The Joshin Line (上信線, Jōshin-sen) is a Japanese railway line in Gunma Prefecture, between Takasaki Station in Takasaki and Shimonita Station in Shimonita, operated by the private railway operator Joshin Electric Railway (上信電鉄, Joshin Dentetsu). This is the only line operated by the company, although it also operates a few bus lines. The first section of the line opened in 1897.
Rolling stock
As of 1 April 2017[update], the following rolling stock is used on the line.[2]
150 series 2-car EMUs x3 (former Seibu Railway EMUs)
200/250 series single-car and two-car EMUs
500 series 2-car EMUs x2 (former Seibu Railway EMUs)
700 series 2-car EMUs (former JR East 107 series EMUs; since March 2019)[3]
Class DeKi 1 electric locomotives DeKi 1 and 3 (built by Siemens)
Class ED31 electric locomotive ED31 6 (former JNR Class ED31)
The 1000 and 6000 series EMUs purchased new are unusual in having the driver's seat on the right-hand side facing the direction of travel.[1]
A 150 series EMU in November 2009
A 200 series 2-car EMU in October 2007
A 500 series EMU in November 2009
A 700 series EMU in June 2021
A 1000 series EMU in November 2009
A 6000 series EMU in October 1989
A 7000 series EMU in June 2021
Electric locomotives DeKi 1 and 3 in October 2007
Electric locomotive ED31 6 in November 2009
History
The line opened on 10 May 1897, as a 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) gauge steam-hauled railway line from Takasaki to Fukushima (present-day Jōshū-Fukushima), operated by the Kōzuke Railway (上野鉄道, Kōzuke Tetsudō).[1] The entire line to Shimonita was opened on 25 September in the same year.[1] The line was planned to be extended southward from Shimonita to connect with the Saku Railway (present-day Koumi Line) at Haguroshita, and the owning company was accordingly renamed Joshin Electric Railway (上信電鉄, Jōshin Denki Tetsudō) from 25 August 1921. The line was ultimately never extended, but the track was regauged to 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) and electrified with an overhead wire at 1,500 V DC.[1]
Freight operations on the line were discontinued from 1 October 1994.[1]
On 30 November 2003, Takasaki Fairy Land[5] which was a leisure complex being established as "Kappa Pia" in 1961 was discontinued. In this leisure complex, "NAKASONE FESTIVAL" was held during summer[6] because "Matsugoro Nakasone" who is a father of Yasuhiro Nakasone was a CEO of Joshi Electric Railway.
^ abcdefTerada, Hirokazu (19 January 2013). データブック日本の私鉄 [Databook: Japan's Private Railways]. Japan: Neko Publishing. p. 33. ISBN978-4-7770-1336-4.
^ 私鉄車両編成表 2017 [Private Railway Rolling Stock Formations - 2017] (in Japanese). Japan: Kotsu Shimbunsha. 25 July 2017. p. 16. ISBN978-4-330-81317-2.
^"上信電鉄700形が営業運転を開始" [Joshin Dentetsu 700 series starts commercial operation]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 11 March 2019. Archived from the original on 14 March 2019. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
^ 上信電鉄7000形 [Joshin Dentetsu 7000 series]. Japan Railfan Magazine (in Japanese). 54 (638). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd.: 76–77 2014.
^This leisure complex was managed by a railway department of Joshin Electric Railway
