Flower Nagai Line

Infobox rail line
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name = Flower Nagai Line
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caption = A Flower Nagai Line train at Akayu terminal
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system =
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locale = Yamagata Prefecture
start = Akayu Station
end = Arato Station
stations = 17
routes =
ridership =
open = 1913
close =
owner =
operator = Yamagata Tetsudō
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depot =
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linelength = 30.5 km
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gauge = 1,067 mm
el = None
speed =
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map_state = collapsedThe nihongo|Flower Nagai Line|フラワー長井線|Furawā Nagai sen is a rail line in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. The only line operated by the Yamagata Tetsudō Company, it runs from Akayu Station in Nanyō to Arato Station in Shirataka.

History

Initially part of the national rail network the line was started in 1912 and opened in phases;
*1913-10-26 Akayu Station to Ringō Station
*1914-11-15 extended to Nagai Station
*1922-12-11 extended to Ayukai Station
*1923-04-22 completed to Arato Station

Until 1954-11-15 the line ran steam trains but was then converted to railcars.

In 1959-06-01 Miyauchi Station was opened. A year later (1960-05-22) the Minami-Nagai Station opened. 1989-12-15 saw the opening of Shirousagi Station.

The Yamagata Tetsudō Rail company was founded in 1962 but did not become independent until 1988.Fact|date=October 2008

In the 1990s there were several major improvements made with several stations renovated and a sharing of stations with other lines for easier transfers.Fact|date=October 2008

One change was the introduction of unmanned stations, specifically Uzen-Narita Station, in 1997. A year later a court case approved the use of unmanned stations.Fact|date=October 2008

The emblem of the railway is a skyline of the local mountains.

In 2005, Yamagata Railway was in danger of having to shut down due to low volume, leaving many residents, especially the young and old, without a mode of transportation from their farms. The only option available to the company was to try and attract more tourists to the scenic views. Lone train operator, Tatsuo Asakura, working without the knowledge of his superiors increased out-of-town passengers from 350 in 2005 to 7,000 in 2006, and in September of 2008 had entertained more than 20,000 tourists with his uplifting guided tours, spoken in local dialect. [ [http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20080909jk.html The Japan Times Online, Words to Live By, Judit Kawaguchi, Sept. 9th, 2008] ]

tation List

References

* [http://www.flower-liner.jp/ Flower Nagai Lines Home Page (Japanese)]