Tosaden Kōtsū


Tosaden Kōtsū, sometimes rendered in English as Tosaden Traffic, is a transportation company in Kōchi, Japan. The third-sector company operates tram and bus lines.
The company was established on October 1, 2014, by merging the businesses of Tosa Electric Railway, a tram and bus company, as well as its subsidiary Tosaden Dream Service, a bus company, and Kōchiken Kōtsū, a bus company.

History

Tosa Electric Railway was founded on July 8, 1903, and the tram line was opened on May 2, 1904. The company also operated a heavy railway line called Aki Line, but it was closed in 1974. The company was commonly known as Toden among locals, while people in other prefectures tend to call it Tosaden, as the word Toden can be confusing with Tokyo Metropolitan Tramway, which was commonly called Toden.
Tosa Electric Railway and Kōchiken Kōtsū introduced DESUCA, a smart card ticket system, in January 2009.
In June 2014, the shareholders of Tosa Electric Railway and Kōchiken Kōtsū, both in the state of insolvency, approved the reconstruction plan, under which the companies' businesses be transferred to the newly established company funded by Kōchi Prefecture and other 12 municipalities. The name of the company was selected from 1,235 proposals from the public.

Tram lines

There are three lines with 76 stations, covering a total distance of 25.3 km. It is the second longest tram network in Japan, after Hiroshima Electric Railway. The network in Kōchi, however, has suffered from declining ridership since the 1960s. In an attempt to reverse this trend, the company has tried introducing newly built stations and cars, but has not seen much success. The Government of Kōchi Prefecture, as well as that of Kōchi City are considering plans to support the company.

Lines

  • Sanbashi Line: Kōchi-Ekimae — Harimayabashi — Sambashidōri-Gochōme
  • Ino Line: Harimayabashi — Ino
  • *Most tramcars directly continue to Gomen Line.
  • Gomen Line: Harimayabashi — Gomenmachi
  • *Most tramcars directly continue to Ino Line.

    Connections

  • Asahi-Ekimaedōri Station: JR Shikoku Dosan Line
  • Asakura-Ekimae Station: Dosan Line
  • Edagawa Station: Dosan Line
  • Gomenmachi Station: Tosa Kuroshio Railway Asa Line
  • Ino-Ekimae Station: Dosan Line
  • Kōchi-Ekimae Station: Dosan Line

    Bus lines

The company operates long-distance buses linking Kōchi City and major cities of Japan, including Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Hiroshima, and Fukuoka. It also operates a local network in/around the city.