Kumamoto Electric Railway

(Redirected from Kumaden)

The Kumamoto Electric Railway (熊本電気鉄道, Kumamoto Denki Tetsudō) is a public transport company in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. It is abbreviated as Kumamoto Dentetsu (熊本電鉄) or Kumaden (熊電). The company was founded in 1909. The company operates railway and bus lines.

Kumamoto Electric Railway
A 6000 series and 03 series train
Overview
StatusOperational
OwnerKumamoto Electric Railway
LocaleKumamoto Prefecture
History
Opened15 August 1909
Technical
Line length13.1 km (8.1 mi)
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification600 V DC overhead catenary
Operating speed50 km/h (30 mph)[1]
Route map

Kikuchi
(until 1986)
10.8
Miyoshi
3.4
(F) 0.0
Kita-Kumamoto
(F) 2.3
Fujisakigū-mae
0.0
Kami-Kumamoto
(F)
- Fujisaki Line

Lines

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A short section of the Fujisaki Line shares its track with public road, like a tram line.

Rolling stock

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Three former Tokyo Metro 03 series EMU trains were purchased and introduced on the line between 2018 and 2020.[3]

History

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The forerunner of the company, Kikuchi Tramway (菊池軌道), was established in on 15 August 1909, and opened the 914 mm (3 ft) gauge steam-hauled line from Ikeda Station (池田駅) (close to the present-day Kami-Kumamoto Station) to Sendanbatamachi Station (千反畑町駅) (present-day Fujisakigū-mae Station) on 1 October 1911.[1] On 27 August 1913, the line between Ikeda and Waifu Station (隈府駅) (later named Kikuchi) was opened.[1]

From 31 August 1923, the line was converted to 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge and electrified at 600 V DC.[1]

The current section of the Kikuchi Line between Kita-Kumamoto and Kami-Kumamoto opened on 1 October 1950, resulting in two lines between those stations, the original via Fujisakigū-mae and the new line.[1] In June 1953 the original line from Kami-Kumamoto to Fujisakigū-mae closed.[1] The 13.5 km Miyoshi to Kikuchi section closed on 16 February 1986 due to falling patronage.[1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Terada, Hirokazu (19 January 2013). データブック日本の私鉄: 全国私鉄165社局掲載 データブック日本の私鉄 [Databook: Japan's Private Railways]. Japan: Neko Publishing. p. 186. ISBN 978-4-7770-1336-4.
  2. ^ Kekke, Manabu (June 2015). 熊本電気鉄道01形 [Kumamoto Electric Railway 01 series]. Tetsudō Daiya Jōhō Magazine (in Japanese). Vol. 44, no. 374. Japan: Kotsu Shimbun. pp. 44–47.
  3. ^ 中古車両、熊本電鉄で「第二の人生」5車種すべて移籍組 東京メトロの3編成導入へ [Old rolling stock to spend new life, 5 different types already transferred, 3 Tokyo Metro trains to be introduced] (in Japanese). Japan: Nishinippon Shimbun. 15 January 2018. Archived from the original on 16 January 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
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