| Toyama Light Rail Toyamakō Line | |
|---|---|
 A "Portram" car, introduced on the conversion to light rail |
|
| Technical | |
| Line length | 7.6 km |
| Track gauge | 1067 mm |
| Electrification | 600 V DC |
| Operating speed | 60 km/h (rail line), 40 km/h (tram line) |
| Route diagram | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Toyamakō Line (富山港線 Toyamakō-sen) is a tram line of Toyama Light Rail in the city of Toyama, the capital of Toyama Prefecture. The line runs from Toyamaekikita, right next to Toyama Station, bounds for north to Iwasehama in a town of the Toyama Port on Sea of Japan.
The line is regerded as the first of fully converted or constructed "light rail transit" (LRT) in Japan. Other "LRTs" referred are partly substituted rolling stocks alone, while the "Portram" appllies new stock on fully renovated infrastructures.
It has an official nickname "Portram'", after "port" (Toyama Port) and "tram".
Contents |
Description
Also see the route diagram.
- Distance: 7.6 km
- Toyamaekikita - Okudachūgakkō-mae
- under Tram Act, 1.1 km
- Okudachūgakkōmae - Iwasehama
- under Railway Business Act: 6.5 km
- Toyamaekikita - Okudachūgakkō-mae
- Stations: 13
- Track: single
- Doubling is planned at a short section of Okudachūgakkō-mae - east of Hatta bridge
- Railway signalling: automatic
- Depot: at Jōgawara
History
The line was built as a heavy rail by a private railway company Fugan Railway (富岩鉄道 Fugan Tetsudō) in 1924, with 600 V DC traction. Then the company transferred the line to Toyama Electric Railway (富山電気鉄道 Toyama Denki Tetsudō), later renamed to the present Toyama Chihō Railway. The line was nationalized in 1943 under wartime condition, regarded as a freight route to the port.
The Japanese National Railways modified to 1500 V DC traction, the last to alter among the JNR lines of former private companies. The nominally privatized West Japan Railway Company (JR West) had operated until February 28, 2006. The Toyama Light Rail Company, a newly founded third sector (in Japanese sense) to operate the line, modified to light rail, reopened it on April 29 in the same year. Thus the line was returned to local interest from national concern after a half century.
In the last period of JR administration, the number of passengers a day was around 2,000. The new LRT, however, proved to be surprisingly successful with 12,750 persons on the first day. On November 9, 195 days after its opening, the line achieved the total number of passengers over a million, which means there have been 5,100 per day.
Services
Approximately six train per direction per hour in the morning, 4 in the daytime to evening, 2 in the late night.
Fare is JPY 200 for adult, 100 for child per ride, reduced to 160 for adult and 80 for child when using the Passca, a smart card ticketing system. Citizens of the city of Toyama over 65 year-old are entitled to pay JPY 100 per ride in daytime with "Silver Passca".
"Feeder bus" services are provided at Hasumachi and Jōgawara.
Rolling stock
Nicknamed "Portram", differently coloured 7 formations of TLR0600 type of Niigata Transis jointly with Bombardier Transportation made were introduced to the line.
Future extension
A southbound extension is scheduled. After the completion of the Hokuriku Shinkansen at Toyama Station, the line will pass under the Shinkansen, Hokuriku and Takayama main lines, and connect the Toyama City Tram Line of the Toyama Chihō Railway ("Chitetsu") with downtown Toyama.
Stations
All stations are in the city of Toyama, Toyama Prefecture. For distances and connections, see the route diagram.
The naming rights of two stations were sold (shown by *), among four were on sale.
- Toyamaekikita (富山駅北駅)
- Intec-Honshamae* (インテック本社前駅)
- Okudachūgakkōmae (奥田中学校前駅)
- Shimo-Okui (下奥井駅)
- Awajima (Ōsakaya-Shop-mae)* (粟島 (大阪屋ショップ前) 駅)
- Etchū-Nakajima (越中中島駅)
- Jōgawara (城河原駅)
- Inujima-Shimmachi (犬島新町)
- Hasumachi (蓮町駅)
- Ōhirota (大広田駅)
- Higashi-Iwase (東岩瀬駅)
- Keirinjōmae (競輪場前駅)
- Iwasehama (岩瀬浜駅)
See also
External links
- Official website (Japanese)
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
