Wednesday 12 June 2019

The 100th Anniversary of Izu-Hakone Railway

5503F of the EMU Izu-Hakone 5000 series arrives at Fuji-film-mae station

Izu-Hakone Railway is a local private company in Shizuoka and Kanagawa prefectures. The route consists of two separate lines, namely the Sunzu and the Daiyuzan lines. The Sunzu line was initially opened between Mishima-machi (present Mishima-tamachi) and Nanjo (present Izu-Nagaoka) stations in 1898; meanwhile, the Daiyuzan line was opened between Odawara and Daiyuzan in 1925. So, this is the 121st year of the Sunzu line and the 94th year of the Daiyuzan line.

Apart from the history of the Sunzu and the Daiyuzan line, the company regulates that the establishment date of Izu-Hakone Railway was November 5th, 1917. It was the time when Zuso Railway (present Izu-Hakone Railway) Company acquired the railway and the power industries from Fuji Suiryoku Denki (Fuji Hydroelectricity) Company. So, this is the 102nd year of Izu-Hakone Railway.

The company has been celebrating "the 100th year anniversary" since 2017. The anniversary events still continue. What a happy company it is! For instance, a train (5003F of the EMU 5000 series) on the Daiyuzan line still displays the 100th anniversary plate on the front. It is OK, no problem at all for rail fans.

Incidentally, the EMU 5000 series is the main fleet on the Daiyuzan line. It was launched in 1984 replacing old models. A total of 7 sets, 21 units were built by Tokyu Sharyo. Only the 1st set (5001F) is steel, while the other 6 sets are stainless-steel. The technical specifications are a bit old. It still has a traditional rheostatic control system.

5503F of the EMU Izu-Hakone 5000 series arrives at Sagami-Numata station

Official information about the trains on the Daiyuzan line (in Japanese):
Official information about the trains on the Sunzu line (in Japanese):