JR West Sanko Line - rust removal trains?

[miyakoji]

I was thinking about the Sanko Line.  I navigated to trusty Wikipedia and started clicking around.  On the Japanese language page for Gotsu Station, there is a link to Wikimedia Commons, which has quite a few pictures.  The newest pictures appear to be from May 3, 2018, well after the last day of service, March 31, 2018.  In one, linked below, there's a KIHA47/8 at the platform, and the rails appear to be fairly free of rust.

 

Were they regularly running trains to achieve this?  If so, can anyone guess as to why?  I searched a bit on gotsusen sabitori ressha, which didn't turn up anything useful.  Removing the line name returned some information on the old Hanwa Freight line between Yao and Sugimoto-cho in Osaka-fu.  I think I saw some of this back when they closed it; at the time I was surprised they ran 117s (in the old sorta-turquoise/pale purple Wakayama livery) to keep the rails free of rust.  Could this have been prior to the approval of MLIT, meaning that it wasn't absolutely final?

 

• picture at Gotsu with KIHA: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:180503_Gotsu_Station_Gotsu_Shimane_pref_Japan05s3.jpg
• Commons page for Gotsu. At time of this post, first 16 images are from May 3 2018, name starting with '180503 Gotsu Station': https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Gōtsu_Station
• those images are by 663highland who takes excellent pictures, a few examples
  • pictures in Shimane: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/利用者:663highland/投稿画像ギャラリー・島根県
  • pictures in Kagoshima: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/利用者:663highland/投稿画像ギャラリー・鹿児島県
  • pictures in Onomichi: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/利用者:663highland/投稿画像ギャラリー・尾道市

[katoftw]

You sure the picture wasnt uploaded on May 3?

 

Althoigh i dont see the issue. The station is still operation. Only the Sanko line closed. So trains still run through the station all the time.

Edited February 20, 2019 by katoftw

[Kiha66]

As kato mentioned the Gotsu is a station on the Sanin Main Line and as such still sees quite a lot of traffic.  It also formerly served as the end station for the Sanko line, but that line used kiha 120s so any other equipment seen in the station are unlikely to have served on that line.  Regardless, running trains on the line wouldn't do much to keep the rails from wearing, although it would let crews know if any of the right of way required maintenance.  I've also heard of companies run trains as such to fulfill the legal claim that the line is used so local peoples and governments can try to force the line closure before the railway is ready, or to keep squatters from taking the land.  As it seemed that JR really wanted to abandon the line for years I doubt they would have spent much effort to keep the line in repair after they were allowed to stop service.

[miyakoji]

Yes I overlooked the fact that Gotsu is the junction with the Sanin Line.  Somewhere I saw a list of Sanko Line stations, which I think was alphabetical, and I got to thinking that Gotsu was toward the middle of the line.

 

last time I ever post after midnight 🙄

Edited February 21, 2019 by miyakoji

[Kiha66]

I know that feeling, seems a lot of late night confusion can be cleared up with a good nights sleep.  😁

[Kiha66]

I've also found out a lot of information researching the line to make sure I wasn't mistaken in answering.  Looks like crossings are already being removed and paved over so a return of the line is very unlikely.