | 栗駒 | ||
| Kurihara Tamachi | 栗原田町 | ||
| Omatsu | 尾松 | ||
| Uguisuzawa | 鶯沢 | ||
| Uguisuzawa Kōgyōkōkō Mae | 鶯沢工業高校前 | ||
| Hosokura Mine Park Mae | 細倉マインパーク前 |
