Keisei Chihara Line

Keisei Chihara Line
Overview
Termini	Chiba-Chūō Chiharadai
Stations	6
Operation
Opened	April 1, 1992
Owner	Keisei Electric Railway
Technical
Line length	6.77 mi (10.90 km)
Track gauge	1,435 mm

The Keisei Chihara Line (京成千原線, Keisei Chihara-sen^?) is part of the Keisei Railway in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. This line (that has direct service from the Main Line and the Chiba Line) starts from Chiba-Chūō Station and ends at Chiharadai Station.

History

The line was originally planned by Kominato Railway, which obtained the government license for the new line between Hon-Chiba Station in central Chiba and Amaariki Station on the existing Kominato Railway Line in December 1957. Following years of suspension of the project, in December 1975, the license was transferred to Chiba Kyūkō Dentetsu (千葉急行電鉄^?), which was jointly established by Keisei Electric Railway and Kominato Railway receiving investment by local governments and so forth.

By 1970s, the need for the railway had been increasing as the development of Chiba Ichihara New Town was in progress along the planned route. The plan was changed to make connection with the Keisei Chiba Line at Chiba-Chūō Station. Construction of the line began in August 1977 for the section between Chiba-Chūō Station and Chiharadai Station (10.91 km).^[1]

Chiba Kyūkō opened the new line between Chiba-Chūō Station and Ōmoridai Station (4.2 km) on April 1, 1992.^[1] The line to Chiharadai Station was completed on April 1, 1995.

Due to a bad financial condition, Chiba Kyūkō was dissolved and the railway was sold to Keisei Electric Railway on October 1, 1998. Keisei named it "Chihara Line".^[2]

Stations

Station	Japanese	Distance (km)	Location
Chiba-Chūō	千葉中央	0.0	Wakaba-ku
Chibadera	千葉寺	2.4
Ōmoridai	大森台	4.2
Gakuenmae	学園前	7.2
Oyumino	おゆみ野	8.9
Chiharadai	ちはら台	10.9	Ichihara

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Kobayashi, Toshio. "千葉急行開業 [Chiba Kyūkō opens]" (in Japanese). Japan Railfan Magazine (Tokyo: Kōyūsha) (No.374, June 1992): p. 90 
2. ^ "京成千原線スタート [Keisei Chihara Line starts]" (in Japanese). Japan Railfan Magazine (Tokyo: Kōyūsha) (No. 452, December 1998): p. 63