Kyoto tram

This article deals with the existing Randen tram network in Kyōto, for information on the disused urban network, see Kyōto City Tram .

Kyoto tram
Route in front of the Kōryūji ( 広 隆 寺 )
Basic information
Country	Japan
city	Kyoto
opening	1910
operator	Keifuku Denki Tetsudō KK
Infrastructure
Route length	11 km
Formerly the largest route	11.5 km
Gauge	1435 mm ( standard gauge )
Power system	600 V = overhead line
business
Lines	2
Line band with orientation to the south

Car in the "cherry blossom tunnel"

Network development (entire urban area; continuous = existing, interrupted / dotted = closed)

The Kyoto tram is the tram network in Kyoto on the island of Honshū in Japan . It is operated by the private company Keifuku Denki Tetsudō KK ( Japanese 京 福 電 気 鉄 道 株式会社 ) under the name Randen ( 嵐 電 ).

It consists of two lines, the longer of which begins on the outskirts of the city at Shijō-Ōmiya ( 四条 大 宮 ) station and extends westward to the suburb of Arashiyama ( 嵐山 ). After about two-thirds of the mostly off-road route branches off at Katabira-no-tsuji ( 帷子 ノ 辻 ) in a north-easterly direction, the second, mostly single-track route to Kitano-Hakubaichō ( 北野 白梅 町 ). It is a popular destination , especially during the cherry blossom season, because of the accompanying trees.

The network was laid in 1910 with the southern route; the north branch was built in 1925/26 and extended until 1958 about 500 m further to Kitano Tenman-gū . This section was then taken over by the city and discontinued in 1976. Between 1929 and 1944 there was also a railway line from Arashiyama north to Kiyotaki ( 清 滝 ). Potential expansions - in particular the planned extension of the north branch over the Imadegawa-dōri ( 今 出 川 通 ) to the universities there - have not yet got beyond the planning stage.

The vehicle fleet consists exclusively of high-floor single wagons, of which a total of 27 are available and which are mostly used in pairs coupled together. Thanks to the elevated platforms at all stations, barrier-free entry is possible everywhere.

Web links

Commons : Keifuku Electric Railroad  - Collection of Pictures, Videos and Audio Files

• Official Japanese website (Japanese, English)