Ryugasaki Line

The line is the oldest root of the present-day Kantō Railway. Its origins lie in the Ryūzaki Horse Tramway, founded in 1898, which later became the Ryūzaki Railway. First planned as a horse tramway, the line was instead built as a steam-worked light railway to secure greater capacity. The route was also altered before construction: the licence had been granted for a line from Fujishiro to Ryūgasaki, but to save money by avoiding a bridge over the Kokai River, the starting point was moved to Sanuki.

The Ryūzaki Railway opened its line between Sanuki and Ryūgasaki on 14 August 1900 as a 762 mm narrow-gauge steam light railway. On the same day, the Nippon Railway — whose route is today's Jōban Line — opened Sanuki Station (the present Ryūgasaki-shi Station) as the interchange point. The intermediate station at Ireji followed on 1 January 1901, and in July 1915 the line was regauged from 762 mm to the 1,067 mm gauge it still uses today. Internal-combustion working arrived on 13 September 1927, when gasoline railcars began running.

On 13 May 1944 the line passed to the Kashima Sangū Railway. In 1957 two of the line's original wayside halts, South Nakajima between Sanuki and Ireji and Kadokura between Ireji and Ryūgasaki, were closed, leaving the three stations that remain in service.

On 1 June 1965 the Kashima Sangū Railway and the Jōsō Tsukuba Railway combined to create the Kantō Railway, and the line became the Kantō Railway's Ryūgasaki Line. It is the only railway of the former Kashima Sangū Railway still in operation.

Freight services were discontinued on 1 April 1971, and on 1 August 1971 the line introduced one-man (driver-only) working — recorded as the first driver-only operation of a passenger train in Japan.

From 14 March 2009 the PASMO transit IC card was introduced and simple IC card readers were installed at every station. Trains run as single diesel railcars except on weekday mornings outside school holidays, when two-car sets are used. Timetables are arranged around connections with JR Jōban Line trains at Sanuki, with priority given to connections towards Tokyo, and the line is a typical feeder for the Jōban Line.

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

• Ireji入地
• Ryugasaki竜ヶ崎
• Sanuki佐貫

• 1898The Ryūzaki Horse Tramway, the oldest predecessor company of today's Kantō Railway, is founded; it later becomes the Ryūzaki Railway.
• 190014 August: the Ryūzaki Railway opens the Sanuki–Ryūgasaki line as a 762 mm-gauge steam light railway; the Nippon Railway (today's Jōban Line) opens Sanuki Station (now Ryūgasaki-shi) as the interchange the same day.
• 19011 January: Ireji Station, the line's intermediate stop, opens.
• 1915July: the line is regauged from 762 mm to 1,067 mm.
• 192713 September: gasoline railcar operation begins.
• 194413 May: the line passes to the Kashima Sangū Railway.
• 1957South Nakajima Station (Sanuki–Ireji) and Kadokura Station (Ireji–Ryūgasaki) are closed, leaving three stations.
• 19651 June: the Kashima Sangū Railway and the Jōsō Tsukuba Railway merge to form the Kantō Railway, and the line becomes the Kantō Railway's Ryūgasaki Line.
• 19711 April: freight service is abolished.
• 19711 August: one-man (driver-only) operation begins — recorded as the first driver-only operation of a passenger train in Japan.
• 200914 March: the PASMO transit IC card is introduced and simple IC card readers are installed at every station.