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
Locale	Yamanashi Prefecture
Termini	Ōtsuki Kawaguchiko
Stations	18
Service
Type	Commuter rail
Operator(s)	Fuji Kyuko
History
Opened	September 21, 1900
Technical
Line length	26.6 km (16.5 mi)
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	1,500 V DC, overhead lines
Route map Legend ←Chūō Main Line→ 0.0 Ōtsuki 0.6 Kamiōtsuki 3.0 Tanokura ←Yamanashi Test Track→ Katsura River 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 Chūō Expressway 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.^{[citation needed]}

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 meters (1,175 ft) above sea level) to Kawaguchiko (857 meters (2,812 ft) above sea level): a 500-metre (1,640 ft) ascent over the 26.6-kilometre (16.5 mi) 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]

The Fuji Kyuko established "Fuji Sanroku Electric Railway" (Ja:富士山麓電気鉄道/ Fuji Sanroku Denki Tetsudo) in May 2021 because the company will split Fuji Kyuko railway department from 1 April 2022. And, Fujikyuko Line will surely belong to "Fuji San-Roku Denki Tetsudo" from 1 April 2022.^[2][3]

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 Mount Fuji), and the Kawaguchiko Line runs roughly NW from Mount Fuji to Kawaguchiko.

Stations

• All stations are located in Yamanashi Prefecture.

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.^{[citation needed]} 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).^{[citation needed]}In 1921, the two companies merged, converted the Otsuki to Kasei section to 762 mm gauge, and electrified the line.^{[citation needed]}

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.^[4] The line was extended from Fuji-yoshida to Kawaguchiko, opening on 24 August 1950.^[4] The operating company was renamed Fujikyuko from 25 May 1960.^[4]

Freight services on the line were discontinued from 1 April 1978.^[4]

Rolling stock

• Fujikyu 1000 series
• Fujikyu 1200 series (Fuji Tozan train)
• Fujikyu 6000 series (since February 2012)
• Fujikyu 8000 series (Fujisan Limited Express services since 12 July 2014)^[5]
• Fujikyu 8500 series (Fujisan View Express services from 23 April 2016)^[6]

• 
  A 1000 series train in January 2011
• 
  The 1200 series Fuji Tozan train in October 2010
• 
  A 6000 series EMU January 2018
• 
  The 8000 series Fujisan Limited Express January 2018
• 
  The 8500 series Fujisan View Express in January 2018

Former rolling stock

• Fujikyu 2000 series (Fujisan Limited Express services, February 2002 - 7 February 2016)^[7]

The last remaining 2000 series set was withdrawn after its final run on 7 February 2016.^[8]

• Fujikyu 5000 series (Tomasland Express services,　2007 - 2019)

• 
  2000 series Fujisan Limited Express, August 2009

See also

• Tenjō-Yama Park Mt. Kachi Kachi Ropeway
• List of railway companies in Japan
• List of railway lines in Japan

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. About establishment of new railway company
3. Decision of splitting Fujikyuko railway department into Fuji San-Roku Denki Tetsudo
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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. pp. 104–105.
7. 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.
8. 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.

External links

• Official website