| Kurihara Den'en Railway Line | |
| Color: | FFC0CB |
| Linelength: | 25.71NaN1 |
| Status: | closed |
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.
As of 2007
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.
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.
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.
As of 2007. All stations were in Miyagi Prefecture.
Railcar (DMU) built in 1995. Nos. KD 951 to KD 953
Railcar (DMU) for busy hours, used with conductor. Nos. KD 11, KD 12, previously Nagoya Railroad "Kiha 10" type, nos. "Kiha 15", "Kiha 16"
Diesel locomotive, 4-wheel. No. DB 101
Motor car
Wooden truck (gondola)
Wooden wagon
Electric locomotive, 2-truck, 8-wheel. Regauged survivour of era
Wooden wagon
M15 type, newly built on regaugement, etc.
The Kurihara Den'en Railway line was featured in the non-fiction manga and anime series Tetsuko no Tabi