Kikuchi Line (菊池線): History & Facts

History

The railway's origins lie with the Kikuchi Tramway (菊池軌道), the forerunner of the present company. A tramway licence for the line was granted on 3 March 1909. On 15 March 1913 the Kikuchi Tramway opened the section between Takae and Waifu — the latter being the station later renamed Kikuchi. Later the same year, on 27 August 1913, the route was extended over the section linking Hiromachi, Fujisakigū-mae, Miyoshi and Takae, completing the line.

The early line was a tramway, but it was progressively upgraded into a true railway. On 31 August 1923 the Murozono–Waifu section was re-gauged to 1,067 mm and electrified, and on 1 May 1942 the Fujisakigū-mae–Waifu section was formally reclassified from a tramway (軌道) to a railway (鉄道). The company that operated it took its present name, the Kumamoto Electric Railway, on 1 January 1948.

On 1 October 1950 the Kami-Kumamoto–Kita-Kumamoto section opened, and the Kami-Kumamoto–Waifu route was designated the Kikuchi Line, with Kita-Kumamoto–Fujisakigū-mae becoming the Fujisaki Line. A round of station changes followed: on 1 August 1958, for instance, the original Kikuchi Station was renamed Tominohara while Waifu was renamed Kikuchi, fixing the name of the line's northern terminus.

The line's contraction came in the 1980s. On 16 February 1986 the outer section between Miyoshi and Kikuchi was closed, cutting the line back to its modern terminus at Miyoshi; one-man (driver-only) operation began on the same day, and replacement buses run by the company took over the link from Miyoshi up to Kikuchi along the abandoned alignment. On 30 June 1986 the Horikawa Bridge was washed away; it was restored on 20 December 1986.

In its modern role the Kikuchi Line is a commuter and local route serving Kumamoto City and Kōshi. Transport-system IC cards became usable on 1 April 2015, and station numbering was introduced on 1 October 2019. The trains in use include the 01 series, and every train runs as a fixed two-car set. All of the company's trains were acquired second-hand from other operators; the two 01 series sets are former Tokyo Metro 01 series cars and have been in service since March 2015.

Stations on this line

16 stations tracked on the map, listed alphabetically. Select any to read its page.

Timeline

19093 March: a tramway licence is granted for the line (the company, the Kikuchi Tramway, is established on 15 August 1909).
191315 March: the Kikuchi Tramway opens the Takae–Waifu section (Waifu later renamed Kikuchi).
191327 August: the Hiromachi–Fujisakigū-mae–Miyoshi–Takae section opens.
192331 August: the Murozono–Waifu section is re-gauged to 1,067 mm and electrified.
19421 May: the Fujisakigū-mae–Waifu section is reclassified from a tramway to a railway.
19481 January: the operating company takes its present name, the Kumamoto Electric Railway.
19501 October: the Kami-Kumamoto–Kita-Kumamoto section opens; the Kami-Kumamoto–Waifu route is designated the Kikuchi Line and the Kita-Kumamoto–Fujisakigū-mae section the Fujisaki Line.
19581 August: the original Kikuchi Station is renamed Tominohara and Waifu Station is renamed Kikuchi.
198616 February: the outer Miyoshi–Kikuchi section is closed and one-man (driver-only) operation begins; replacement buses link Miyoshi with Kikuchi.
198630 June: the Horikawa Bridge is washed away; it is restored and reopened on 20 December 1986.
201414 March: 'Kumamon Train' (Kumamon-liveried) services begin running on the company's lines.
2015March: former Tokyo Metro Ginza Line '01 series' cars (Kumaden 01 series) enter service on the Kikuchi Line.
20151 April: transport-system IC cards become usable on the line.
20191 October: station numbering is introduced and Saishunsō-mae Station is renamed Saishun Medical Center-mae.
202210 October: Saishun Medical Center-mae and Miyoshi stations are relocated.
20253 February: a timetable revision is made owing to a shortage of drivers.

Sources

Last updated 16 October 2026.