Kaigan Line
| Kaigan Line | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
 A Kobe Municipal Subway 5000 series train in 2016 | |||
| Overview | |||
| Other name(s) | Yumekamome | ||
| Native name | 海岸線 | ||
| Status | Operational | ||
| Owner | Kobe Municipal Transportation Bureau | ||
| Locale | Kobe | ||
| Termini | |||
| Stations | 10 | ||
| Service | |||
| Type | Rapid transit | ||
| System |  Kobe Municipal Subway | ||
| Operator(s) | Kobe Municipal Transportation Bureau | ||
| History | |||
| Opened | 7 July 2001 | ||
| Technical | |||
| Line length | 7.9 km (4.9 mi) | ||
| Number of tracks | 2 | ||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge | ||
| Electrification | 1,500 V DC overhead catenary | ||
| Operating speed | 70 km/h (43 mph)[1] | ||
| |||
The Kaigan Line (海岸線, Kaigan-sen, literally "Coast Line"), also known as the "Yumekamome" (Japanese: 夢かもめ), is one of two lines of the Kobe Municipal Subway. Trains of the line are propelled by linear motors. This is the third linear motor rapid transit line to be built in Japan.
History
Construction of the line began in 1994 but was interrupted by the Great Hanshin earthquake which hit Kobe in 1995.[2] Despite the cross section of the tunnels being smaller compared to a conventional subway tunnel, there was still a substantial amount of construction happening at surface level.[2]
After being scheduled for a 1999 opening, revenue service began in 2001.[3]
Since opening, ridership numbers have stagnated. The projected ridership within 2001 was estimated to be 80,000 boardings, the actual boardings recorded were just over 34,000 in that year.[3] The goal of 50,000 boardings by 2020 was also not achieved. As a result, the line has accumulated a deficit of over ¥100 Billion over 20 years of operation as of 2021.[3]
Operation
The line is 7.9 km (4.9 mi) long and runs between Shin-Nagata Station in the west to Sannomiya-Hanadokeimae Station in the east.[2]
The maximum grade on the line is 50‰.[2]
Stations
| No. | Name | Japanese | Inter-station distance (km) |
Total distance (km) |
Transfers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| K01 | Sannomiya-Hanadokeimae | 三宮・花時計前 | - | 0.0 |
|
| K02 | Kyukyoryuchi-Daimarumae | 旧居留地・大丸前 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
|
| K03 | Minato Motomachi | みなと元町 (ワコーレ和田興産前) |
0.8 | 1.3 | |
| K04 | Harborland | ハーバーランド (デュオこうべ前) |
1.0 | 2.3 |
|
| K05 | Chūō-Ichibamae | 中央市場前 | 1.4 | 3.7 | |
| K06 | Wadamisaki | 和田岬 (三菱神戸病院前) |
0.9 | 4.6 | San'yō Main Line (Wadamisaki Line) |
| K07 | Misaki-Kōen | 御崎公園 | 1.1 | 5.7 | |
| K08 | Karumo | 苅藻 (三ツ星ベルト前) |
0.8 | 6.5 | |
| K09 | Komagabayashi | 駒ヶ林 (三国志のまち・アグロガーデン前) |
0.8 | 7.3 | |
| K10 | Shin-Nagata | 新長田 (鉄人28号前) |
0.6 | 7.9 |
|
Rolling stock
- 5000 series (since 2001)
All trains are based at Misaki-Kōen Depot.
References
- ^ 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. 154. ISBN 978-4-7770-1336-4.
- ^ a b c d "海岸線の歴史と建設工事" [Kaigan Line History and Construction Work] (PDF). SUBWAY (in Japanese). No. 220. Tokyo, Japan: Japan Subway Association. 27 February 2019. p. 38. ISSN 0289-5668. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 June 2020. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
- ^ a b c "累積赤字１千億円超、地下鉄海岸線 開業２０年、一度も黒字なし 神戸の下町、活性化遠く" [Cumulative Deficit of the Kaigan Line reaches 100 Billion Yen 20 Years Since Opening]. Kobe Shimbun Online (in Japanese). 27 July 2021. Archived from the original on 28 July 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
