The was a rural rail line in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, abandoned on March 31, 2007. Running from Ishikoshi Station in Tome, Miyagi with a connection to the Tōhoku Main Line, extending westward to inland Hosokura Mine Park Mae Station in Kurihara, along central Kurihara. This line used to be called for short because the preceding name of the operator was the .
The line was initially constructed to transport ore from Uguisuzawa's which was closed in 1988.
Infrastructure The operator introduced diesel multiple units (DMU) during the reorganization in 1995, but the old 750 V DC electric installation remained for economic reasons. It was one of few railways then in Japan that operated with an obsolete semaphore signal system and non-automatic blocking system.
Operation and service All trains consisted of a single car without a conductor. The fare was twice as high as comparable distances on Japan Railways lines. Only three of the sixteen stations, namely Wakayanagi, Sawabe, Kurikoma were regularly staffed.
History Originally the line was gauged, constructed by and opened in 1921, later renamed to in 1941 and again to Kurihara Dentetsu in 1955.
The closure of Hosokura Mine in 1988 reduced freight traffic. The company had hoped for tourists to the Hosokura Mine Park, an amusement park built at the mine site. But this effort failed to stop the decrease of passengers. Municipalities decided to retain the operator as a third sector (in Japanese sense) in 1993, renamed on April 1, 1995 to Kurihara Den'en Railway.
The company has curtailed investment and maintenance measures and made some efforts to increase passengers. But the rapid shift to car traffic has overwhelmed railways everywhere in Japan since the 1990s. Miyagi Prefecture had subsidized the deficit for several years, but in 2001 gave notice to the municipalities of a future suspension of the subsidy. In December 2003 they decided to close the railway in March 2007.
Timeline
December 15, 1918: established December 20, 1921: Ishikoshi - Sawabe () December 17, 1922: Sawabe - Iwasasaki (later Kurikoma) () December 3, 1941: Classification from tramway to railway, renamed to December 1, 1942: Iwasasaki - Hosokura Mine (ca. ), stretch completed September 21, 1952: Electrified DC 750 V September 26, 1955: Regauged from to for through operation to the then Japanese National Railways November 29, 1955: Renamed to June 1, 1964: Bus and train services in the area combined to a single company, August 31, 1968: Bus service separated to February 25, 1969: Renamed back again to Kurihara Electric Railway March 29, 1987: Hosokuura - Hosokuura Mine freight service closed November 1, 1988: Hosokura - Hosokura Mine () abandoned (in some source on October 27) June 16, 1990: Hosokura - Hosokura Mine Park Mae () opened. Hosokura Station abandoned December 15, 1993: Mitsubishi Material transferred ownership of the Kurihara Electric Railway to the then five towns (in 2007, 2 cities) along the line May 1, 1995: Renamed to Kurihara Den'en Railway. Electric operation terminated. Conductorless operation introduced April 1, 2007: Railway service terminated
Stations Station names and location use the name at the time of line closure. All stations were located in Miyagi Prefecture. StationJapaneseOpenCloseNotesLocationIshikoshi石越December 20, 1921April 1, 2007Connection with Tohoku Main LineTomeAramachi荒町December 20, 1921April 1, 2007KuriharaWakayanagi若柳December 20, 1921April 1, 2007Yachihata谷地畑October 10, 1926April 1, 2007Ōokashōmae大岡小前December 25, 1995April 1, 2007Ōoka大岡December 20, 1921April 1, 2007Sawabe沢辺December 20, 1921April 1, 2007Tsukumo津久毛January 15, 1924April 1, 2007Sugihashi杉橋January 15, 1924April 1, 2007Toyasaki鳥矢崎February 13, 1930April 1, 2007Kurikoma栗駒December 17, 1922April 1, 2007Kuriharatamachi栗原田町November 1, 1951April 1, 2007Omatsu尾松December 1, 1942April 1, 2007Uguisuzawa鴬沢December 1, 1942April 1, 2007Uguisuzawa Kōgyōkōkō Mae鶯沢工業高校前April 1, 1952April 1, 2007Hosokura Mine Park Mae細倉マインパーク前December 1, 1942April 1, 2007Relocated by 200m in 1990 and renamed from "Hosokura"
Rolling stock
For service KD 95 type Railcar (DMU) built in 1995. Nos. KD 951 to KD 953 KD 10 type Railcar (DMU) for busy hours, used with conductor. Nos. KD 11, KD 12, previously Nagoya Railroad "Kiha 10" type, nos. "Kiha 15", "Kiha 16" For maintenance DB 10 type Diesel locomotive, 4-wheel. No. DB 101 MC 100 type Motor car No. "To 102", "To 103" Wooden truck (gondola) No. "Wafu 74" Wooden wagon Preserved from electrified period, at Kurihara Mine Park Mae ED202 Electric locomotive, 2-truck, 8-wheel. Regauged survivour of era No. "Wa 71" Wooden wagon Left intact in Wakayanagi depot EMUs used until 1995 M15 type, newly built on regaugement, etc.
References