Etsumi-nan line
The Etsumi-nan Line ( 越 美 南 線 Etsumi-nan-sen ) is the only single-track, non-electrified railway line operated by Nagaragawa Tetsudō ( 長 良 川 鉄 道 ) in Kapspur in Gifu Prefecture in the center of the Japanese island of Honshu .
The operating company was founded at the end of 1986 when the Japanese State Railway (JNR) was divided into smaller companies. The route, which in itself is unprofitable, is operated as a “third sector” route, i.e. H. Local self-government bodies are involved and subsidize the company. It is named after the Nagaragawa River , through whose valley the train runs.
route
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The 72.1 km long route begins in Mino-Ōta ( 美濃 太 田 ), where there is a connection to the Taita and Takayama main lines . The first section was opened on October 5, 1923, 17.7 km of tracks to Mino-cho (since 1954: Minoshi). Another 4⅔ km followed in 1926 to Itadori (today: Yunohora-Onsen-guchi). The expansion continued gradually until 1934, when you reached the terminus Hokunō ( 北 濃 ). The difference in altitude between the two end stations is 375 meters.
A connection to the Etsumi-hoku-sen of Hokunō was planned in the 1970s, which would have created a route to the north coast via Fukui that, as Etsumi-sen , would have been 146 km long. Because of the foreseeable high construction costs for tunnels, the 24 kilometers were not built. Until 2004 there was a train bus for this section that ran from Ōno to the Mino-Shirotori ( 美濃 白鳥 駅 ) train stop .
In 1984 the state railway decided to close the second-class line. A local initiative that was subsequently set up led to the establishment of the Nagaragawa Tetsudō company.
The originally 28 breakpoints were expanded to 36 over time. In 1986-88 alone, seven new breakpoints were created. Renaming of several stations took place mainly in the 1950s and then again in 1986/87. The modern track bed is designed for a top speed of 80 km / h.
Due to the route in a narrow river valley, partly in the mountains, heavy rains and landslides or snowfall repeatedly cause interruptions to the route. By 2019, none of these incidents were so severe that repairs could not be made within a few weeks.
As everywhere in rural Japan, passenger numbers are falling. From an average of 900 passengers a day in 1986/87, the number of passengers fell to 363 in 2016. The increasing aging of rural Japan is also clearly visible in the sharply decreasing number of school tickets: while there were still around 100 in 1986-97, so drove 2015 only 36 children took the train to school.
In the 1990s the operation was profitable. The reported losses for the financial years 2003-09 fluctuated around 200 million yen annually (2005 ≙ 1.4 million €).
There are no express trains. The 2020 timetable shows four pairs of trains that cover the entire route in 2 hours 20 minutes; another four travel the 66 km from Mino-Ōta to Mino-Shirotori. The 17 km between Mino-Ōta ↔ Seki or Minoshi are driven much more frequently. There is a connection here approximately every 45–50 minutes. Operating time is between 6.30 a.m. and 11 p.m.
Compared to other railways in rural areas, the technical development is lagging behind. The railcars will still not have toilets in 2020. Payment by prepaid cards was only introduced on July 1, 2019.
- Freight trains
On September 30, 1974, freight operations were discontinued.
- connections
The Minomachi Line ( 美濃 町 線 ) was shut down in 2005. It ran parallel between the Seki ( 関 駅 ) and Mino transfer station for about forty kilometers on the other side of the Nagaragawa valley. Seki had such a direct connection to the city of Gifu.
Vehicle fleet
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Diesel rail buses of the Nagara 1 type have been in use since 1996, twelve of which were purchased. They had space for 96 people with 46 seats. The model was based on the standard LE-Car series from Fuji Heavy Industries ( LE-Car 非 貫通 形 ) with a 230 HP diesel engine. The last vehicle was taken out of service in 2014. There was also the slightly longer Nagara 201 railcar .
As of 1998, seven vehicles from the Nagara 300 series ( ナ ガ ラ 300 形 ) were purchased as replacements . She also built FHI. They are approved for 102 passengers with 47 seats and space for two wheelchairs. They were based on the somewhat shorter model Akechi 10 ( ア ケ チ 10 形 ) which is powered by the same 295 HP engine (Nissan Diesel PF6HT03). This is an old truck engine type that has not been allowed in road traffic for a long time because of the limit values - but there are no similar regulations for railways in Japan.
In 2007-09 three new trains from the 500 series were bought to replace the remaining rail buses from the first series. They are based on the 300 type, including the engine and transmission, but are 50 centimeters longer. They were made by Niigata Transis ( 新潟 ト ラ ン シ ス ).
- Tourist special trips
Two cars from the Nagara 300 series were converted in 2016 with the help of a designer for special tourist trips; The third was the 502 2018 vehicle . The latter is designed so that the tables can be easily removed so that the vehicle can also be used during normal operation at peak times.
There are special tourist trips on weekends and public holidays. There are stays at scenic points. Food is offered in the car.
literature
- 伊藤 泰; 越 美 南 線 の 転 換 の 経 緯 と 鉄 道 経 営 の 概況; 月刊 自治 研, Vol. 35 (1993), pp. 50-5
- in: 安治博 道; 新 撰 鉄 道 旅行 案 内; 大阪 1923 (駸 々 堂 旅行 案 内部)
- 谷 恭介; 国 鉄 事故 と 機関 士 と 裁判 と (越 美 南 線 鉄 橋 事故 の 場合) - 職場 か ら の レ ポ ー ト; 労 働 法律 旬報, No. 547 (1965), pp. 16–9
- Documentation: 久留 米; 長 良 川 鉄 道 越 美 南 線 全線 ・ 美濃 太 田 - 北 濃; Feb. 2014, DVD series ビ コ ム ワ イ ド 展望, 113 min.
Web links
- Company website (Engl./Jap.)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Technical details: yes: 長 良 川 鉄 道 ナ ガ ラ 3 形 気 動 車