Kashima Railway Line

Kashima Railway Line

Railcars of Kashima Railway at Ishioka Station, January 2007
Overview
Status Closed
Locale Ibaraki Prefecture
Termini Ishioka
Hokota
Stations 17
Operation
Opened 8 June 1924
Closed 31 March 2007
Owner Kashima Railway Company
Depot(s) Ishioka
Technical
Line length 27.2 km (16.9 mi)
Number of tracks Single
Track gauge 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Minimum radius 300 m
Electrification None
Operating speed 70 km/h (45 mph)[1]

The Kashima Railway Line (鹿島鉄道線 Kashima Tetsudōsen) was the sole line operated by the Kashima Railway Company in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. It operated between Ishioka Station and Hokota Station.[2] It closed on 31 March 2007.

Stations

The line had 17 stations as shown below. As of 2002, only two stations, Ishioka and Hitachi-Ogawa, were staffed.[1]

Station name Japanese Date opened Distance (km) Transfers Location
Ishioka 石岡 8 June 1924 0.0 Jōban Line Ishioka, Ibaraki
Ishioka-Minamidai 石岡南台 16 June 1987 1.5
Higashi-Tanaka 東田中 18 November 1964 2.5
Tamari 玉里 1 November 1951 3.6 Omitama, Ibaraki
Shin-Takahama 新高浜 8 June 1924 4.2
Shikamura 四箇村 1 October 1951 5.1
Hitachi-Ogawa 常陸小川 8 June 1924 7.1
Ogawakōkō-shita 小川高校下 1 April 1988 7.8
Momoura 桃浦 15 August 1926 10.7 Namegata, Ibaraki
Yakimaki 八木蒔 1 October 1951 12.8
Hama 15 August 1926 14.4
Tamatsukurimachi 玉造町 1 February 1928 15.8
Enokimoto 榎本 6 May 1929 19.5
Kariyado-mae 借宿前 1 October 1951 21.4 Hokota, Ibaraki
Tomoegawa 巴川 16 April 1929 23.7
Sakado 坂戸 19 November 1956 25.0
Hokota 鉾田 6 May 1929 27.1

History

The line first opened on 8 June 1924 as the steam-operated Kashima Sangu Railway (鹿島参宮鉄道), using steam operation between Ishioka and Hitachi-Ogawa.[1] The full line to Hokota was opened on 16 May 1929.[1]

Diesel operation commenced on 6 September 1930.[1]

From 1 June 1965, the railway became the Kantō Railway Hokota Line, and from 1 April 1979, it became the separate Kashima Railway.[1]

Freight operations ceased in 2002.

In 2006, the company announced the planned closure of the line, and the line finally closed on 31 March 2007.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Terada, Hirokazu (July 2002). データブック日本の私鉄 [Databook: Japan's Private Railways]. Japan: Neko Publishing. p. 40/190. ISBN 4-87366-874-3.
  2. MLIT Railway Bureau (2005). Tetsudō Yōran (Heisei 17 Nendo) (in Japanese). Tokyo: Denkisha Kenkyūkai. ISBN 4-88548-106-6.
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