International Railroad Discussion > Japan Trip Part 9 - Hokuriku Railway (Hokutetsu)

After Nagasaki, we transitioned to a very different climate.  We went to Kanazawa, which is on the west coast on the Sea of Japan, and was experiencing full-on winter, with lots of snow and ice.  The nice surprise in Kanazawa was the Hokuriku Railway, known colloquially as the Hokutetsu, which is a local railway that operates two disconnected rail lines, and many buses.  Apparently the Hokutetsu used to have 13 rail lines in the region, but over the years many were converted to buses.   Here's a sample of what is left.

1)  My first glimpse of the Hokutetsu was at the Nomachi terminal for the Ishikawa line in Kanazawa, which we just stumbled upon.  Moments after walking into the building, this EMU set of 7700-series cars pulled into the station. 
2)  Using a pedestrian level crossing at the other end of the station I was able to get this shot of the cars before they departed for Tsurugi.
3)  Head-on from the level crossing. 
 

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4)  The next day I rode both lines, and started with the Asanogawa line, which goes out to the island community of Uchinada.  Here's an outbound train from Kanazawa crossing the Oro River coming into Uchinada at Awagasaki.   Not sure of the classification of these cars, though I think they may be ex-Tokyo Metro cars.
5)  Inbound train crossing from Uchinada heading toward Kanazawa.
6)  Train leaving the outer terminal at Uchinada. 
 

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7)  And here's a 3rd type of EMU approaching on the Ishikawa line - series 7000.  This shot is taken from the transfer station to JR at Nishikanazawa. 
8)  Series 7000 at Magae Station.
9)  Series 7000 coming out of Mishiizumi Station. 
 

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10)  And a 4th type of EMU - 7200-series on the Ishikawa line near Nomachi staion.
11)  7200 approaching Magae. 

Next - Tokyo!

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Thank you for still another excellent post.

With the major caveat that there were significant portions of Japan that I didn't get to on my visits years ago -- all of Hokkaido, Niigata - Akita, 98% of Shikoku, and southern Kyushu -- I think it is Hokuriku that has undergone the greatest change, in both a railroad and developmental sense.  The photo is a repost of one in my 2/25/12 post on a 762 mm ga line in that area.

With best regards, SZ

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Definitely did not see an 762mm gauge operation in Kanazawa!   Yokkaichi, yes, but not Kanazawa.

dwatry Wrote:
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> Not sure of the classification of these cars,
> though I think they may be ex-Tokyo Metro cars.

They are. Eidan Subway (now Tokyo Metro) Class 3, used on the Hibiya Line until 2020. Hokutetsu kept the classification as Class 3 also.

Symph1's report last year got me interested in Hokuriku Railway. Railpax's report ~10 years ago of Jomo Railway has an interesting discussion of the origin of Class 7700, originally known as Class 3000 on the Keio Inokashira Line in Western Tokyo:

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?6,3610613

Thanks for the fun report, catching the different types of EMU on the railway.
 

dwatry Wrote:
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> Definitely did not see an 762mm gauge operation in
> Kanazawa!   Yokkaichi, yes, but not Kanazawa.

Steinzeit's time machine is cool - I did some research and found out more, but first his report from 2012:

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?6,2697657

Ogoya Railway was a mining railroad, located near the midpoint between Kanazawa and Fukui. It started passenger service in 1919, and the entire line beween Komatsu and Ogoya was finished in 1920 and the mining operation started that year. Principal resource being mined? Copper ore.

One of my sons lives in Tsurugi, and I posted this about the line last summer: https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?6,5878474,5885346#msg-5885346. cchan added a lot of technical info to my post, that you might be interested in.

symph1 - great shots at Tsurugi!  I should have ridden to the end of the line!