Chichibu Railway

Japanese railway company

Chichibu Railway Co., Ltd.
Logo used since FY2019
Native name	秩父鉄道株式会社
Romanized name	Chichibu Tetsudō kabushiki gaisha
Company type	Publicly listed subsidiary KK
Traded as	JASDAQ: 9012
Industry	Railway
Founded	8 November 1899
Headquarters	Kumagaya, Saitama, Japan
Key people	Shigetoshi Arafune (CEO)
Owner	Taiheiyo Cement (33.51%) Tobu Railway (0.7%)
Number of employees	356 (601 incl. related businesses)
Parent	Taiheiyo Cement Corporation (33.50%)
Website	chichibu-railway.co.jp

The Chichibu Railway Company, Ltd. (秩父鉄道株式会社, Chichibu Tetsudō Kabushiki-gaisha) is a small-sector private railway company operating a railway line in northern Saitama Prefecture, Japan. In addition to its railway operations, the company deals in the real estate and tourism industries. It managed the Mitsumine Ropeway (三峰ロープウェイ) until it closed in December 2007 and the Mikajiri Line until its closure in 2020.^[1] Taiheiyo Cement is its largest shareholder, and one of Chichibu Railway's main operations is the transportation of limestone from Mount Bukō. The railway's passenger services concentrate on the tourism industry, as there are popular destinations along the line. A train hauled by a steam locomotive also operates regularly during some seasons, attracting tourists from around the country.

Lines

Railway lines

Chichibu Main Line: from Hanyū to Mitsumineguchi (passenger line)

Former Lines

Mikajiri Line (三ヶ尻線): from Takekawa Station to Kumagaya Kamotsu Terminal (freight line which carried coal closed in 2020)

Aerial tramway lines

Mitsumine Ropeway at Mitsumineguchi (closed in December 2007)

History

8 November 1899 - Founded as Jōbu Railway (Headquartered in now-defunct Nihonbashi Ward, Tokyo City).^[2]
7 October 1901 - Started operations between Kumagaya and Yorii.^[2]
1916 - Company name changed to Chichibu Railway.
1921 - Started operations between Hokubu Railway's Hanyu Station and Gyoda Station (now Gyodashi Station).
1922 - Chichibu Railway acquired Hokubu Railway.^[2]
1930 - Started operations on the full line between Hanyu and Mitsumineguchi.
1954 - Started direct operations with the Tōbu Tōjō Line.
1980 - Headquarters moved to Kumagaya, Saitama.
1988 - Started operations of a steam locomotive-hauled train, the Paleo Express.
1989 - Started direct operations with Seibu Railway.
1997 - Moved bus operations to a separate entity, Chichibu Railway Sightseeing Bus Co., Ltd.
12 March 2022 - Start of fare collection with PASMO transit smartcard.^[3]

References

This article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia.

^ Mikajiri Line closure brings Japanese coal traffic to an end
^ ^a ^b ^c Terada, Hirokazu (July 2002). データブック日本の私鉄 (Databook: Japan's Private Railways). Japan: Neko Publishing. ISBN 978-4-87366-874-1.
^ "秩父鉄道，交通系ICカード「PASMO」を3月12日から導入" [Chichibu Railway introduces transportation IC card "PASMO" from March 12th]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online. 27 January 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2022.