Fukushima Kōtsū Iizaka Line

The Iizaka Line (飯坂線) is a railway line connecting Fukushima Station with the onsen town of Iizaka at Iizaka Onsen Station, all within Fukushima, Fukushima, Japan. It is commonly called Iizaka Electric Railway (飯坂電車, Iizaka Densha) or Iiden (飯電) locally. This is the only railway line operated by Fukushima Transportation, as the company's main business is bus transport.[1]

Iizaka Line
A Fukushima Transportation 7000 series EMU
Overview
TypeCommuter rail
LocaleTōhoku
TerminiFukushima
Iizaka Onsen
Stations12
Operation
OpenedApril 13, 1924
Operator(s)Fukushima Transportation
Depot(s)Sakuramizu
Technical
Line length9.2 km (5.7 mi)
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification1,500 V DC, overhead lines

Stations
Name Japanese Distance
(km between stations)		 Distance
(km from Fukushima)		 Transfers Location
Fukushima 福島 - 0.0
Fukushima, Fukushima
Soneda 曽根田 0.6 0.6  
Bijutsukantoshokanmae 美術館図書館前 0.8 1.4  
Iwashiroshimizu 岩代清水 1.3 2.7  
Izumi 泉 0.3 3.0  
Kamimatsukawa 上松川 0.7 3.7  
Sasaya 笹谷 0.5 4.2  
Sakuramizu 桜水 0.9 5.1  
Hirano 平野 1.1 6.2  
Iohji-mae 医王寺前 1.2 7.4  
Hanamizuzaka 花水坂 1.3 8.7  
Iizaka Onsen 飯坂温泉 0.5 9.2  

Service
Iizaka Line's yard at Sakuramizu

While the termini of the Iizaka Line are Fukushima and Iizaka Onsen stations, all trains night at the line's rail yard located at Sakuramizu Station.

Service frequency

Weekdays

As a general rule, trains come every 20–25 minutes in the early morning, every 15 minutes in the morning, every 25 minutes in the daytime, every 15 minutes in the evening, and every 25–30 minutes at night.

Weekends and holidays

As a general rule, trains come every 20–40 minutes in the early morning, every 20 minutes in the morning, every 25 minutes in the daytime, and every 30 minutes at night.

Rolling stock
  • 1000 series 2/3-car EMUs (since April 2017)
  • 7000 series 2/3-car EMUs

As of 1 April 2016, services on the line were operated using a fleet of four two-car and two three-car 7000 series stainless steel electric multiple unit (EMU) trains converted from former Tokyu 7000 series EMUs.[2]

In 2017, a number of former Tokyu 1000 series cars were resold to Fukushima Transportation for use on the Iizaka Line.[3]

The three-car sets are mainly used during the weekday morning peak hours only.[2]

7000 series

The 7000 series trains are formed as two- and three-car sets as follows.[2]

Two-car sets
Designation McMc
Numbering DeHa 71xxDeHa 72xx

The DeHa 7100 cars each have one lozenge-type pantograph.[2]

Three-car sets
Designation McTMc
Numbering DeHa 71xxSaHa 73xxDeHa 712xx

The DeHa 7100 cars each have one lozenge-type pantograph.[2]

Car identities

The former identities of the fleet are as shown below.[4]

Set No. Car No. Tokyu numbering
7101 DeHa 7101 DeHa 7126
DeHa 7202 DeHa 7125
7103 DeHa 7103 DeHa 7124
DeHa 7204 DeHa 7157
7105 DeHa 7105 DeHa 7158
DeHa 7206 DeHa 7123
7107 DeHa 7107 DeHa 7116
DeHa 7208 DeHa 7147
7109 DeHa 7109 DeHa 7148
DeHa 7202 DeHa 7115
7111 DeHa 7111 DeHa 7118
SaHa 7316 DeHa 7107
DeHa 7212 DeHa 7117
7113 DeHa 7113 DeHa 7140
SaHa 7315 DeHa 7134
DeHa 7214 DeHa 7129

1000 series
3-car set 1111 and 2-car set 1103 on delivery from Tokyu in November 2017

The 1000 series trains are formed as two- and three-car sets as follows.[3] Two sets (one two-car and one three-car set) were converted in fiscal 2016, entering service on 1 April 2017. Two more sets (one two-car and one three-car set) are scheduled to be introduced during fiscal 2017, followed by two more two-car sets in fiscal 2018, ultimately replacing the entire fleet of 7000 trainsets.[3]

Two-car sets
Designation McTc
Numbering DeHa 11xxKuHa 12xx

Three-car sets
Designation McMTc
Numbering DeHa 11xxDeHa 13xxKuHa 12xx

Car identities

The former identities of the fleet are as shown below.[3]

Set No. Car No. Tokyu numbering
1107 DeHa 1107 DeHa 1307
KuHa 1208 DeHa 1257
1109 DeHa 1109 DeHa 1308
DeHa 1313 DeHa 1408
KuHa 1210 DeHa 1258

History

1920s

The Iizaka Line's history can be traced back to August 1921 and the founding of Iizaka Tramway (飯坂軌道, Iizaka Kidō) which changed its name to Fukushima Iizaka Electric Tramway (福島飯坂電気軌道, Fukushima Iizaka Denki Kidō) before the end of the year. The 8.9 km section of tramway track between Fukushima and Iizaka Station (present-day Hanamizuzaka) opened on 13 April 1923.[5] Later on in the year the company was renamed Iizaka Electric Railway (飯坂電車, Iizaka Densha).

The track was soon extended, and in 1927 the present-day Iizaka Onsen Station became the new terminus with Iizaka Station's name being changed to Hanamizuzaka. 1927 also saw merger of Iizaka Electric Railway with Fukushima Electric Railway (福島電気鉄道, Fukushima Denki Testudō).

1940s–1980s

Izumi Station opened in 1940, and in the following years the section between Fukushima and Moriai (present-day Bijutsukantoshokanmae) was converted to dedicated tramway track. Due to the rebuilding and moving of the track, Moriai was closed then reopened in a new location and Soneda was closed and rebuilt as Dentetsu Fukushima (present-day Soneda). In 1944, Shimizu Yakuba-mae was renamed Iwashiroshimizu. On 1 March 1945, the line was reclassified as a regional railway line.[5]

Fukushima Electric Railway changed its name to Fukushima Transportation (福島交通, Fukushima Kōtsū) in 1962, and the same year Dentetsu Fukushima Station's name was changed to Soneda. Carrying capacity on the line was increased with the purchase of brand new 5000 series cars in 1963. Kamimatsukawa Station opened the following year.

Coming into the 1970s, capacity was increased further with the purchase of new 5300 series cars in 1971. The Iizaka East Line closed the same year, leaving the Iizaka Line as the only train line run by Fukushima Transportation. Sakuramizu Station opened in 1975, and three 3300 series cars were purchased from Tokyu in 1976.

In 1980 two more 5000 series cars were acquired from Tokyu, and two years later Iizaka Onsen Station was moved to coincide with the shortening of the line by 100 meters.

1990s–present

1991 saw multiple changes happen to the Iizaka Line, starting out with the renaming of Moriai to Bijutsukantoshokanmae. On 24 June 1991, the overhead catenary power supply was changed from 600 V to 1,500 V DC.[5]

2001 braking accident

At approximately 9:35 pm on April 8, 2001 a train that had departed from Iizaka Onsen in the direction of Fukushima had a brief power outage at Bijutsukantoshokanmae, two stations before Fukushima. When the train resumed operation it was realized that the braking system wasn't operating. The train continued past Soneda, the next station, and crashed through the buffer stop at Fukushima, the end of the line. The train continued for 12 meters further, coming to rest in Fukushima Station's East Building. Four people were injured, none seriously.

It was later discovered that due to improper maintenance, the power outage at Bijutsukantoshokanmae had caused the main brakes to become nonfunctional. The driver had also failed to activate the emergency brakes.[6]

Following the accident, an ATS safety system was installed.

2011 earthquake

All service on the Iizaka Line was shut down in the immediate aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, however normal service was restored two days later on March 13.[7]

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See also

References
  • 飯坂電車の歴史 (in Japanese). Fukushima Transportation. Retrieved 15 July 2011.

Notes
  1. 会社概要 (in Japanese). Fukushima Transportation. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  2. 私鉄車両編成表 2016 [Private Railway Rolling Stock Formations - 2016] (in Japanese). Japan: Kotsu Shimbunsha. 25 July 2016. p. 13. ISBN 978-4-330-70116-5.
  3. 福島交通1000系 [Fukushima Transportation 1000 series]. Japan Railfan Magazine (in Japanese). Vol. 57 no. 674. Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. June 2017. pp. 96–97.
  4. Kubo, Toshi (July 2017). 東京メトロ日比谷線-4 [Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line - 4]. Japan Railfan Magazine (in Japanese). Vol. 57 no. 675. Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. p. 123.
  5. Terada, Hirokazu (19 January 2013). データブック日本の私鉄 [Databook: Japan's Private Railways] (in Japanese). Japan: Neko Publishing. p. 23. ISBN 978-4-7770-1336-4.
  6. 鉄道事故の事例 (PDF) (in Japanese). The city of Sapporo. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 September 2011. Retrieved 25 June 2011.
  7. 福島の飯坂電車、運転再開へ (in Japanese). MSN 産経ニュース. Archived from the original on 6 April 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
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