Fujikyuko Line

The Fujikyuko Line (富士急行線, Fuji-Kyūkō-sen) is a Japanese private railway line in Yamanashi Prefecture, between Ōtsuki Station in Ōtsuki and Kawaguchiko Station in Fujikawaguchiko. It is the only railway line operated by Fuji Kyuko.

Fujikyuko Line
8500 series Fujisan View Express
Overview
Native name富士急行線
LocaleYamanashi Prefecture
TerminiŌtsuki
Kawaguchiko
Stations18
Service
TypeCommuter rail
Operator(s)Fuji Kyuko
History
OpenedSeptember 21, 1900
Technical
Line length26.6 km (16.5 mi)
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification1,500 V DC, overhead lines
Route map
0.0 Ōtsuki
0.6 Kamiōtsuki
3.0 Tanokura
Katsura River
5.6 Kasei
7.1 Akasaka
8.6 Tsurushi
9.4 Yamuramachi
10.6 Tsuru-bunkadaigaku-mae
Katsura River
11.5 Tōkaichiba
13.1 Higashi-Katsura
15.8 Mitsutōge
18.8 Kotobuki
Chūō Expressway
20.2 Yoshiikeonsenmae
21.1 Shimoyoshida
21.9 Gekkōji
↑Ōtsuki Line
23.6 Mt. Fuji
↓Kawaguchiko Line
25.0 Fujikyu-Highland
Chūō Expressway
26.6 Kawaguchiko

The railway line officially consists of the Ōtsuki Line (大月線, Ōtsuki-sen) and Kawaguchiko Line (河口湖線, Kawaguchiko-sen), but the two lines are operated as one. The line can be traced back to the Tsuru Horse-drawn Tramway (都留馬車鉄道) which began operation in 1900.

Service outline

Local trains (which stop at all stations) run about every 30 minutes. As well as these, several Fujisan Tokkyu (Mount Fuji express) services are operated. The line is mountainous, climbing from Otsuki (358 metres above sea level) to Kawaguchiko (857 metres above sea level): a 500-metre ascent over the 26.6 kilometre route. In many places, Mount Fuji can be seen from the train.

The Fujikyuko Line is the only railway service to access the northern Yamanashi side of Mount Fuji and Fuji Five Lakes, part of Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. However, direct and frequent highway bus services from Shinjuku terminal to Fujiyoshida and Kawaguchiko are faster and more convenient when travelling from Tokyo. There are not many direct services from Tokyo to the Fuji Kyūkō Line apart from a few seasonal rapid trains at weekends and some local commuter trains.

Fuji Kyuko railway and bus lines accept Pasmo, Suica, and other IC farecards. The railway was provided with the capability from 14 March 2015.[1]

Basic data
  • Distance (Ōtsuki — Kawaguchiko): 26.6 km
    • Ōtsuki Line (Ōtsuki — Mt. Fuji): 23.6 km
    • Kawaguchiko Line (Mt. Fuji — Kawaguchiko): 3.0 km

It is a single-track railway, but there are passing loops at about half the stations. The Ōtsuki Line runs roughly SW from Ōtsuki to Mt. Fuji), and the Kawaguchiko Line runs roughly NW from Mt. Fuji to Kawaguchiko.

Stations

Legend
O: Trains stop at this station
|: Trains do not stop at this station

Line Station No. Station name Elevation
(m)		 Distance (km) Limited
Express		 Transfers Location
Between
stations		 Cumulative
Ōtsuki Line FJ01 Ōtsuki 大月 358 - 0.0 O Chūō Main Line Ōtsuki
FJ02 Kamiōtsuki (some trains stop) 上大月 358 0.6 0.6 |  
FJ03 Tanokura 田野倉 392 2.4 3.0 | Tsuru
FJ04 Kasei 禾生 421 2.6 5.6 |
FJ05 Akasaka 赤坂 445 1.5 7.1 |
FJ06 Tsurushi 都留市 467 1.5 8.6 |
FJ07 Yamuramachi 谷村町 484 0.8 9.4 |
FJ08 Tsurubunkadaigakumae 都留文科大学前 503 1.2 10.6 O
FJ09 Tōkaichiba 十日市場 520 0.9 11.5 |
FJ10 Higashikatsura 東桂 561 1.6 13.1 |
FJ11 Mitsutōge 三つ峠 616 2.7 15.8 | Nishikatsura
FJ12 Kotobuki 寿 710 3.0 18.8 | Fujiyoshida
FJ13 Yoshiikeonsenmae 葭池温泉前 739 1.4 20.2 |
FJ14 Shimoyoshida 下吉田 753 0.9 21.1 O
FJ15 Gekkōji 月江寺 776 0.8 21.9 |
FJ16 Mt. Fuji 富士山 809 1.7 23.6 O
Kawaguchiko Line
FJ17 Fujikyu-Highland 富士急ハイランド 829 1.4 25.0 O Fujikawaguchiko
FJ18 Kawaguchiko 河口湖 857 1.6 26.6 O

History

The Tsuru Horse-drawn Tramway opened a 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) gauge line from Tsurushi to Shimoyoshida in 1900. In 1903, the Fuji Horse-drawn Tramway opened a 610 mm (2 ft) gauge line from Otsuki to Kasei, the same year the Tsuru Horse-drawn Tramway was extended from Tsurushi to Kasei, and from Shimoyoshida to Fuji-yoshida (present-day Fujisan).In 1921, the two companies merged, converted the Otsuki to Kasei section to 762 mm gauge, and electrified the line.

On 18 September 1926, the Fuji Electric Railway (富士山麓電気鉄道) was founded, and on 19 June 1929, it started operating a new 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) line from Otsuki to Fuji-yoshida, electrified at 1,500 V DC overhead.[2] The line was extended from Fuji-yoshida to Kawaguchiko, opening on 24 August 1950.[2] The operating company was renamed Fujikyuko from 25 May 1960.[2]

Freight services on the line were discontinued from 1 April 1978.[2]

Rolling stock
  • A 1000 series train in January 2011
  • The 1200 series Fuji Tozan train in October 2010
  • A 6000 series EMU in November 2012
  • The 8000 series Fujisan Limited Express in July 2014
  • The 8500 series Fujisan View Express in June 2016

Former rolling stock

The last remaining 2000 series set was withdrawn after its final run on 7 February 2016.[6]

  • Fujikyu 5000 series(Tomasland Express services,　2007 - 2019)
  • 2000 series Fujisan Limited Express, August 2009

See also

References

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

  1. 富士急行線にＩＣカード乗車券システム「Ｓｕｉｃａ」を導入します ["Suica" IC card ticketing system to be introduced on Fujikyuko Line] (PDF). Press release (in Japanese). Japan: Fujikyuko. March 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 March 2014. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
  2. Terada, Hirokazu (19 January 2013). データブック日本の私鉄 [Databook: Japan's Private Railways]. Japan: Neko Publishing. p. 82. ISBN 978-4-7770-1336-4.
  3. 富士急、新型『フジサン特急』8000系を公開. Response (in Japanese). Japan: IID Inc. 8 July 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
  4. 富士急行8500系 [Fuji Kyuko 8500 series]. Japan Railfan Magazine (in Japanese). Vol. 56 no. 662. Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. June 2016. p. 104–105.
  5. 国鉄の急行形直流電車、終焉へ 生き残りの「フジサン特急」2月引退 [The final curtain for JNR express-type trains - Final Fujisan Limited Express to be retired in February]. Livedoor News (in Japanese). Japan: Line Corporation. 9 December 2015. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
  6. 富士急行2000形が引退 [Fujikyu 2000 series withdrawn]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 8 February 2016. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
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