Takachiho Railway

Bridge on Gokase River

Takachiho Railway (高千穂鉄道, Takachiho Tetsudō) was a Japanese railway company. The company in Miyazaki Prefecture suspended operation of the railway after a typhoon disaster in 2005 and was liquidated in 2009.

Line

The company operated the Takachiho Line connecting Nobeoka Station in Nobeoka, Miyazaki and Takachiho Station in Takachiho, Miyazaki. The government authorization of the railway business was abolished for a half of the line in 2007 and for the remaining half in 2008.

• Distance 50.0 km (31 mi)
  • Nobeoka — Makinine 29.1 km (18.1 mi) officially closed on 2007-09-06
  • Makimine — Takachiho 20.9 kilometres (13.0 mi) officially closed on 2008-12-28
• Gauge: 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
• Stations: 19
• Double-track line: None
• Electrification: None
• Signalling: Simplified automatic

History

The Takachiho Line, originally named the Hinokage Line (日ノ影線, Hinokage sen) of Japanese Government Railways, opened on February 20, 1935, in the section between Nobeoka and Hyūga-Okamoto stations.

Following some extensions, the line reached Takachiho Station on July 22, 1972 and was renamed the Takachiho Line same day.

Freight service ceased in 1974. In 1982 all service was suspended for four months due to typhoon damage.

When the national railway was privatized in 1987, the line belonged to JR Kyushu, which withdrew from the operation of the Takachiho Line and transferred it to Takachiho Railway, a new company established by local funds, on April 28, 1989.

On September 6, 2005, flooding triggered by Typhoon Nabi washed away two bridges on the line, halting all operations. By December, it was clear that no government funding for rebuilding was available. Attempts by local communities to rebuild the railway were unsuccessful. A shareholders' resolution made on January 6, 2009 started the company's liquidation procedures which ended in March 2009 with no distribution to shareholders.

A new company, the Takachiho Amaterasu Railway, was later established. It repurposed a section of the Takachiho Line in Takachiho for tourist services.

Proposed extension

After the line opened in 1972, construction of the 23 km section from Takachiho to the Takamori line continued until 1975, when flooding in the 6500m Takamori tunnel (16 km north of Takachiho) resulted in work being suspended. Construction was formally abandoned in 1980.

Stations

Station	Japanese	Distance (km)	Opened on	Transfers	Location			Coordinates
Nobeoka	延岡	0.0	1922-05-01	JR Kyushu: Nippo Main Line	Nobeoka		Miyazaki Prefecture	32°35′24″N 131°40′21″E
Nishinobeoka	西延岡	4.1	1935-02-20					32°35′12″N 131°38′24″E
Mukabaki	行縢	6.8	1935-02-20					32°34′45″N 131°36′49″E
Hosomi	細見	10.4	1957-02-01					32°34′00″N 131°34′50″E
Hyūga-Okamoto	日向岡元	11.6	1935-02-20					32°33′55″N 131°34′08″E
Hakiai	吐合	13.3	1957-02-01					32°33′56″N 131°33′02″E
Soki	曽木	14.6	1936-04-12					32°34′23″N 131°32′30″E
Kawazuru	川水流	17.1	1936-04-12					32°33′38″N 131°31′26″E
Kamizaki	上崎	19.9	1957-02-01					32°34′36″N 131°30′40″E
Hayahito	早日渡	24.9	1937-09-03					32°36′18″N 131°29′04″E
Kamegasaki	亀ヶ崎	26.4	1957-02-01					32°36′02″N 131°28′12″E
Makimine	槇峰	29.1	1937-09-03		Hinokage	Nishiusuki District		32°36′42″N 131°26′50″E
Hyūga-Yato	日向八戸	31.5	1939-10-11					32°37′16″N 131°25′48″E
Gomi	吾味	32.9	1957-02-01					32°37′23″N 131°25′02″E
Hinokageonsen	日之影温泉	37.6	1939-10-11					32°38′56″N 131°23′29″E
Kagemachi	影待	40.4	1972-07-22					32°39′56″N 131°22′23″E
Fukasumi	深角	44.0	1972-07-22					32°40′55″N 131°20′41″E
Amanoiwato	天岩戸	47.9	1972-07-22		Takachiho			32°42′31″N 131°19′40″E
Takachiho	高千穂駅	50.0	1972-07-22					32°42′53″N 131°18′23″E

Cars

In 2005

• TR100 (101, 102, 203, 104, 105)
• TR200 (201, 202)
• TR400 (401, 402)

Following the closure of the line, two truck-style sightseeing cars, TR401 and TR402, were purchased by JR Kyushu upon an offer from Takachiho Railway. They will be refurbished and used on the new Umisachi Yamasachi limited express service on the Nichinan Line from October 2009.

Among ordinary railcars, TR201 was given to Asa Kaigan Railway without compensation. It will go into service in autumn 2009. Other ordinary cars were disused. TR104 and TR105 were given to the town of Hinokage and are preserved at Hinokage-Onsen Station. TR101 and TR202 were given to the town of Takachiho and are preserved at Takachiho Station. Others were scrapped.

• 
  TR100 for local trains
• 
  Amanouzume-gō used for Torokko-Kagura-gō
• 
  Tajikarao-gō used for Torokko-Kagura-gō

Before 2005

• TR300

Current operations

Takachiho-Amaterasu Railway Co. (高千穂あまてらす鉄道, Takachiho-Amaterasu-Tetsudō) operates the line between Takachiho and Amanoiwato as a heritage railway.

External links

• Takachiho Railway official site
• Takachiho-Amaterasu Railway Official site
• Akaboshi Tamiko (Manga artist, Inside director of Takachiho-Amaterasu Railway) Official site