Kurobe Senyō Railway
The Kurobe Senyō Railway is a narrow gauge industrial railway line in Toyama Prefecture, Japan. It is operated by the Kurobe Gorge Railway Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Kansai Electric Power Company. There are two lines, the Jōbu Track and the Kuronagi Branch Line. Both lines provide access to Kansai Electric's hydroelectric power plants on the Kurobe River and are generally not open to the public. The Jōbu Track runs regular trains, while the Kuronagi branch sees very infrequent operation.
Jōbu Track
The Jōbu Track is a, single track line that runs from Keyakidaira-Jōbu Station to Kurobegawa No.4 Power Station-mae. The Jōbu Track was built as a counterpart to the Kurobe Gorge Railway Main Line, with "Jōbu Track" literally meaning "Upper Track". Conversely, the Kurobe Gorge Railway Main Line is sometimes called the Kabu Track.The section between Keyakidaira and Sennindani was built in 1941 for the construction of the Kurobegawa No.3 Power Station. The section between Sennindani and Kurobegawa No.4 Power Station-mae was built in 1963 for the construction of the No.4 station.
A section between Asohara and Sennindani is known as the High Temperature Tunnel. During construction, the temperature of the surrounding rocks was, which caused dynamite used for excavating the tunnel to explode prematurely. The area has since cooled to.
Stations
Stations listed in italics are depots. All stations are located in Kurobe, Toyama except Kurobegawa No.4 Power Station-mae, which is located in Tateyama, Toyama.- Keyakidaira-Jōbu: Altitude 800 m. Linked to Keyakidaira-Kabu by an elevator. Keyakidaira-Kabu is virtually the same station as Keyakidaira, Kurobe Gorge Railway Main Line.
- Shiaidani
- Oriodani
- Asohara
- Sennindani
- Kurobegawa No.4 Power Station-mae: Altitude. Linked to Incline-Jōbu by a funicular.
Services
The Jōbu Track forms part of the Kurobe Route, an industrial transportation route which runs between Keyakidaira Station and Kurobe Dam Station, which connect to the Kurobe Gorge Railway Main Line and the Kanden Tunnel Electric Bus respectively. From Keyakidaira Station, a short industrial track leads to Keyakidaira-Kabu station, where a large elevator lifts train carriages one-by-one to Keyakidaira-Jōbu Station, above. The Jōbu Track then begins from Keyakidaira-Jōbu and runs to Kurobegawa No.4 Power Station-mae. From there, a funicular goes to Incline Jōbu Station, above, and a bus connection links Incline Jōbu Station to Kurobe Dam Station, away, via the Kurobe Tunnel.Motive power on the Jōbu Track is provided by battery-powered locomotives, which tow small freight or passenger cars a few times a day. Battery power is used because the High Temperature Tunnel can flash off the fuels of combustion engines. Because the line runs almost entirely within tunnels, the Jōbu Track operates year-round, unlike the Kurobe Gorge Railway, which closes during winter due to heavy snow.
The Kurobe Route, including the Jōbu Track, is generally not open to the public. However, starting in 1996, visitors are allowed to ride the route as part of a limited study tour. Visitors must book in advance, and in most cases, there are more applicants than the limit, in which case applicants are selected via lottery. In 2007, 34 tours were held with 2040 participants.