History
The branch grew out of the Main Line's post-war extension north. As the population of the Urakami district increased, the Main Line was extended from Ōhashi to Sumiyoshi on 16 September 1950, carrying the tracks to what would become the junction with the future branch.
The Akasako Branch itself opened a decade later. On 8 May 1960 the short section from Sumiyoshi to Akasako was brought into service, and Akasako opened as the new northern terminus. The area around the new terminus had until then been unpaved, with a river running along the edge of the road; the watercourse was filled in and the road laid out as part of building the line.
For a time there were hopes of pushing the rails further north. In 1973 a plan was announced to extend the line beyond Akasako to the Namesi district to the north, but it was never realised; the city has since effectively abandoned the northern extension, in part because of the very large cost of widening the road it would require. Akasako has therefore remained the end of the line.
On 23 July 1982 the Nagasaki Flood forced the suspension of the whole tramway, the branch included, with service resuming two days later on 25 July. On 28 March 2015 work to lengthen the platform at Akasako stop was completed.
The line has also seen a recent accident. On 10 June 2024 a tram rear-ended the car ahead of it just short of Akasako stop; no one was injured, and the driver was reported as saying that drowsiness had set in.
The branch is a short link at the northern end of the Nagasaki tram system. According to the operator's route information, Route 1 runs over it about every seven minutes and Route 3 about every ten minutes between 9:00 and 19:59. Route 2 runs over the branch only late at night. All three continue onto the Main Line towards central Nagasaki.
Stations on this line
2 stations tracked on the map, listed alphabetically. Select any to read its page.
Timeline
- 195016 September: as the Urakami district's population grows, the Main Line is extended from Ōhashi to Sumiyoshi, carrying the tracks to the future junction with the branch.
- 19608 May: the Sumiyoshi–Akasako section opens and Akasako opens as the new northern terminus; a river along the road edge is filled in to build the line.
- 1973A plan is announced to extend the line north from Akasako to the Namesi district, but it is never realised; the city later effectively abandons the northern extension.
- 198223 July: the Nagasaki Flood forces the suspension of the whole tramway, the branch included.
- 198225 July: service resumes.
- 201528 March: lengthening work on the Akasako stop is completed, extending the terminus platform.
- 202410 June: a tram rear-ends the car ahead just short of Akasako stop; no one is injured.