Content deleted Content added
m →Yokkaichi Railway: format |
Alistair1978 (talk | contribs) m fmt |
||
Line 25:
| tracks = 1
|gauge = {{RailGauge|sg}}
| electrification = [[Overhead lines|Overhead]],
|speed = 80 km/h (50 mph)
|elevation =
Line 46:
In 1954 the beginning of the route received a significant re-routing at the hands of Sanco, the owner. The [[Nagoya Line (Kintetsu)|Nagoya Line]] suffered from many sharp curves on its way through Yokkaichi to Suwa Station. Kintetsu developed a plan to straighten the line as well as enlarge Suwa Station, which would be moved about a kilometer to the west. Construction began in 1952 and took a few years to be completed. In accordance with this plan, Sanco altered its own Yokkaichi-area railways in 1956 to use the new location of Suwa Station, which was renamed to Kintetsu-Yokkaichi Station. From Nakagawara Station, the track that ran to the old Suwa Station was closed and a new track was built to Kintetsu-Yokkaichi. After this new section was completed, the Yunoyama Line originated from the part of Kintetsu-Yokkaichi Station where the Utsube Line still originates today; the two lines had the same [[track gauge]] at that time and connected directly with each other.
About 10 years later, in 1964, when Sanden took over the railway, more improvements were carried out even though Sanden only owned the line for about one year. Yokkaichi Railway constructed the line with an especially narrow gauge of {{RailGauge|762mm|lk=on}}. In the interest of direct connection with the Kintetsu Nagoya Line, the technical specs of the line were altered to match those of the Nagoya Line; the Yunoyama Line gauge was widened to {{RailGauge|sg|allk=on}} and the [[voltage]] was increased to
When Kintetsu acquired the line the following year, it was relatively painless to tie the two lines together and it soon began offering limited express service directly from {{STN|Uehommachi}} in Osaka and {{STN|Kintetsu Nagoya||Nagoya}} to Yunoyama, aimed at attracting tourists to the onsen and nearby [[Mount Gozaisho]]. This service was offered for over 30 years but was ceased in 1998 due to insufficient ridership. Limited express trains that originated at Kintetsu-Yokkaichi continued to run the length of the Yunoyama Line for a few more years, but this service was ended in 2004. The Yunoyama Line is notable because it is the only one of Kintetsu's many small branch lines to have offered limited express service.
Line 62:
*September 23, 1956 - Suwa Station closed, moved, and re-opened as Kintetsu-Yokkaichi Station. Suwa ~ Nakagawara section closes. Kintetsu-Yokkaichi ~ Nakagawara section opens.
*February 1, 1964 - Sanco railway division splits off and forms a new company Mie Electric Railway (''Sanden'').
*March 23, 1964 - Ōbane-en Station opens. Voltage along line increased to
*April 1, 1965 - Sanden, and all of its lines, are acquired by [[Kinki Nippon Railway]] (''Kintetsu''). Line officially renamed Kintetsu Yunoyama Line.
*July 15, 1965 - Direct limited express service from Osaka and Nagoya begins.
| |||