Ōigawa Railway

Ōigawa Railway is a private railway company in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, founded in 1925. The company is commonly known as Daitetsu. The company was a subsidiary of the Meitetsu Group until 2015, when it was restructured and sold to, a food, hotel, and investment company headquartered in Hidaka, Hokkaido.

Operation

The company operates preserved steam locomotives, and has "sister railway" agreements with the Brienz Rothorn Railway in Switzerland and the Alishan Forest Railway in Taiwan. Because of its historical rolling stock and the picturesque scenery, the Ōigawa Main Line is often used for shooting films or TV programs, especially those set in the pre-war period, and has been used as a setting in anime.
Ōigawa Railway's locomotives include five characters from the Thomas & Friends series: Thomas the Tank Engine, Hiro, Percy, James the Red Engine, and Rusty. The locomotives are based at Shin-Kanaya Station. Thomas trains run between Shin-Kanaya and Kawaneonsen-Sasamado Station.

In September 2022, the Ōigawa Main Line suffered substantial damage from Tropical Storm Talas. Rail services between Kawane-Onsen Sasamado and Senzu Station were suspended until further notice, and steam locomotives were changed to only operate between Shin-Kanaya and Kawane-Onsen Sasamado. Ōigawa Railway advises customers intending to travel beyond Ieyama Station, i.e. to the Ikawa Line, towards Senzu and the Sumata Gorge area, to transfer to Kawanehon Town's community buses at Ieyama Station, which provide connections to Senzu Station.
In June 2024, was brought in to serve as president of Oigawa Railway, and set a goal of raising ¥2.1 billion, with help from national and local governments, to restore the full Ōigawa Main Line by 2029.

The company operates two gauge railway lines:

Both lines function primarily as sightseeing lines. The Ōigawa Main Line is known for its heritage steam trains, while the Ikawa Line is the only rack railway line in existence in Japan.
The company also operates a bus line near Sumatakyō Onsen in the town of Kawanehon.