I've been reading about this unique route recently, and decided to use it as a replacement of my previous suggestions of Tōbu Urban Park Line and Sakurai Line, both of which seem less impressive when compared to this, from the perspective of the time passed after I proposed those. The pros of this route include it being one of only four railways in Japan that are allowed street running, being operated by a non-JR company (which could be a benefit for licensing), being short (=presumably less resource-consuming to recreate), passing very close to residential buildings in many places, and having the beautiful settings of urban locations+coastline as backdrop. The route is only 10 km (6.2 mi) long, however a low speed limit means over half an hour of running between the origin and destination. Enoshima Electric Railway commuter route The logo of Enoshima Electric Railway, the operator of the route (image via Syohei Arai/public domain) An Enoshima Electric Railway 1200 series EMU train at Kamakurakōkōmae Station (photo by D1ck Thomas Johnson/CC BY 2.0) Contents: The route General description History Services, technical details Notable locationsRoute maps and media The rolling stock Former rolling stockSources The route General description Enoshima Electric Railway, also known as Enoden, connects Kamakura with Fujisawa along the coastline to the south of Tokyo. It is operated by the Odakyu Group, a group of companies mostly focused around the railway organisation but also involved in other fields of business. The 10 km (6.2 mi)-long route is one of only four railway routes in Japan that have been granted permission to operate street running. The railway employed over 220 people in 2018. The line has been featured in media including two anime productions and the Densha de GO! Ryojōhen simulator. History With the route founded in late 1900, the first line opened two years later, connecting Fujisawa and Katase (now Enoshima). The line, which runs along numerous tourist destinations, underwent a number of ownership changes throughout the 20th century. It is owned by the only company in Japan that has a shed (roof) in all normal boarding and alighting spaces except for the subway, monorail, and new transportation system. Popularity of the route and its stations - in particular the Kamakurakōkōmae Station located next to a high school - have meant additional safety measures like guards placed next to crossings over the line throughout the years by authorities. The operator has also signed tourism deals such as the 2013 cooperation agreement with the Taiwan Railways Administration, with the latter featuring offers for passengers to exchange used one-day tickets between the lines. The route first opened formally as a tram line, with Second World War-era requirements allowing a change of its profile to a railway. Some media outlets still refer to it as a tram route. Services, technical details Running on the Japanese narrow-gauge 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) tracks, EMUs of the route use 600 Volt DC overhead electrification and adhere to the average speed limit of about 22 km/h (13 mph). The route is single-tracked, and includes a 450-metre (1,480 ft)-long street section between Koshigoe and Enoshima stations. With 15 stations along the line, it also features a contemporary elevated section between Fujisawa Station and Ishigami Station, an iron bridge between Kugenuma Station and Shonan Kaigan Koen Station, Japan's only railway road combined bridge near Koshigoe Station, as well as sharp curves, barrier-free stations and other notable features. Notable locations Notable locations along the route include: Reachable from Hase Station: Kōtoku-in Buddhist temple in the city of Kamakura, built in 1252 and featuring a giant bronze statue of Amitābha, one of the most famous icons of Japan Reachable from Shōnankaigankōen Station: Shōnankaigan Park, Shōnan Beach and Suwa Shrine Reachable from Enoshima Station: Enoshima Aquarium, Katase Higashihama beach and Katase Nishihama / Kugenuma Beach Reachable from Koshigoe Station: Manpuku-ji and Jyosen-ji temples, as well as Koyurugi Shrine and Koshigoe fishing port Reachable from Gokurakuji Station: Gokuraku-ji Temple, a 1259-built Buddhist temple of the Shingon sect More details on tourist attractions along the route are available here. Route maps and media A collection of scenes of various EMUs running on the Enoden Railway in January 2022 Cab view of a journey between Kamakura and Fujisawa in fall of 2020 From left: the route highlighted; the route in a wider geographical context (via rome2rio.com); list of stations (via Wikipedia) From left: exterior of Enoshima Train Station (photo by Wei-Te Wong/CC BY-SA 2.0); Kamakura-Kōkō-Mae Station (photo by D1ck Thomas Johnson/CC BY 2.0); pedestrians outside Kamakura-Kōkō-Mae Station (photo by D1ck Thomas Johnson/CC BY 2.0) From left: exterior of Gokurakuji Station (photo by Quercus acuta/CC0); a 1000 series EMU entering Hase Station (photo by jessedyck/CC0); platform of Fujisawa Station (photo by SElefant/CC BY_SA 3.0) The rolling stock Based on the most recent widely available data, the railway operates the 2000 series, 500 series, 300 series, 1000 series, 10 series and 20 series EMUs. 2000 series A 2000 series EMU running on the line Built by Tokyu Vehicle Manufacturing between 1990-1992, the 2000 series were manufactured in three formations, with the 62-seat configuration allowing them to have a capacity of 144 passengers. Their operating speed is limited to 45 km/h (27 mph). The train was selected for the Good Design Product and Fujisawa City Design Award in 1990. 500 series A 500 series train operating on the line in April 2012 Tokyu Vehicle Manufacturing built the 500 series between 2006-2008 in two formations of four cars to begin replacing the ageing 300 series. It was the first Japanese train entirely built from stainless steel for a combined track route. Capable of transporting 143 passengers, it uses a single-arm pantograph and can reach 60 km/h (37 mph) by design. 300 series From left: a 300 series EMU photographed in September 2005 between Koshigoe and Enoshima (photo by 日本語版ウィキペディア/public domain); seating arrangement in the 300 series (photo by MaedaAkihiko/CC BY-SA 4.0) The 300 series was produced in 1960 by Toyoko Vehicle Industry and has a seated capacity of 72 passengers. A total of four TDK-31SM DC series commutator motors with an output of 48.5 kW are mounted on the front and rear trolleys, enabling the EMU to reach 36 km/h (22 mph). It is equipped with electromagnetic SME braking system featuring three-tube direct air braking. 1000 series A 1000 series EMU between Enoshima Station and Koshigoe Station (photo by 4681gene/CC BY-SA 4.0) Manufactured between 1979-1987 by Tokyu Vehicle Manufacturing, the 1000 series EMU was awarded the Japan Railfan Club Blue Ribbon Award in 1980, with the prize distinguishing the most popular vehicle released in the previous year. The train can reach 45 km/h (27 mph), is equipped with HRD-1 electric air brakes and TDK5610-A or TDK8005-A traction motors. 10 series Formation 10-50 of the 10 series EMU (photo by TKM3708/CC BY-SA 4.0) The 10 series EMU was built in 1997 by Tokyu Vehicle Manufacturing in a single formation of two cars. Made of stainless steel, its classic livery is based on Orient Express. The interior decoration is also based on a retro style of the past. The train can reach 45 km/h (27 mph). 20 series A 20 series EMU operating on Enoden Railway (photo by 著者情報を閲覧/public domain) The 20 series trains were built between 2002-2003 in two formations of four cars by Tokyu Vehicle Manufacturing. Manufactured from stainless steel, the EMUs use single-arm pantographs. The vehicles can transport 144 passengers wit a speed of up to 45 km/h (27 mph). Former rolling stock Former vehicles on the route include the 1 series, 100 series, 200 series, Old 500 series, 600 series, 800 series and Cool Tram. From left: a 100 series 'Tankoro' EMU between Nanarigahama and Inamuragasaki (photo by Shellparakeet/CC0); an Old 500 series photographed around 1995 at Shichirigahama Station (photo by 利用者:Cassiopeia sweet/CC BY-SA 3.0) [/I] From left: a 600 series train at Enoshima Station (photo by NUTROCKER/CC BY-SA 3.0); an 800 series EMU, photographed in 2006 in Tonegawa Park (photo by NekoJaNekoJa~commonswiki/CC BY-SA 3.0) Sources https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Enoshima_Electric_Railway https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Odakyu_Group https://www.wikiwand.com/ja/江ノ島電鉄 https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Hase_Station_(Kanagawa) https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Kōtoku-in https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Shōnankaigankōen_Station https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Enoshima_Station https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Koshigoe_Station https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Gokurakuji_Station https://www.wikiwand.com/ja/江ノ島鎌倉観光300形電車 https://www.wikiwand.com/ja/江ノ島鎌倉観光1000形電車 https://www.wikiwand.com/ja/江ノ島電鉄2000形電車 https://www.wikiwand.com/ja/江ノ島電鉄10形電車 https://www.wikiwand.com/ja/江ノ島電鉄20形電車 https://www.wikiwand.com/ja/江ノ島電鉄500形電車 https://www.enoden.co.jp/en
I’ve had the privilege to travel on this route. The rolling stock is so unique and the stations also differ from the usual Japanese style. It’s almost like being able to travel a historical route in the present day. I’d look forward to a route like this for the detail in the stock and detail in the landscape. It is in a really nice small town feel area, as picturesque as the edge of Tokyo can get. Not sure it would have much variety in game play though.
That sounds awesome. I think routes like this - ones that pass near/through cities with lots of adjacent traffic - really have a feeling of being alive, unlike other types where you only see people/traffic near stations. That is one of the great pros of such proposals.
It's a cute route, but these tram like trains are really not my thing. But they have their appeal, that's for sure.
The image is lifted from Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai - a psychological drama set in the Kamakura/Enoshima area.
I wanted to add this video after its upload in April, as videos from this channel often present Japanese rail lines and their atmosphere and details better than cab rides or trainspotting footage can. Really well-produced footage and editing:
