The Kominato Line (小湊鉄道線, Kominato Tetsudō sen) is a railway line in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, operated by the private railway operator Kominato Railway (小湊鐵道, Kominato tetsudō). It extends from the west coast of central Bōsō Peninsula (where it connects with the Uchibō Line at Goi) to Kazusa-Nakano in the town of Ōtaki (where it connects to the Isumi Line). All of its stations with the exception of the Kazusa-Nakano terminus are within the city of Ichihara. Diesel cars manufactured between 1961 and 1977 run through the scenic hilly areas of Bōsō Peninsula, and the line has many antique station buildings.
As of 1 April 2016[update], the railway owns and operates a fleet of 14 KiHa 200 series diesel cars, built by Nippon Sharyo between 1961 and 1977, and numbered 201 to 214.[1] All except cars 209 and 210 are air-conditioned.[1]
From 2020 though 2021, KiHa 40 series (KiHa 40 1006/2018/2019/2021/2026) had been withdrew from JR EastTadami Line,[3][4][5]Tsugaru Line, Gono Line and Oga Line, and they had been transferred to Kominato Railway.
The vehicles, which were adopted in 2020, KiHa 40-2021 and KiHa 40-2026 were named KiHa 40-1 and KiHa 40-2 respectively, replaced part of series KiHa 200,[6] have been operated as regular trains since they were operated at the first run as Express "SATOYAMA" in 23 April 2020.[7][8]
The vehicles, which were adopted in 2021, KiHa 40-2018, KiHa 40-2019 and KiHa 40-1006 were named KiHa 40-3, KiHa 40-4 and KiHa 40-5 respectively.
From 15 November 2015, a Satoyama Torokko (里山トロッコ) open-sided tourist train hauled by a replica steam locomotive powered by a diesel engine entered service on the line, operating generally at weekends only.[9] The train consists of four coaches, two of which have open sides, with a total capacity of 144 passengers. It is hauled by diesel locomotive number DB4, a replica of a German Orenstein & Koppel-built steam locomotive formerly operated on the line from 1924 until the 1940s, powered by a Volvo diesel engine.[10]
Diesel locomotive DB4 on the Satoyama Torokko in April 2017
Satoyama Torokko passenger car November 2021
History
Plans for a railroad bisecting the Bōsō Peninsula were drafted by the Railway Ministry in the Meiji period, with the aim of connecting the town of Kominato (now part of Kamogawa City), a town facing the Pacific and famous as the birthplace of Nichiren, for economic and military reasons. However, due to lack of profitability of other lines in the area, the idea was shelved.[citation needed]
The Kominato Railway was founded on 31 May 1917, opening the initial section of the line from Goi to Satomi on 7 May 1925.[2] The line was extended to Tsukizaki on 1 September 1926, and reached its present eastern terminus at Kazusa-Nakano on 16 May 1928.[2] Diesel railcars were introduced on the line from this date.[2] At Kazusa-Nakano, the line connected with the Japanese Government RailwaysKihara Line, which provided a route to the eastern shore of the Bōsō Peninsula and so plans to extend the line further to Kominato Town were subsequently abandoned.
In 1942, the line was forced to merge with the Keisei Electric Railway, and remained a subsidiary of that company after the end of World War II. On 21 March 1962, the remaining steam locomotives were retired (and are currently on display at Goi Station).[2] Freight operations were phased out by 1 October 1969.[2] A new ATS was installed in early 1995. On 12 April 2006, heavy rains washed away a portion of the tracks between Kazusa-Nakano and Yōrōkeikoku, leading to a two-month disruption in services.[citation needed]
^ ab 私鉄車両編成表 2016 [Private Railway Rolling Stock Formations - 2016] (in Japanese). Japan: Kotsu Shimbunsha. 25 July 2016. p. 22. ISBN978-4-330-70116-5.
^ abcdefTerada, Hirokazu (October 1999). ローカル私鉄探訪 [Exploring Rural Private Railways] (in Japanese). Japan: Shin-Jinbutsuoraisha Co., Ltd. pp. 32–34. ISBN4-404-02732-X.
^小湊鐵道「里山トロッコ」デビュー! 煙を上げ、汽笛鳴らして上総牛久駅発車 [Kominato Railway "Satoyama Torokko" debut!]. Mynavi News (in Japanese). Japan: Mynavi Corporation. 15 November 2015. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
^Kanemori, Takayuki (5 September 2015). 小湊鉄道：里山に再生ＳＬ ディーゼル化トロッコがけん引 [Kominato Railway to run diesel-hauled open-sided train]. Mainichi Shimbun (in Japanese). Japan: The Mainichi Newspapers. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
