| Chōshi Electric Railway Line | |
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2000 series 2-car EMU in advertising livery, August 2010 |
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| Overview | |
| Type | Light rail |
| Status | Operational |
| Locale | Chiba Prefecture |
| Termini | Chōshi Tokawa |
| Stations | 10 |
| Operation | |
| Opened | 5 July 1923[1] |
| Owner | Chōshi Electric Railway |
| Depot(s) | Nakanochō |
| Rolling stock | 1000 series, 2000 series EMUs |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 6.4 km (4.0 mi) |
| Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) |
| Electrification | 600 V DC overhead catenary |
| Operating speed | 40 km/h (25 mph)[1] |
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Legend
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The Chōshi Electric Railway Line (銚子電気鉄道線 Chōshi Denki Tetsudō-sen) is a 6.4 km long railway line operated by the Chōshi Electric Railway between Chōshi Station and Tokawa Station in Chiba Prefecture, Japan.[1]
This is the only line owned by the Chōshi Electric Railway, and the line is facing declining ridership. The company ventured into selling nure-senbei (moist senbei rice crackers) to subsidize its operations, and the profits from confectionery sales are now double those from its railway operations.[2]
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Generally two to three trains operate per hour throughout the day.[3] All trains stop at all stations, with trains passing on the single line at Kasagami-Kurohae Station. Two- or three-car formations are operated on New Year's Day to transport passengers to see the first sunrise of the year at the popular coastal viewing point in Inubōsaki.[4]
| Station | Japanese | Distance | Distance between stations | Date opened | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chōshi | 銚子 | 0.0 | - | 5 July 1923 | Chōshi, Chiba |
| Nakanochō | 仲ノ町 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 5 July 1923 | |
| Kannon | 観音 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 5 July 1923 | |
| Moto-Chōshi | 本銚子 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 5 July 1923 | |
| Kasagami-Kurohae | 笠上黒生 | 2.7 | 0.9 | 1 July 1925 | |
| Nishi-Ashikajima | 西海鹿島 | 3.2 | 0.5 | 1 March 1970 | |
| Ashikajima | 海鹿島 | 3.6 | 0.4 | 5 July 1923 | |
| Kimigahama | 君ヶ浜 | 4.7 | 1.1 | 21 June 1931 | |
| Inuboh | 犬吠 | 5.5 | 0.8 | 1 September 1935 | |
| Tokawa | 外川 | 6.4 | 0.9 | 5 July 1923 |
The line first opened in December 1913 as the Chōshi Sightseeing Railway (銚子鉄道 Chōshi Yūran Tetsudō), operating a distance of 5.8 km between Chōshi and Inuboh using steam haulage. The line closed in November 1917, however, with the former trackbed being converted to a dedicated bus route.[5]
On 10 October 1922, the Chōshi Railway Company (銚子鉄道株式会社 Chōshi Tetsudō Kabushikigaisha) was formed, and the line was reopened from 5 July 1923 using the former Chōshi Sightseeing Railway trackbed between Chōshi and Inuboh Stations, with an extension south to Tokawa. Rolling stock consisted of two petrol-engined locomotives and two two-axle carriages. The locomotives proved unreliable, however, and the line was electrified at 600 V DC from 1 July 1925, with a fleet of three electric cars purchased from the former Ina Electric Railway (伊那電気鉄道 Ina Denki Tetsudō) (present-day JR Iida Line).[1][5]
Services on the line were suspended from 20 July 1945, following air raid damage. A C class steam tank locomotive was borrowed from JNR to resume operations on the line from December 1945, and electric train operations resumed from 4 April 1946.[1][5]
On 20 August 1948, the operating company was renamed Chōshi Electric Railway (銚子遊覧鉄道 Chōshi Denki Tetsudō).[1]
In 1956, a private track was laid directly from Chōshi Station to the nearby Yamasa soy sauce factory, which virtually eliminated freight operations handled by the Chōshi Electric Railway. In 1963, a decision was made to close the line, but this decision was overturned following opposition from the local communities and funding from Chōshi City. To the present day, the line is largely subsidized by Chiba Prefecture and Chōshi City.[5]
Freight operations on the line were discontinued from 1 February 1984.[1]
From 1 April 1995, operations on the line switched to wanman driver-only operation.[5]
In 2007, it was announced that former Keio 3000 series stainless steel EMUs converted to 2-car sets would be purchased to replace the three vintage 700 and 800 series cars still in operation. This plan was however cancelled due to the cost of converting the 1,500 V DC cars to 600 V DC operation. Instead, two pairs of former Iyo Railway 800 series EMU cars were purchased in 2009, and these entered service in July 2010 following conversion work.[4]
A head-on collision occurred in June 1995 north of Kasagami-Kurohae Station between DeHa 701 on a down (Tokawa-bound) service and DeHa 1001 on an up (Chōshi-bound) service. Both cars sustained front-end damage. DeHa 701 was returned to service in April 1996 following repairs and repainting back into the standard livery of dark brown and red.[4]
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