Toyama Light Rail Toyamakō Line

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Toyama Light Rail Toyamakō Line
A "Portram" car, introduced on the conversion to light rail
A "Portram" car, introduced on the conversion to light rail
Gauge: 1067 mm
Voltage: 600 =
Maximum speed: 60 (rail line), 40 (tram line) km/h
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"Chitetsu": Toyama City Tram Line
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"Chitetsu": Main Line
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JR-W: Takayama Main Line
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JR-W: Hokuriku Main Line
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Toyama
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JR-W: Hokuriku Shinkansen
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0.0 Toyamaekikiita
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Toyamaguchi
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0.4 Intec-Honshamae
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1.1 Okudachūgakkō-mae
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2.0 Shimo-Okui
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2.8 Awajima (Ōsakaya-Shop-mae)
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3.2 Etchū-Nakajima
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4.2 Jōgawara
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4.6 Inujima-Shimmachi
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Higashi-Toyama
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5.4 Hasumachi
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6.1 Ōhirota
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6.6 Higashi-Iwase
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7.2 Keirinjōmae
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7.6 Iwasehama
Newly built Awajima Station
Newly built Awajima Station

The Toyamakō Line (富山港線 Toyamakō-sen?) is a tram line of Toyama Light Rail in the city of Toyama, the capital of Toyama Prefecture. The line runs from Toyamaekikita, right next to Toyama Station, bounds for north to Iwasehama in a town of the Toyama Port on Japan Sea.

The line is regerded as the first of fully converted or constructed "light rail transit" (LRT) in Japan. Other "LRTs" referred are partly substituted rolling stocks alone, while the "Portram" appllies new stock on fully renovated infrastructures.

It has an official nickname "Portram'", after "port" (Toyama Port) and "tram".

Contents

[edit] Description

Also see the route diagram.

  • Distance: 7.6 km
    • Toyamaekikita - Okudachūgakkō-mae
      • under Tram Act, 1.1 km
    • Okudachūgakkōmae - Iwasehama
      • under Railway Business Act: 6.5 km
  • Stations: 13
  • Track: single
    • Doubling is planned at a short section of Okudachūgakkō-mae - east of Hatta bridge
  • Railway signalling: automatic
  • Depot: at Jōgawara

[edit] History

The line was was built as a heavy rail by a private railway company Fugan Railway (富岩鉄道 Fugan Tetsudō?) in 1924, with 600 V DC traction. Then the company transferred the line to Toyama Electric Railway (富山電気鉄道 Toyama Denki Tetsudō?), later renamed to the present Toyama Chihō Railway. The line was nationalized in 1943 under wartime condition, regarded as a freight route to the port.

The Japanese National Railways modified to 1500 V DC traction, the last to alter among the JNR lines of former private companies. The nominally privatized West Japan Railway Company (JR West) had operated until February 28, 2006. The Toyama Light Rail Company, a newly founded third sector (in Japanese sense) to operate the line, modified to light rail, reopened it on April 29 in the same year. Thus the line was returned to local interest from national concern after a half century.

In the last period of JR administration, the number of passengers a day was around 2,000. The new LRT, however, proved to be surprisingly successful with 12,750 persons on the first day. On November 9, 195 days after its opening, the line achieved the total number of passengers over a million, which means there have been 5,100 per day.

[edit] Services

Approximately six train per direction per hour in the morning, 4 in the daytime to evening, 2 in the late night.

Fare is JPY 200 for adult, 100 for child per ride, reduced to 160 for adult and 80 for child when using the Passca, a smart card ticketing system. Citizens of the city of Toyama over 65 year-old are entitled to pay JPY 100 per ride in daytime with "Silver Passca".

"Feeder bus" services are provided at Hasumachi and Jōgawara.

[edit] Rolling stock

Nicknamed "Portram", differently coloured 7 formations of TLR0600 type of Niigata Transis jointly with Siemens made were introduced to the line.

[edit] Future extension

A southbound extension is scheduled. After the completion of the Hokuriku Shinkansen at the Toyama Station, the line will underpass Shinkansen, Hokuriku and Takayama main lines, and connects the Toyama City Tram Line of the Toyama Chihō Railway ("Chitetsu") for the downtown Toyama.

[edit] Stations

All stations are in the city of Toyama, Toyama Prefecture. For distances and connections, see the route diagram.

The naming rights of two stations were sold (shown by *), among four were on sale.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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