Funicular, Nankai N11-N21, travels on the Koya-san Cable line
Following my last post, I'm going to continue to show you the access route to Koya-san in Wakayama Prefecture.
After getting off the limited express train, Koya, at Gokurakubashi terminal, I transferred to the funicular line named Koya-san Cable of Nankai Electric Railway. The Koya-san Cable line was opened in 1930 by Koya-san Electric Railway Company. Connecting Gokurakubashi and Koya-san stations, its route length is 864 meters. The track gauge size is 1,067 mm. The maximum inclination of the route is 29.21 degrees. The height difference between the lowest and the highest points on the route is 328 meters. The operation interval is 10 to 40 minutes depending on the crowd. It takes 5 minutes from Gokurakubashi to Koya-san station.
The vehicles are fourth generation ones. They were built by Nippon Cable in 2019 and the aluminum bodies were made by CWA in Switzerland. One set is composed of two cars named Type N10 and Type N20. Two sets (N11-N21 and N12-N22) are operated on the line. Thanks to the mass transit vehicles, one train can accommodate 211 passengers. It's a powerful climber. The bodies are vivid vermillion-colored and streamlined. On the contrary, the interior is a woody style and subdued. Indirect illumination using LEDs is adopted. I really liked this train.
After arriving at Koya-san terminal, I visited a sub-temple of Koya-san and stayed there with my family. When I saw the traditional garden, I felt refreshed and found my worries were almost nothing. I felt rejuvenated in Koya-san.
Traditional garden in a sub-temple of Koya-san
Official information about the Koya-san Cable line (in Japanese):
Official information about Koya-san by Nankai Electric Railway: