I recently visited Kashima Rinkai Railway for the first time in four years. Kashima Rinkai Railway, called Rintetsu, is a local railway company in Ibaraki Prefecture, some 100 km north of Tokyo. Connecting Mito, a major city in the prefecture and Okunoyahama in the Kashima Coastal Industrial Zone, the total operating length is 72.2 km.
Rintetsu has a commuter transport function in the Mito urban area. The Ooarai-Kashima Line (53 km) has such a role. Diesel railcars are operated every 20 to 60 minutes. Rintetsu also has a freight transport function to and from the Kashima Coastal Industrial Zone. Container freight trains pulled by diesel locomotives are operated on the Kashima-Rinko Line (19.2 km).
Rintetsu has a commuter transport function in the Mito urban area. The Ooarai-Kashima Line (53 km) has such a role. Diesel railcars are operated every 20 to 60 minutes. Rintetsu also has a freight transport function to and from the Kashima Coastal Industrial Zone. Container freight trains pulled by diesel locomotives are operated on the Kashima-Rinko Line (19.2 km).
The main fleet for Rintetsu's commuter transportation is the 20 m-long diesel railcar, 6000 series. It was launched in 1985 to replace the old models such as the 1000 and the 2000 series. A total of 19 carriages have been built by Nippon Sharyo and Niigata Transys. The red colored body with a white colored stripe is the symbol of this railway company. The 6000 series has four doors and semi-cross seats.
In the meantime, on January 15th, Kashima Rinkai Railway gave a press release announcing that the new model of diesel railcar, the 8000 series, will be launched on March 26th in accordance with the timing of the new timetable. Being replaced by the 8000 series, the old red colored diesel railcar, the 6000 series, will be gradually scrapped.
Patna rhei. Everything is constantly changing.
