The end of the year is coming soon. Time really flies. The spread of COVID-19 is lessening in Japan, so, I recently visited the Ryutetsu Nagareyama line for the first time in seven years. What was new with this local route?
Before getting down to the main topic, let me quickly review the Nagareyama line. It's a short private railway operated by Ryutetsu company in Chiba Prefecture, about 20 kilometers northeast of Tokyo. Its route length is 5.7 kilometers between Mabashi and Nagareyama stations. Nagareyama has been developed as a center of an inland water transportation system since the 18th century, and changed to a commuter city in the 1970s. The route was opened in 1916 by Nagareyama Light Railway Company (present Ryutetsu Company). Passengers are commuters and students who go to offices and schools in Tokyo and its surrounding large cities. The track is single and electrified. The gauge size is 1,067 millimeters. The electric system is 1,500 V DC overhead. 2-car trains are operated every 13 to 20 minutes.
I found that the color design of the trains had been changed compared to seven years ago. For example, set 5002 of the EMU 5000 series named "Ryusei" was changed from orange with a white stripe to orange and light-blue two-toned. It was designed by an illustrator Sugimoto Seina. She designed not only the train bodies but also the frontal plates and the hold on straps. This unique train was launched in January, 2021.
To be continued...
