Kurobe Gorge Railway

The Kurobe Gorge Railway (黒部峡谷鉄道株式会社, Kurobe Kyōkoku Tetsudō Kabushiki Kaisha), or Kurotetsu (黒鉄) for short, is a private, 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) narrow gauge railway company operating the Kurobe Gorge Main Line along the Kurobe River in the Kurobe gorge area of Toyama Prefecture, Japan. The railway was built to serve the construction of the Kurobe dam for the Kansai Electric Power Company, which was completed in 1963; Kurotetsu was spun off from the power company in June 1971, but remains a wholly owned subsidiary. At its terminus, the Main Line links to Kurobe Senyō Railway, which is not open to general public.

In 2008 the company operated 27 locomotives, 138 passenger carriages and 322 freight wagons.

History

The Unazuki - Nekomata section opened in 1926, electrified at 600 VDC and was extended to Keyakidaira in 1937.

The passenger service started in 1953.

Stations

All stations are in Kurobe, Toyama.

Key

●: Served by passenger trains
▲: Served by passenger trains only during April–May
｜: Closed to passengers

Name	Japanese	Distance	Train stop
Unazuki	宇奈月	0.0	●
Yanagibashi	柳橋	2.1	｜
Moriishi	森石	5.1	｜
Kuronagi	黒薙	6.5	●
Sasadaira	笹平	7.0	▲
Dashidaira	出平	9.1	｜
Nekomata	猫又	11.8	｜
Kanetsuri	鐘釣	14.3	●
Koyadaira	小屋平	17.5	｜
Keyakidaira	欅平	20.1	●

Equipment

Electric locomotives

EB class (Nos. 1–3, 5–7): withdrawn from service in 1984.
ED class (Nos. 8–11): 9–11 survive.
EDS class (Nos. 13, 15–17): No. 13 survives.
EDM class (Nos. 22, 23, 30–32)
EDR class (Nos. 17–21,24–29,33)
EHR class (Nos. 101, 102)

Battery electric locomotives

BB class (Nos. 1,2)

Diesel locomotives

DB class (No. 11): withdrawn 1985
DD21: withdrawn 1979
DD22, DD23: DD23 withdrawn 2000
DD24

Passenger cars

Ha (ハ) class: 2-axle open car.
1000 class: open car
2000 class: heated car with fixed, widthwise seats, extra charge to ride
2500 class: heated car with reversible seats so that passengers can always ride facing forward, extra charge to ride
2800 class: lounge car, heated, reversible seats, extra charge to ride
3000 class: panoramic observation car, extra charge to ride