Ryūgasaki Line

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The Ryūgasaki Line is a short, rural railway in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, operated by Kantō Railway. It is non-electrified and has a single track. The line is 4.5 km long and runs from Sanuki (on the Jōban Line) to Ryūgasaki, with one intermediate station at Ireji. The three stations are Sanuki, Ireji, and Ryūgasaki. All trains are local and stop at every station; the trip takes about 7 minutes. Trains run roughly every 20 minutes during morning and evening peak hours and about every 30 minutes at other times.

History: The line opened on 14 August 1900 as a narrow-gauge steam line (762 mm). It was widened to 1,067 mm in July 1915. The Ryūgasaki Railway Company built it, which later merged into Kashima Sangu Railway in 1944, and then into Kantō Railway in 1965. Freight services ended in 1971, and driver-only operation began in August 1971, making it Japan’s first driver-only line.

Rolling stock and operation: The line uses KiHa 532 and KiHa 2000 DMUs, with a maximum speed of 50 km/h.