Yunomae Line
The Yunomae Line (
History
[edit]The entire line was opened by the then Japanese Government Railways in 1924.
Freight services ceased beyond Taragi in 1974, and completely in 1980.
Kumagawa Railroad, a third sector company, took over the line from JR Kyushu in 1989.[1]
On 6 July 2020, all services were suspended until further notice, due to severe damage caused by the rainfall, including the complete destruction of a large bridge over the Kuma River. In May 2021, it was officially announced that the line would be restored as a railway. Restoration work is estimated to cost around 4.6 billion yen, with the national government paying 97.5% of it, with the remaining 2.5% being paid by local governments.
Kumagawa Railway announced on 9 November 2021 the planned resumption of services starting from 28 November 2021 between Yunomae Station and Higo-Nishinomura Station. Trial runs will be conducted between 19 and 21 November, and training runs will be conducted between 22 and 27 November.[2] Services resumed between Yunomae Station and Higo-Nishinomura Station on 28 November 2021.
Basic data
[edit]- Distance: 24.8 km / 15.4 mi.
- Gauge: 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
- Stations: 14
- Double-track line: None
- Electric supply: Not electrified
- Railway signalling
- Stations with passing loops: 1 (Asagiri Station)
Stations
[edit]No. | Station | Japanese | Distance (km) |
Notes | Location | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Hitoyoshi-Onsen Station | 0.0 | formerly Hitoyoshi Connection to JR Kyushu Hisatsu Line (Hitoyoshi Station) |
Hitoyoshi | Kumamoto | |
2 | Sagarahan-Ganjōji Station | 1.5 | formerly Higashi-Hitoyoshi | |||
3 | Kawamura Station | 4.4 | Sagara | |||
4 | Higo-Nishinomura Station | 5.8 | Nishiki | |||
5 | Ichibu Station | 9.2 | ||||
6 | Kinoe Station | 11.3 | ||||
7 | Okadome-Kōfuku Station | おかどめ |
13.0 | Asagiri | ||
8 | Asagiri Station | あさぎり | 15.0 | formerly Menda | ||
9 | Higashi-Menda Station | 17.4 | ||||
10 | Kōritsubyōinmae Station | 18.5 | Taragi | |||
11 | Taragi Station | 19.8 | ||||
12 | Higashi-Taragi Station | 21.7 | ||||
13 | Shin-Tsuruba Station | 23.3 | ||||
14 | Yunomae Station | 24.8 | Yunomae |
Financial situation
[edit]The company's railway operations have not produced an operating profit since its creation in 1989, and in fiscal 2011, it had operating profit losses of 120.76 million yen.[3]
Rolling stock
[edit]As of June 2012, the company operates a fleet of eight diesel cars. With the exception of two tourist trains, these were scheduled to be replaced by five new diesel cars between fiscal 2013 and 2014. The new trains were designed by industrial designer Eiji Mitooka.[3] The new trains are now in service.
All five diesel cars were inundated at Hitoyoshi Onsen Station during torrential rains on 4 July 2020.[4]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]This article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia
- ^ Bushell, Chris, ed. (2006). Railway Directory 2006 (111th ed.). Reed Business Information. p. 121. ISBN 0-617-01031-5.
- ^ くま
川 鉄道 湯前線 (肥後西村 ~湯前 間 )での試運転 ・訓練 運転 について(お知 らせ) [Notice: Trial and Training Operation on Kumagawa Railway Yuzen Line (between Higo Nishimura and Yuzen)] (PDF). www.kumagawa-rail.com (in Japanese). Japan: Kumagawa Tetsudo. 9 November 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 November 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2021. - ^ a b
水戸 岡 さんデザイン最後 の車両 に? くま川 鉄道 [Kumagawa Railroad - Last trains to be designed by Eiji Mitooka?]. Kumanichi.com (in Japanese). Japan: Kumamoto Nichinichi Shimbun. 28 June 2012. Archived from the original on 4 July 2012. Retrieved 29 June 2012. - ^ "Heavy rain halts Kumamoto railway, flooding trains". 6 July 2020. Archived from the original on 6 July 2020. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
External links
[edit]- Official website (in Japanese)