“Shin-Keisei” Update: Merger with Keisei

Trainset 8807 of the former Shin-Keisei EMU 8800 series (now in Keisei colors)

On April 1st, Shin-Keisei Electric Railway Company was merged into Keisei Electric Railway Company. How are the former Shin-Keisei and Keisei lines doing now? I recently visited these lines to see for myself.

To start, let me review Shin-Keisei Electric Railway Company (hereafter Shin-Keisei). It was established in 1946 as an affiliate of Keisei Electric Railway Company (hereafter Keisei). In 1955, Shin-Keisei fully opened a 26.5-kilometer railway route between Matsudo and Keisei-Tsudanuma. Shin-Keisei then became a wholly owned subsidiary of Keisei in 2022 through a share exchange. This year, Keisei absorbed Shin-Keisei and became the larger Keisei Electric Railway Co., Ltd. The merger is expected to maximize synergies by enabling quicker decision-making. The former Shin-Keisei line has been renamed the “Keisei-Matsudo Line.”

Now, let’s move on to the main topic. I noticed that the train body colors on the Keisei-Matsudo Line have started to change. Please look at the top photo. This is trainset 8807 of the EMU 8800 series. During the Shin-Keisei era, it featured a pink-and-white two-toned design, but it is now light gray with red and blue stripes—the so-called “Keisei colors”. This color scheme will gradually be applied to all former Shin-Keisei trains.

On the other hand, changes on the Keisei lines themselves were relatively minor. New railway maps that include the “Matsudo Line” have been put up in trains and at stations. I also came across a train with a commemorative plate on the front (see the photo below). It was trainset 3030 of the EMU 3000 series, and the plate read, "Hello Matsudo Line".

Trainset 3030 of the Keisei EMU 3000 series with a commemorative plate

Official railway map by Keisei Electric Railway:

https://www.keisei.co.jp/keisei/tetudou/skyliner/us/traffic/pdf/railmap.pdf

Takachiho Railway’s Preserved DMU TR-300 Series

Preserved Ex-Takachiho Railway DMU TR-300 Series in Takachiho Town

This is a continuation of my recent trip to Miyazaki Prefecture. After enjoying the train inn and the spectacular gorge, I headed to a shochu brewery near Takachiho Gorge. Why? Do I like shochu? Of course I do, but that wasn’t the only reason. I went there to see a preserved DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit). You may remember when I posted about the preserved steam locomotive at a shochu brewery last year. At that time, the beautiful photos were provided by Danish railfan Nicolai Okkels. After looking at his photos, I realized that another railway vehicle was preserved at the same site. That meant I had to go.

Please look at the top photo. These are units TR-301 and TR-302 of the former Takachiho Railway TR-300 series DMU. They were built by Niigata Engineering in 1991 and introduced as the reserved-seat sightseeing train Takachiho. Each unit was equipped with a 183 kW diesel engine and a fluid transmission system. At first glance, it looks like a fixed two-car trainset, but in fact it often operated coupled with the TR-100 series. To be precise, each TR-300 car could run independently and was usually connected to a TR-100 series car.

After only 12 years in service, the TR-300 series was retired in 2003. Today, it is preserved at the shochu brewery and used as a rest area (see the photo below). I stopped by there after shopping. I couldn’t drink shochu since I had to drive a rental car, but I was able to relax for a while sitting on the comfortable seats.

Interior of the DMU TR-300 series

Official information about the preserved DMU TR-300 series by the shochu brewery:

https://tonnerunoeki.com/en/train

The 100th Anniversary of the Setagaya Line

Tokyu 300 series Set 305 with the 100th anniversary sticker

On May 1st, Tokyu Railways celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Setagaya Line. To mark the occasion, Tokyu organized a variety of local events.

Let me review the Setagaya Line. It operates under the Tramways Act, connecting Sangenjaya on the Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line with Shimo-Takaido on the Keio Line. The line is 5.0 kilometers long, entirely double-tracked, electrified at 600 V DC, and built to a 1,372 mm gauge. The Setagaya Line originally opened in 1925 as a branch of the Tamagawa Line (hereafter Tamaden). The Tamaden main line, which opened in 1907, connected Shibuya with Futako-Tamagawa via Sangenjaya. Since the Tamaden was constructed as a streetcar line running along National Highway 246, it unfortunately had to be abolished in 1969 due to severe traffic congestion. The Setagaya Line, on the other hand, was built as a dedicated right-of-way, which is why only this branch line has survived.

One of the anniversary events was the addition of special memorial stickers on the trams. Please look at the top photo. This is Set 305 of the Tokyu 300 series tramcars, carrying a special round memorial sticker on the front. It looks beautiful, but wait a moment—something is missing. Speaking of the 300 series, why not also capture Set 301 in Tamaden colors? As I mentioned before, Set 301 is the representative tramcar of the Setagaya Line. That’s why I returned to Yamashita stop on another day to photograph Set 301 (see the photo below). Railfans are sticklers for detail when it comes to their photo subjects, aren’t they?

Set 301 in Tamaden colors arriving at Yamashita stop on the Setagaya Line

Official information about the 100th anniversary of the Setagaya Line (Japanese only):

https://www.tokyu.co.jp/company/information/pdf/20250416_setagayasen100_d.pdf

Train Inn and Spectacular Gorge in Miyazaki Prefecture

Unit TR-105 of the diesel railcar TR-100 series reused as a train inn

This is a continuation of my post from June 6th. After observing JR Freight’s mini locomotive at Nobeoka Station, I headed to Takachiho Town in the northwestern part of Miyazaki Prefecture. Takachiho is famous for its stunning natural scenery.

On the way to Takachiho, I noticed some trains along the roadside. What were they? It turned out to be a train inn. This area was once served by the Takachiho Line, which operated until 2005. The line, run by the local Takachiho Railway Company, was unfortunately abolished in 2008 after severe damage caused by Typhoon No. 14. One of the nearby municipalities, Hinokage Town, acquired two diesel railcars and opened a train inn named “TR Train Inn” along the former track. (For reference, “TR” stands for Takachiho Railway.) These railcars are Units TR-104 and 105 of the TR-100 series, built by Niigata Engineering in 1989. The TR-100 series is a 15.8-meter-long railcar equipped with a 183 kW diesel engine and a fluid transmission system. For more details about this unique train inn, please see the link at the bottom of this post.

After visiting the charming train inn, I went to Takachiho Gorge, a deep canyon carved by the Gokase River. The gorge is lined with picturesque columnar joints. At first glance, these formations look like rapidly cooled basalt or andesite lava, but in fact, the host rock is welded tuff erupted from Mt. Aso about 130,000 years ago—a very rare occurrence. I thoroughly enjoyed both the train inn and the spectacular gorge in Miyazaki Prefecture.

Beautiful columnar joints within the welded tuff at Takachiho Gorge

Official website of the TR Train Inn (Japanese only):

https://hinokagecho.com/hinokageonsen-inn.html

EMU 80000 Series: New Model on the Urban Park Line

EMU Tobu 80000 series on the Urban Park line

You may remember when I posted about the name change of the Tobu-Noda Line before. Japan’s population has entered a declining phase, and railway companies are competing to attract passengers while improving the value of their lines. For that reason, Tobu Railway gave the nickname “Urban Park Line” to the Noda Line in 2014. What do you think of the new name, “Urban Park Line”? Does it sound sophisticated? To be honest, I sometimes wonder why Japanese people are so eager to use English words for the names of shops, restaurants, companies, and even railway stations and lines.

Enough with the preamble—let’s get down to the main topic. I recently realized that Tobu is taking the task of improving the value of their lines very seriously, not only by renaming them but also by upgrading the trains themselves. As proof of that, Tobu launched a new, sophisticated commuter train—the EMU 80000 series—on the Urban Park Line this year. It’s been 12 years since the previous model, the EMU 60000 series, was introduced.

What’s special about the 80000 series? It features a dedicated area for families with children. There is a unique seating space with a baby stroller parking area, called “Tanoseat” (see the photo below). The word “Tanoseat” is a blend of Tanoshii (meaning “fun” in Japanese) and “seat” in English. When a family gathers at the Tanoseat, it really makes the trip more enjoyable.

I’m running out of space here, so I’ll save the technical specifications of the 80000 series for a future post.

"Tanoseat" of the EMU Tobu 80000 series

Official information about the EMU 80000 series by Tobu Railway (in Japanese):

https://www.tobu.co.jp/cms-pdf/releases/202404161247115gFjCdYsG3H5MfjtzUEqxQ.pdf