Ainokaze Toyama Railway

The Ainokaze Toyama Railway (あいの風とやま鉄道株式会社, Ainokaze Toyama Tetsudō Kabushiki-gaisha) is a Japanese third-sector railway operating company established in 2012 to operate passenger railway services on the section of the JR West Hokuriku Main Line within Toyama Prefecture when it was separated from the JR West network in March 2015, coinciding with the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen extension from Nagano to Kanazawa. The company was founded on 24 July 2012, and has its headquarters in Toyama (city) in Toyama Prefecture.[1]

Ainokaze Toyama Railway

Native name	あいの風とやま鉄道
Type	Third sector
Genre	Rail transport
Founded	24 July 2012
Headquarters	Toyama, Toyama , Japan
Area served	Toyama Prefecture
Services	Passenger railway
Number of employees	155 (as of January 2015)
Website	ainokaze.co.jp

Shareholders

As of 2013, Toyama Prefecture is the main shareholder, owning 63% of the company's shares, 27% is owned by municipalities within Toyama Prefecture, and 10% is owned by private-sector businesses.[1]

Ainokaze Toyama Railway Line

Ainokaze Toyama Railway Line
Overview
Native name	あいの風とやま鉄道線
Status	Operational
Owner	Ainokaze Toyama Railway
Locale	Ishikawa Prefecture Toyama Prefecture Niigata Prefecture
Termini	Kurikara Ichiburi
Stations	22
Service
Type	Regional rail
Rolling stock	413 series/521 series EMUs
History
Opened	1898
Technical
Line length	100.1 km (62.2 mi)
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	20 kV AC (60 Hz)
Route map IR Ishikawa Railway Line 0.0 Kurikara Kurikara Tunnel ↑Ishikawa/Toyama↓ Hokuriku Shinkansen 4.6 Anrakuji (Signal Box) Until 1962 Kaetsunō Railway Kaetsu Line 6.8 Isurugi Oyabe River 14.0 Fukuoka 17.5 Nishi-Takaoka 20.3 Tenpogawa (Signal Box) Until 1965 West JR Jōhana Line 22.8 Takaoka (Takaoka Station) JR West Himi Line Shō River 26.5 Etchū-Daimon For Denki Kagaku Kogyo Hokuriku Shinkansen 30.2 Kosugi 36.8 Kureha Kureha Tunnel Former Line Takayama Main Line Toyama Chihō Railway Imizu Line 40.2 Dakariya (Signal Box) Until 1956 40.9 Toyama Until 1908 Jinzū River Toyama Port Line 41.6 Toyama Toyama Station/(Toyama Station Nord) Toyama Light Rail Toyamakō Line Itachigawa Chitetsu (Toyamaguchi) Toyama Rail Yard Former Toyama Light Rail Toyamakō Line 44.4 Toyama Freight Terminal Hasumachi Toyama Light Rail Toyamakō Line 48.2 Higashi-Toyama Jōganji River 53.1 Mizuhashi Shiraiwagawa Kamiichigawa 56.1 Kamiichigawa (Signal Box) Until 1966 Chitetsu Main Line Naka-Namerikawa 58.6 Namerikawa Hamakazumi Hayatsuki-Kazumi 62.1 Higashi-Namerikawa Etchu-Nakamura Hayatsukigawa 64.4 Kadokawa (Signal Box) (Until 1968) (Nishi-Uozu) ER-Uozu For Japan Carbide Industries 67.1 Uozu 69.7 Katakai (Signal Box) Until 1969 73.4 Kurobe Former TER Ishida Line Horikiri Former ER Kurobe Branchline Ishida (Signal Box) ER Main Line Dentetsu Kurobe 77.4 Ikuji Kurobe River 81.6 Nishi-Nyūzen 85.5 Nyūzen 88.1 Ogawa (Signal Box) Until 1967 90.7 Tomari Miyazaki Tunnel 95.4 Etchū-Miyazaki ↑Toyama/Niigata↓ 100.1 Ichiburi ETR Nihonkai Hisui Line

From 14 March 2015, the Ainokaze Toyama Railway took over control of local passenger operations on the 100.1 km section JR West Hokuriku Main Line between Ichiburi in neighbouring Niigata Prefecture and Kurikara in neighbouring Ishikawa Prefecture, with a total of 21 stations.[2]

Service outline

While the Ainokaze Toyama Railway Line officially stretches from Kurikara in the west to Ichiburi in the east, most services terminate at Tomari to the east, with a same-platform transfer provided to Echigo Tokimeki Railway Nihonkai Hisui Line services.[2] Some through services continue over the Echigo Tokimeki Railway Nihonkai Hisui Line to and from Itoigawa.[2] To the west, most services continue to and from Kanazawa over the IR Ishikawa Railway Line.[2] In addition to all-stations "Local" (普通, futsū) services, limited-stop "Rapid" services named Ainokaze Liner (あいの風ライナー) operate between Tomari and Toyama or Kanazawa during the weekday morning and evening peaks. A supplementary liner fare of 300 yen is required to board these services, and all seats are reserved.[2]

ICOCA and other compatible IC farecards can be used on the line since 26 March 2015.[2]

Stations

Station	Japanese	Liner	Transfers	Location
Kurikara	倶利伽羅	|	IR Ishikawa Railway Line	Tsubata, Kahoku	Ishikawa Prefecture
Isurugi	石動	O		Oyabe	Toyama Prefecture
Fukuoka	福岡	|		Takaoka
Nishi-Takaoka	西高岡	|
Takaoka-Yabunami	高岡やぶなみ	|
Takaoka	高岡	O	Jōhana Line Himi Line Manyōsen Takaoka Kidō Line (Takaoka Station)
Etchū-Daimon	越中大門	|		Imizu
Kosugi	小杉	O
Kureha	呉羽	|		Toyama
Toyama	富山	O	Toyama Light Rail Toyamakō Line (Toyamaekikita) Toyama Chiho Railway Main Line (Dentetsu-Toyama), Toyama City Tram Line (Toyama-Ekimae) Hokuriku Shinkansen Takayama Main Line
Higashi-Toyama	東富山	|
Mizuhashi	水橋	|
Namerikawa	滑川	O	Toyama Chiho Railway Main Line	Namerikawa
Higashi-Namerikawa	東滑川	|
Uozu	魚津	O	Toyama Chiho Railway Main Line (Shin-Uozu)	Uozu
Kurobe	黒部	O		Kurobe
Ikuji	生地	|
Nishi-Nyūzen	西入善	|		Nyūzen, Shimoniikawa
Nyūzen	入善	O
Tomari	泊	O	Echigo Tokimeki Railway Nihonkai Hisui Line	Asahi
Etchū-Miyazaki	越中宮崎
Ichiburi	市振		Echigo Tokimeki Railway Nihonkai Hisui Line	Itoigawa	Niigata Prefecture

Rolling stock

Services on the line use a fleet of 16 two-car 521 series (2nd-batch type) electric multiple unit (EMU) trains and five three-car 413 series EMUs (former sets B01 to B03, B07, and B10) acquired from JR West.[3] The 521 series trains will receive a new livery with a blue wave design on the seaward (north) side and a green wave design on the landward (south) side.[2] While both the Ainokaze Toyama Railway and neighbouring IR Ishikawa Railway operate similar 521 series trains, the respective operators' trains do not run coupled together.[2]

As of 1 October 2017, the 521 series and 413 series fleets are as follows.[4]

521 series

Set No.	Former JR West set No.	Manufacturer	Delivery date
AK01	G06	Kinki Sharyo	27 October 2009
AK02	G07	Kinki Sharyo	27 October 2009
AK03	G08	Kinki Sharyo	22 December 2009
AK04	G09	Kinki Sharyo	22 December 2009
AK05	G11	Kinki Sharyo	15 February 2010
AK06	G12	Kinki Sharyo	15 February 2010
AK07	G13	Kinki Sharyo	2 March 2010
AK08	G15	Kinki Sharyo	2 March 2010
AK09	G16	Kawasaki Heavy Industries	18 December 2010
AK10	G17	Kawasaki Heavy Industries	18 December 2010
AK11	G18	Kawasaki Heavy Industries	18 December 2010
AK12	G21	Kawasaki Heavy Industries	12 January 2011
AK13	G23	Kawasaki Heavy Industries	26 January 2011
AK14	G24	Kawasaki Heavy Industries	26 January 2011
AK15	G31	Kawasaki Heavy Industries	24 February 2011
AK16	G32	Kawasaki Heavy Industries	24 February 2011

413 series

JR West 413 series EMU set B03

Set No.	Former JR West set No.	Livery
AM01	B01	Hokuriku white/blue
AM02	B02	Hokuriku white/blue
AM03	B03	Black (Toyama Emaki special event train)
AM04	B07	All-over blue No. 1
AM05	B10	All-over blue No. 1

Set AM03 was modified for use as a special-event train, named Toyama Emaki (とやま絵巻) with new seat covers and a new external livery, returning to service on 28 August 2016.[4] This train is also used to provide additional capacity on regular services during the peak periods.[5]

Future developments

From the first half of fiscal 2018, a 413 series set will be rebuilt as a tourist train, returning to service on the line in the second half of fiscal 2018.[5]

Five new 521-1000 series two-car sets are scheduled to be introduced over a period of six years, with the first set delivered in December 2017.[6] These sets will replace the ageing 413 series EMUs.[6]

History

The company was founded on 24 July 2012.[1] The company name "Ainokaze Toyama Railway" was announced on 30 May 2013.[7] Ainokaze refers to a north-easterly breeze that blows in the region in spring and summer, and is mentioned in the Man'yōshū collection of Japanese poetry.[7]

The company was formally granted a railway operating license by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism on 28 February 2014.[8]

Future developments

New stations are planned to be built between Takaoka and Nishi-Takaoka, and between Toyama and Higashi-Toyama.[7]

See also

• List of railway companies in Japan
• List of railway lines in Japan

References

1. "Toyama-railway.jp" 会社概要 [Company overview] (in Japanese). Japan: Ainokaze Toyama Railway. 2013. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
2. Osano, Kagetoshi (March 2015). 北陸新幹線並行在来線各社の姿 [Guide to companies operating conventional lines alongside the Hokuriku Shinkansen]. Tetsudō Daiya Jōhō Magazine (in Japanese). Vol. 44 no. 371. Japan: Kōtsū Shimbun. pp. 28–33.
3. Terada, Hirokazu (June 2015). 北陸新幹線長野ー金沢間開業 並行在来線4社5路線を訪ねて（１） [Visiting the 5 parallel conventional lines of 4 companies following the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen between Nagano and Kanazawa]. Japan Railfan Magazine (in Japanese). Vol. 55 no. 650. Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. pp. 42–47.
4. Jr電車編成表 2018冬 JR電車編成表 2018冬 [JR EMU Formations - Winter 2018] (in Japanese). Japan: Kotsu Shimbunsha. 15 November 2017. p. 142. ISBN 978-4-330-84117-5.
5. 観光列車の整備について [Tourist train details] (PDF) (in Japanese). Japan: Ainokaze Toyama Railway. 16 November 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 December 2015. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
6. あいの風とやま鉄道521系1000番台2両が甲種輸送される [Ainokaze Toyama Railway 521-1000 series 2-car set delivered]. Japan Railfan Magazine Online (in Japanese). Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. 13 December 2017. Archived from the original on 13 December 2017. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
7. 富山県の北陸新幹線並行在来線、新社名は「あいの風とやま鉄道」に内定! [New company name "Ainokaze Toyama Railway" chosen for old line running parallel to Hokuriku Shinkansen in Toyama Prefecture]. Mynavi News (in Japanese). Japan: Mynavi Corporation. 31 May 2013. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
8. しなの鉄道（株）、えちごトキめき鉄道（株）、あいの風とやま鉄道（株）及びＩＲいしかわ鉄道（株）申請の第一種鉄道事業許可について [Details of railway business approval for Shinano Railway, Echigo Tokimeki Railway Company, Ainokaze Toyama Railway, and IR Ishikawa Railway]. News release (in Japanese). Japan: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. 26 February 2014. Retrieved 21 March 2014.

External links

• Official website (in Japanese)