Kagoshima tram

Kagoshima tram
Series 1000 low-floor car at the central Idzuro-dōri
Basic information
Country	Japan
city	Kagoshima
opening	1912
operator	Kagoshima Tourist Office
Infrastructure
Route length	13.1 km
Formerly the largest route	approx. 19.5 km
Gauge	1435 mm ( standard gauge )
Power system	600 V = overhead line
business
Lines	2

The latest generation of vehicles of the type 7000 at the Nordbahnhof

Network development (continuous = existing, interrupted = shut down)

The Kagoshima tram ( Japanese 鹿 児 島 市 電 , Kagoshima shiden ) is the tram network in Kagoshima on the island of Kyūshū in Japan .

It consists of two lines that run over a common trunk line from the North Station ( 鹿 児 島 駅 Kagoshima-eki ) to the center, where they branch off. Line 1 continues south to Taniyama ( 谷 山 ), line 2 arches over the main station ( 鹿 児 島 中央 駅 Kagoshima-chūō-eki ) and parallel to the JR Ibusuki-Makurazaki line ( 指 宿 枕 崎 線 ) to the terminal Kōrimoto ( 郡 元 ), where it meets line 1 again.

The first line from the city center to Taniyama was opened in 1912 as a small railway (reclassified in 1928) by a private company. This was followed by the gradual expansion to the north and - only in the post-war period - to the west. In 1928 the company came under municipal management.

After the network had reached its greatest extent of over 19 km in 1961, two northern branches were shut down in 1985, so that the current network remained. Potential expansions have not progressed beyond the discussion stage since then.

As a result of extensive renovation measures in the 1990s and 2000s, the entire network, apart from the southern section of Line 1, has attractive turf tracks and decorated overhead line and lighting masts.

54 vehicles are in operation. The fleet consists mostly of high-floor single wagons. Since 2002 a total of 13 low-floor articulated railcars have been procured from Alna-Sharyō in two series and called "Youtram" ( ユ ー ト ラ ム , Yūtoramu ). There is also a historicizing special car (built in 2012), a parade car and a lawn care vehicle.

Web links

Commons : Kagoshima Street Car  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Official Japanese website (Japanese, English)
• Overview sheet for the centenary 2012 (Japanese)