Wikipedia

Jōsō Line

The Jōsō Line (常総線, Jōsō-sen) is a railway line in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, operated by the private railway operator Kantō Railway. It is a non-electrified line which connects Toride to Shimodate.[1]

Jōsō Line
A Kantō Railway KiHa 2300 series two-car DMU in July 2008
Overview
Native name常総線
StatusIn operation
OwnerKantō Railway
LocaleIbaraki Prefecture
Termini
Stations25
Service
Operator(s)Kantō Railway
Rolling stockKiHa 2300 series DMU, KiHa 2100 series DMU, KiHa 0 series DMU, KiHa 310 series DMU, KiHa 5020 series DMU, KiHa 5010 series DMU, KiHa 5000 series DMU, KiHa 2400 series DMU, KiHa 2200 series DMU, DD502 series steam train
History
Opened1 November 1913 (1913-11-01)
Technical
Line length51.1 km (31.8 mi)
Number of tracksSingle and double
CharacterFairly urban with some rural areas
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Minimum radius290 m
ElectrificationNone
Operating speed90 km/h (56 mph)
A Jōsō Line train, 2016

The Jōsō Line connects with the Tsukuba Express line, which opened in 2005, at Moriya Station, the only interchange other than at its two termini.

In fiscal 1999, the Jōsō Line carried an annual total of 14.16 million passengers (38,000 per day), making it the busiest non-electrified private line in Japan.[1]

Stations

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Name Japanese Between stations (km) Distance (km) Track Rapid Transfers Location
Toride 取手 - 0.0 Double ●   Jōban Line Toride Ibaraki
Nishi-Toride 西取手 1.6 1.6 ●  
Terahara 寺原 0.5 2.1 ●
Shin-Toride 新取手 1.3 3.4 ●
Yumemino ゆめみ野 0.8 4.2 ●
Inatoi 稲戸井 1.2 5.4 ●
Togashira 戸頭 0.9 6.3 ●
Minami-Moriya 南守谷 1.1 7.4 ● Moriya
Moriya 守谷 2.2 9.6 ● Tsukuba Express
Shin-Moriya 新守谷 1.8 11.4 ｜  
Kokinu 小絹 1.6 13.0 ｜ Tsukubamirai
Mitsukaidō 水海道 4.5 17.5 ● Jōsō
Single
Kita-Mitsukaidō 北水海道 1.8 19.3 ｜
Nakatsuma 中妻 1.6 20.9 ｜
Mitsuma 三妻 3.0 23.9 ｜
Minami-Ishige 南石下 3.3 27.2 ｜
Ishige 石下 1.6 28.8 ●
Tamamura 玉村 2.2 31.0 ｜
Sōdō 宗道 2.0 33.0 ｜ Shimotsuma
Shimotsuma 下妻 3.1 36.1 ●
Daihō 大宝 2.6 38.7 ｜
Tobanoe 騰波ノ江 2.3 41.0 ｜
Kurogo 黒子 2.6 43.6 ｜ Chikusei
Ōtagō 大田郷 3.7 47.3 ｜
Shimodate 下館 3.8 51.1 ●   Mito Line
Mooka Railway Mooka Line

Rolling stock

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  • KiHa 0 series (ex-JNR KiHa 20)
  • KiHa 100 series (driver-only-operation version of KiHa 300)
  • KiHa 300 series (ex-JNR KiHa 30)
  • KiHa 310 series (ex-JNR KiHa 16/17)
  • KiHa 350 series (ex-JNR KiHa 30/35/36) (1987–2012)
  • KiHa 2100 series (introduced 1993)
  • KiHa 2200 series (introduced 1997)
  • KiHa 2300 series (introduced 2000)
  • KiHa 2400 series (introduced 2004)
  • KiHa 5000 series (introduced 2009)
  • KiHa 5010 series (from February 2017)[2]
  •  
    A KiHa 310 series DMU in February 2017
  •  
    A KiHa 350 series DMU in November 2007
  •  
    KiHa 5010 series DMU car 5012 in March 2017

History

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The Jōsō Railway opened the line on 1 November 1913. In 1945, the company merged with the Tsukuba Railway to form the Jōsō Tsukuba Railway, which merged with the Kanto Railway in 1965.[citation needed]

Originally all single-track, 17.5 kilometres (11 mi) of the line was doubled between Toride and Mitsukaidō by 15 November 1984.[1] However, due to the limitations brought by the Kakioka Magnetic Observatory located in Ishioka, this line is still not electrified.

The KiHa 310 vehicles are scheduled for withdrawal in July 2023.[3]

References

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This article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia.

  1. ^ a b c Terada, Hirokazu (July 2002). データブック日本の私鉄 [Databook: Japan's Private Railways]. Japan: Neko Publishing. ISBN 4-87366-874-3.
  2. ^ 2月デビューの関東鉄道キハ5010形 撮影会開催 [Photographic event for Kanto Railway 5010 series entering service in February]. Tetsudo Hobidas (in Japanese). Japan: Neko Publishing Co., Ltd. 1 February 2017. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  3. ^ "関東鉄道キハ310形、7月に引退 国鉄車改造し常総線で46年 HM掲出も". trafficnews.jp (in Japanese). Mediavague Co., ltd. 13 June 2023. Archived from the original on 13 June 2023. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
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