Kishū Railway Line
The Kishu Railway Line (紀州鉄道線, Kishū Tetsudō-sen) is a railway line in Japan, running from Gobō Station to Nishi-Gobō Station. The railway line is located entirely within Gobō, Wakayama. It is the only remaining private railway line in Wakayama Prefecture that is entirely non-electrified, and is the second-shortest railway line in Japan.
| Kishu Railway Line | |
|---|---|
 A Kiha 600 train departs from Gobō Station | |
| Overview | |
| Native name | 紀州鉄道線< |
| Owner | Kishu Railway |
| Locale | Wakayama Prefecture, Japan |
| Termini | |
| Stations | 5 |
| History | |
| Opened | 15 June 1931 |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 2.7 km (1.7 mi) |
| Number of tracks | 1 |
| Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) |
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Overview
The railway line is operated by Kishu Railway (紀州鉄道, Kishū Tetsudō), and is also referred to by locals as Kitetsu (紀鉄), which is an abbreviation of the company's name. It is the only line operated by the company, as the company mostly focuses in the real estate and hotel sectors. The current Tokyo-based company, which was previously not a railway operator, took over the line in 1973 in order to gain the prestige and trust associated with operating a railway line.[1][2][3] The railway is the second shortest railway line in service in Japan, the shortest being the Shibayama Railway.
Additional basic data
- Traction: internal combustion (diesel)
- Railway signalling: staff token
Operation
Trains stop at all stations along the line. The entire line is single-track, and none of its railway stations have passing loops. The railway depot for the line is located adjacent to Kii-Gobō Station. Most trains are timetabled to allow for onward connections to the Kisei Main Line trains at Gobō.[4]
Station list
| Station name | Japanese name | Distance between stations (km) | Total distance (km) | Transfers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gobō | 御坊駅 | - | 0.0 | JR West: Kisei Main Line |
| Gakumon | 学門駅 | 1.5 | 1.5 | |
| Kii-Gobō | 紀伊御坊駅 | 0.3 | 1.8 | |
| Shiyakusho-mae | 市役所前駅 | 0.6 | 2.4 | |
| Nishi-Gobō | 西御坊駅 | 0.3 | 2.7 |
Rolling stock
As of 1 April 2015, the railway operates a fleet of two Kitetsu 1 diesel railcars, numbered Kitetsu 1 and 2.[5]
Diesel railcar KR301, formerly SKR301 used on the Shigaraki Kohgen Railway in Shiga Prefecture until October 2015 was introduced on the line from 30 January 2016.[6]
History
The Gobō Rinkō Railway (御坊臨港鉄道, Gobō Rinkō Tetsudō, "Gobō Portside Railway") opened the 1.8 km section from Gobō to Kii-Gobō section on 15 June 1931, extended 0.9 km to Nishi-Gobō on 10 April 1932, and to Hidakagawa on 10 August 1934.[7]
The Gobō Rinkō Railway became the Kishu Railway from 1 January 1973.[7] The 0.7 km section from Nishi-Gobō to Hidakagawa closed on 1 April 1989.[7]
References
- "赤字鉄道部門 紀州鉄道なぜ存続させるか？ホテルリゾートで知られる企業 社長に聞いた". 乗りものニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved 1 August 2021.
- "日本一短いローカル私鉄「紀州鉄道」が赤字なのに走り続ける"意外過ぎる"ワケ（2020年3月16日）" (in Japanese). MBS NEWS. 1 April 2020. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
- "意外な子会社 紀州鉄道｜不動産業の「逆転の発想」 - M＆A Online - M&Aをもっと身近に。". maonline.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 1 August 2021.
- "運賃表・時刻表｜紀州鉄道". kishu-railway.com (in Japanese). 13 March 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
- 私鉄車両編成表 2015 [Private Railway Rolling Stock Formations - 2015] (in Japanese). Japan: Kotsu Shimbunsha. 23 July 2015. ISBN 978-4-330-58415-7.
- 紀州鉄道でKR301が営業運転を開始 [KR301 enters service on Kishu Railway]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 1 February 2016. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
- Terada, Hirokazu (19 January 2013). データブック日本の私鉄 [Databook: Japan's Private Railways] (in Japanese). Japan: Neko Publishing. p. 151. ISBN 978-4-7770-1336-4.
External links
- Official website (in Japanese)