I visited the Ryutetsu Nagareyama line for the first time in two years. What's new with this local railway?
To start, let me review the Nagareyama line. It's a short private railway operated by Ryutetsu company in Chiba Prefecture, about 20 kilometers northeast of Tokyo. Connecting Mabashi on the JR East Joban line and Nagareyama terminal, its route length is only 5.7 kilometers. 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 15 to 20 minutes. The EMU 5000 series is the sole model operated on the line. It's the ex-Seibu New 101 series, and moved to Ryutetsu in 2010.
I found that train set 5001 of the 5000 series, namely "Sakura (cherry)", has returned to work. I remember that Sakura was withdrawn from the track due to the expiration of the inspection validity in August 2021. According to the company website, it went back to work in August 2022. In other words, it took one year for the inspection. That must have been tough for the few railway engineers of this small company. Good work for one year! Welcome back Sakura! I also found that set 5004, namely "Wakaba (young leaves)", has changed its body color. It has become deeper green... very beautiful! I like Ryutetsu so much. I can't take my eyes off Ryutetsu!
