JR West's Bantan Line penetrates Hyogo Prefecture from south to north. As I posted before, this route has two faces, one as a city line for urban commuters, and one as a local line in the countryside. The southern section is the urban commuter line; while the northern section is the typical local line. Teramae is the mid-point station of the Bantan Line, where you can see both the commuter trains for the southern section and the local diesel rail-cars for the northern section. That is the must-see station for rail-fans.
The commuter train standing at the station yard is the EMU 103 series. The 103 was launched by the ex-Japanese National Railways in 1963 . A total of 3,447 units have been built for 21 years by many manufacturers. In the Tokyo metropolitan area, all 103 series have already been retired from the tracks, but on the Bantan Line, we can still see the modified 103 series, namely the 103-3500 series. The wine-red colored 103-3500 series are operated without a conductor on board. The 103-3500 is a new special name after modifications to the EMU operated without conductors.
The local diesel rail-car standing at Teramae Station is the KiHa 40 series. The KiHa 40 is a standard diesel rail-car for local lines. It was also launched by the ex-Japanese National Railways in 1977. Its vermilion-colored body is called "metropolitan color" among rail-fans. The KiHa 40 stands out against the scenery of the beautiful forests and agricultural areas.
The commuter train standing at the station yard is the EMU 103 series. The 103 was launched by the ex-Japanese National Railways in 1963 . A total of 3,447 units have been built for 21 years by many manufacturers. In the Tokyo metropolitan area, all 103 series have already been retired from the tracks, but on the Bantan Line, we can still see the modified 103 series, namely the 103-3500 series. The wine-red colored 103-3500 series are operated without a conductor on board. The 103-3500 is a new special name after modifications to the EMU operated without conductors.
The local diesel rail-car standing at Teramae Station is the KiHa 40 series. The KiHa 40 is a standard diesel rail-car for local lines. It was also launched by the ex-Japanese National Railways in 1977. Its vermilion-colored body is called "metropolitan color" among rail-fans. The KiHa 40 stands out against the scenery of the beautiful forests and agricultural areas.
