Sagano Scenic Railway

Not to be confused with Sagano Line.

Sagano Scenic Railway
Technical
Line length	7.3 km
Track gauge	1067 mm

Sagano Scenic Railway
Legend The Sagano Scenic Railway line is the winding line along the river The straight line is the JR-W San'in Main Line Keifuku: Arashiyama Main Line Saga-Arashiyama / Randen-Saga 0.0 Torokko Saga Atagoyama Railway Arashiyama 1.0 Torokko Arashiyama Hozu River 3.4 Torokko Hozukyō Hozukyō 7.3 Torokko Kameoka Umahori JR-W: San'in Main Line

The Sagano Scenic Railway (嵯峨野観光鉄道, Sagano Kankō Tetsudō) or Sagano Sightseeing Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of West Japan Railway Company (JR West) that operates the Sagano Scenic Line (嵯峨野観光線, Sagano Kankō-sen) or Sagano Sight-seeing Line in Kyoto.

The line uses once-abandoned tracks of the Sagano Line (officially a portion of the San'in Main Line) of JR West, from Torokko Sagano in Arashiyama, and passes a gorge offering a scenic view along the Hozu River, then enters and terminates in the basin of Kameoka. It is closed on Wednesdays and in the winter.

The tram line is locally known as "Torokko in Hozu gorge." Torokko is a Japanese word derived from the English "truck" once used for mining cars hauling ore, but presently means rail carriages for scenic view with rough accommodations.

Some sources refer to the Sagano Scenic Line as the only scenic railway in Japan.

Description

Company

• Wholly owned subsidiary of West Japan Railway Company
• Headquarters: Ukyō-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
• Founded: 1990
• Major enterprise: Operation of Sagano Scenic Line

Line

• Under Railway Business Act (not under Tram Act)
• Operation and possession (see Three categories of railway)
  • Operation: Sagano Scenic Railway (category 2)
  • Possession: West Japan Railway (category 1)
• Track: single
  • Shares down (for Kameoka) track of San'in Main Line between Torokko Saga and Torokko Arashiyama stations. Up trains of the line are opposing the direction.
• Traction: internal combustion (diesel)
• No. of stations: 4 incl. both ends
• Rolling stock
  • Locomotive: 1
  • Coach: 5

History

Construction of the line

The line was originally a part of the main line of Kyoto Railway (京都鉄道, Kyoto Tetsudō) opened in 1899, to connect Kyoto to the northern part of Kyoto Prefecture, or the old province of Tamba. The company took the route in the gorge, against to cross the pass of Oinosaka (老の坂) with negotiating steep slope. The company was nationalized in 1907.

Abandonment

The Japanese National Railways built a new, shorter, straighter, electrified double-tracked route of San'in Main Line between Saga (present Saga-Arashiyama) and Umahori which opened in 1989, the old winding route with narrow tunnels was abandoned.

Success

The privatized JR West re-opened the line for tourism under a subsidiary founded in 1990. JR West used old stock for this purpose; 4 semi-open coaches hauled by a diesel locomotive.

By 1991 the line was more successful than expected (there had been talks that the line would be closed shortly, or unable to be popular). Later, a fifth carriage, nicknamed "The Rich" (ザ・リッチ), was introduced. The car is contrary to its name, converted from an old gondola of JR West to fully open carriage, even the floor and the sides are of fine grills and offers a rough ride.

Presently, combined with rafting on the Hozu River, it is a major tourist attraction in Arashiyama and Sagano.

Operation

All trains are operated between Torokko Saga and Torokko Kameoka stations. All seats are reserved, and tickets (JPY 600 for adult and JPY 300 for child, as of 2006) are on sale one month prior to the operation with some exceptions. Some are sold on the day, but of "The Rich" not in rainy days for its accommodation. Down (for Kameoka) trains are able to make a round route with the boat ride from Kyoto, thus up trains are less popular.

Stations

Hozukyo station

Except Torokko Kameoka is in Kameoka, all stations are in Kyoto.

• Torokko Saga (トロッコ嵯峨)
  • Newly built next to the Saga Station of the San'in Main Line as the terminus of Kyoto
• Torokko Arashiyama (トロッコ嵐山)
  • Newly built next to the eastern portal of a tunnel entering to the gorge. Accessible from Arashiyama of Keifuku Electric Railroad Arashiyama Main Line via a bamboo grove stroll
• Torokko Hozukyō (トロッコ保津峡)
  • Continued to use the old station on the abandoned line after slight refurbishment. Accessible from Hozukyō on the main line via a detour
• Torokko Kameoka (トロッコ亀岡)
  • Newly built on the abandoned line as the terminus of Kameoka
  • Accessible on foot from Umahori on the San'in Main Line, by bus to the pier of Hozu River rafting

Rolling stock

As mentioned above, all are JR West origin. Daily and minor maintenances are carried at Torokko Saga, while heavy maintenances in JR West facility.

Liveried in red, yellow and black, explained as a typical colour set to infer Kyoto.

• Locomotive
  • DE10 type diesel locomotive, No. DE10 1104
  • Heading on Saga end of the formation
• Passenger cars, from Saga side to Kameoka
  • SK300-1, SK100-1, SK100-11, SK100-2, SK200-1
  • All were converted from Toki 25000 type gondolas (trucks)
  • SK200-1 is equipped with controller on the Kameoka end
  • SK300-1 is nicknamed "The Rich", floor and side are of fine grills

References

All references are in Japanese.

• Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (2001) Railway directory: FY Heisei 13th ed. (鉄道要覧平成13年度版, Tetsudō Yōran Heisei 13 nendo-ban), Tokyo: Tetsudō Tosho Kankōkai or Denkisha Kenkyūkai (鉄道図書刊行会 or 電気車研究会) ISBN488548099X

External links

• English Official Website