The Ryūgasaki Line (竜ヶ崎線, Ryūgasaki-sen) is a railway line operated by the Kantō Railway in Ibaraki Prefecture in Japan. It is a non-electrified line which connects Sanuki, on the Jōban Line, to Ryūgasaki, with one intermediate station at Ireji.[1]
| Ryūgasaki Line | |
|---|---|
 Kanto Railway KiHa 532 DMU in August 2007 | |
| Overview | |
| Status | In operation |
| Owner | Kantō Railway |
| Locale | Ibaraki Prefecture |
| Termini | |
| Stations | 3 |
| Service | |
| Type | Heavy rail |
| System | Kantō Railway |
| Operator(s) | Kantō Railway |
| Rolling stock | KiHa 532 series DMU, KiHa 2000 series DMU |
| History | |
| Opened | 1900 |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 4.5 km (2.8 mi) |
| Number of tracks | Entire line single tracked |
| Character | Rural |
| Track gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) |
| Old gauge | 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) |
| Minimum radius | 207 m (679 ft) |
| Electrification | None |
| Operating speed | 50 km/h (31 mph) |
History
The Ryuzaki Railway Co. opened the line on 14 August 1900 as a 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) gauge steam-operated line. The line was regauged to 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) in July 1915.
The company merged with the Kashima Sangu Railway Co. in 1944, which merged with the Kanto Railway Co. in 1965.
Freight services ceased in 1971, the same year the line switched to driver-only-operation (in August 1971), becoming the first driver-only-operation line in Japan.[1]
Stations
| Station | Japanese | Distance (km) | Transfers | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanuki | 佐貫 | 0.0 | ■ Jōban Line | Ryūgasaki | Ibaraki Prefecture |
| Ireji | 入地 | 2.2 | |||
| Ryūgasaki | 竜ヶ崎 | 4.5 | |||
References
This article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia