The Newest Tramline in Japan: Part 2

Set HU306 of the HU300 series passes through the Kiyohara Industrial Park

Let me continue from where I left off my last post. I'm going to describe the tramcars on the Haga-Utsunomiya LRT line.

The EMU HU300 series is the sole model on the line. A total of 17 sets were built by Niigata Transys in technical partnership with Bombardier (present Alstom). They are set HU301 to HU317. One set is 29.52 meters long, which just barely stayed within the limit of the Tramways Act of Japan, namely 30 meters. It's composed of 3 cars and each car has one bogie. One set can accommodate 160 passengers, which is the largest capacity of the Japanese tramcars.

The good thing about the interior of the HU300 series for me is its box-type cross-seats. They are black-colored and classy. On the other hand, the priority seats are long-seats. It makes it easier to sit down and stand up for elderly passengers. Regarding the technical specifications, the HU300 series has an IGBT variable-frequency drive electric control system. Each car has one 100 kW three-phase induction motor. The current maximum running speed of the HU300 series is 40 kilometers per hour, but its maximum design speed is 70 kilometers per hour. I hope Haga-Utsunomiya LRT will raise up its operating speed in the near future.

Incidentally, set HU306 is the special poster train of Utsunomiya Brex, which is a professional basketball team based in Utsunomiya City. Its bodies are decorated with team logos and famous players' portraits. Set HU306 holds a special place in the HU300 series.

Side view of Set HU306

The Newest Tramline in Japan

Set HU304 of the electric car HU300 series arrives at Utsunomiya Station East

On August 26th, a new tramline named Haga-Utsunomiya LRT was opened between Utsunomiya City and Haga Town in Tochigi Prefecture. Inauguration of the new tramline in Japan was for the first time in 75 years.

Japan once had extensive tram networks in many mega-cities. Those tramlines functioned as commuter transportation arteries, but most of the routes have already been abolished due to heavy traffic jams. For example, only two routes, namely the Toei-Arakawa line and the Tokyu-Setagaya line, survive in Tokyo. People have been thinking that the tramline is a relic of the past. Wait a second, the times have changed. Super-low floor type streetcars (so-called LRT) in European countries have provided a hint for considering new urban traffic systems in Japan. The LRT is said to have many merits, such as lower construction cost compared to subways, speedier than buses and friendly for aging people. Tramlines must revive.

Haga-Utsunomiya LRT is a 14.5-kilometers-long tramline connecting Utsunomiya Station East and Haga Takanezawa Industrial Park. There are 19 stations. The track is double and the gauge size is 1,067 millimeters. The electric system is 750 volts direct current. Tramcars are operated every 8 minutes in the rush hour and every 12 minutes in the daytime. The operating speed of the tramcar is 40 kilometers per hour. Passengers can enjoy not only the cityscape but also the scenery of the industrial park and the countryside. I remembered the C-Train in Calgary, Canada, where I visited twelve years ago.

To be continued...

Set HU306 travels on the Haga-Utsunomiya LRT line

Official website, Haga-Utsunomiya LRT, Utsunomiya Light Rail Co., Ltd. (in Japanese):

https://www.miyarail.co.jp/

Reunion with the Old Hakone-tozan Train

Electric car 103 of the MoHa 1 series is preserved in Nippon Institute of Technology

Nippon Institute of Technology is a private university in Miyashiro Town, Saitama Prefecture. This university has a unique museum named Museum of Industrial Technology on campus. The museum was established in 1987 to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the university. More than 250 machines, which contributed to the development of Japanese industry, are exhibited, but that is not all. In 2019, the museum took over an old electric car, unit 103, from Hakone-tozan Railway, and started to display it in front of the museum. Anyone can observe this electric car and the exhibits of the Museum for free.

Let me quickly review Hakone Tozan Railway. It's a dependable transporter that climbs up Hakone Volcano in the suburban area of Tokyo. Connecting Odawara and Gora, the route length is 15 kilometers. This railway was initially opened as Odawara Horse Tramway in 1888. Its maximum angle is 80 per-mille, which is the world's second steepest railway.

Unit 103 is one of the 7 cars of the Hakone-tozan MoHa 1 series electric cars. It was originally built by Nippon Sharyo in 1919 with a wooden body under the name of unit ChiKi 1. It was modified to the steel body car in 1950, and renamed unit 103. After operating for 100 years, it was retired from the track in 2019, and displayed in Nippon Institute of Technology. For your information, unit 103's younger brother, namely unit 107, is currently preserved in Odawara City, and used as a stylish "Cafe 107".

Side view of electric car 103

Official website, Museum of Industrial Technology, Nippon Institute of Technology (in Japanese): https://museum.nit.ac.jp/

The 40th Anniversary of the Seibu-Yurakucho Line

Set 6017 of the EMU Seibu 6000 series with yellow-colored stripes

On October 1st, 2023, Seibu Railway celebrated the 40th anniversary of their Seibu-Yurakucho line. In commemoration, Seibu will operate an anniversary train until March, 2024.

Let me review the Seibu-Yurakucho line to start. It's a connecting line between the Seibu-Ikebukuro line and the Tokyo Metro-Yurakucho line. Connecting Nerima on the Seibu-Ikebukuro line and Kotake-Mukaihara on the Tokyo Metro-Yurakucho line, its route length is 2.6 kilometers. The track is underground and double. There is an intermediate station, Shin-Sakuradai on the line. 8-car or 10-car trains are operated every 5 to 10 minutes. The line name is "Seibu-Yurakucho line", but the route doesn't pass through "Yurakucho" in the central part of Tokyo. Why? Because, the Seibu-Yurakucho line was initially planned as a part of Subway Line 8, namely the Yurakucho line, by Transport Council of the Japanese government in 1970. It's integrated with the Tokyo Metro-Yurakucho line, which passes through "Yurakucho". As you know, the trains on the Seibu-Yurakusho line are currently operated onto the Tokyo Metro-Fukutoshin line as well, so, the situation has changed.

The anniversary train is set 6017 of the EMU Seibu 6000 series. It has yellow-colored special stripes on the bodies. As you know, yellow is the line color of the Tokyo-Metro Yurakucho line; meanwhile, the standard Seibu 6000 series trains have blue-colored stripes. The anniversary train also has a special plate on the front celebrating the 40th anniversary. Congratulations on the 40th anniversary of the Seibu-Yurakucho line! It's the short connecting line, but the great transportation artery in the western part of Tokyo.

Special plate of "the 40th anniversary of the Seibu-Yurakucho line"

Official information about the memorial train (in Japanese):

https://www.seiburailway.jp/file.jsp?newsroom/news/file/20230928_seibuyurakucho40.pdf

Tobu 1: Preserved SL in Itabashi Ward

Steam locomotive Tobu 1 is preserved in Johoku Traffic Park in Itabashi Ward

Itabashi is one of 23 wards of Tokyo Metropolis, and located in the northern part of the metropolis. There are two traffic parks in the ward. Traffic parks are good places for kids to learn traffic rules, while playing and riding bikes and pedal cars, but the role is not only that. We can see preserved vehicles. I recently visited Johoku Traffic Park in Itabashi Ward to observe a precious locomotive.

Tobu 1 is a steam locomotive (SL) built in 1912 by Orenstein & Koppel Company in Germany. It's a 0-4-0 type (Whyte notation) SL, 5.023 meters long, 1.827 meters wide, 3.429 meters high, and weighs 8,630 kilograms. The driving wheel diameter is 585 millimeters. This small SL was originally commissioned in Arita Railway under the name of Arita 1. For your information, Arita Railway was a local route in Wakayama Prefecture in the western part of Japan, but unfortunately abolished in 2003. Arita 1 was transferred to Tobu Railway, and renamed Tobu 1 in 1951. Tobu 1 belonged to Kawagoe Locomotive Depot, but it was operated only for untimetabled trains on the Tojo line. Tobu 1 was retired from the track in 1952 because of its low towing ability. To make matters worse, Tobu 1 only had a handbrake system. I wonder why Tobu had introduced this SL.

Apart from its mundane history, I was fascinated by Tobu 1 as it's lovely, and preserved in very good condition. I would like to thank everyone involved in preserving Tobu 1 in Itabashi Ward.

Back view of Tobu 1