Ichibata Electric Railway

2100 series train
3000 series train
5000 series train

Ichibata Electric Railway Co., Ltd. is the name of two related, yet different companies in Shimane Prefecture, Japan. Ichibata Denki Tetsudō Kabushiki-gaisha (一畑電気鉄道株式会社) was a railway operator until 2006, when it became a holding company of the Ichibata Group, spinning off its railway division to the newly founded Ichibata Densha Kabushiki-gaisha (一畑電車株式会社). Although the two have different names in Japanese, their official English names are identical.

History

Kita Matsue Line

The Ichibata Light Railway opened the Dentetsu Izumo-shi to Unshuhirata section in 1914, and extended the line to Ichibata the following year. The line was electrified in 1927 at 1,500 V DC, and extended to Matsue Shinji-ko Onsen (33.9 km from Dentetsu Izumo-shi) the following year. CTC signalling was commissioned in 1966, and freight services ceased in 1973. Dentetsu Izumo-shi Station is adjacent to Izumo-shi Station on the Sanin Main Line owned by West Japan Railway Company (JR West). Part of the Kita Matsue Line is adjacent to Lake Shinji.

Taisha Line

The 8.3 km line from Kawato Station (on the Kita Matsue Line) to Izumo Taisha-mae opened in 1930, electrified at 1,500 V DC. CTC signalling was commissioned in 1966. Izumo Taisha is an important Shinto shrine.

Former connecting lines

See also

References

This article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia

External links

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