Toyama Inner City Tram Lines & LRT

[Mudkip Orange]

Nice posting!

One small correction. The tram lines in Toyama are built in 1913-1916 and became a part of Chitetsu in 1943.

One exception is the 900 m line open 23 Dec last year - creating a loop line downtown Toyama.

 

Thanks for the correction.

 

And as cteno4 posted in another thread, Tomytec will soon be releasing models of these "Centram" units which operate on the new loop line around central Toyama.

 

Here's a full cab ride of the complete circuit, starting at Toyama Station. The new loop branches off after Marunouchi Station, at about 6 minutes into the first video.

 

 

Google maps doesn't have the track schematics up yet, but the station locations are marked.

[Mudkip Orange]

Some more Centram videos:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdHpK8VIdzk

 

 

And some timelapse videos of the grand opening festivities, complete with horrible, horrible jazz background music:

 

[miyakoji]

I know there are some tram fans here.  Courtesy of seigen120kaihin...

 

Route 2 - Minami Toyama Ekimae to Daigaku-mae

 

 

 

Halfway back, Daigaku-mae to Toyama Ekimae

 

Route 3 - Toyama Ekimae - Toyama Ekimae

 

[bill937ca]

Love those growling gears! I've heard sometime late in this decade the replacement of the 7000s will start.  Hope the new trams are reliable and last the ususl 40-50 years.

[miyakoji]

Love those growling gears!

I thought you might!  You're the tram fan I was talking about  :) :) :)

[bill937ca]

I thought you might!  You're the tram fan I was talking about  :) :) :)

 

Thank you!  :)

[Densha]

In March 2015, the original Toyama Station stop on the main road south of the JR station was replaced by a new tram terminus just below the Shinkansen station. Here are a couple of pictures showing the current situation: https://bluehour02.exblog.jp/23835800/

 

In December 2015, it was announced that the Toyama LRT Toyomako Line 'Portram' would be connected to the Toyama Chiho Railway Inner City Tram Network through a new north-south link under the to-be lifted 'zairaisen' JR / Ainokaze Railway station. After the new zairaisen viaduct station was opened in March 2019, space at ground level became available to lay down tracks from the Portram terminus on the north side of the station to the inner city tram terminus. The construction of the north-south link is planned to be finished by March 2020, after which through services will commence. This website features a couple of maps showing the future situation: https://railproject.tabiris.com/toyama.html

 

I expect Portram services to be merged with inner city Line 3 'Centram' services. This because of the status of line 3 in the network, the fact that both lines have the same frequency, and that the Centram 9000 Type is exactly the same type the Portram uses.

[Madsing]

Thank you Densha for this info.

I have always been interested in the Toyama LRT (three Portram run on my layout) and I went to Toyama at the end of last year to ride the trams and take photos. I hope I can go back next year after the transformation is complete.

 

[Densha]

Worth noting is that in March this year tram car TLR0608 was delivered to the Portram. This extra car was bought in anticipation of the north-south link. Source: http://rail.hobidas.com/rmn/archives/2019/03/tlr0600etlr0608.html

 

 

This will be the temporary stop from August this year for the Portram during the construction of the north-south link. After the construction work is finished, the stop at the north entrance will obviously not return because the Portram will from then on use the tram station under the Shinkansen tracks together with the other tram lines.

 

 

I'm including this picture of the new tram station just because I really like it...

 

 

In place of the stop on the north entrance, a new yet-to-be-named stop will be build between the JR station and Intec-Honshamae. A new stop called Eirakucho-mae is also planned between Intec-Honshamae and Okudachugakkomae. Last year, a passing track was build in preparation of this stop.

 

 

On 2 February 2020, the Toyama LRT will be merged into the Toyama Chiho Railway. It is said that this is done mainly out of efficiency reasons, which sounds very logical if you consider that the Toyama LRT operates only one line and that services are going to be merged with the inner city line anyway. This means that the company Toyama LRT will be abolished. Source: https://news.mynavi.jp/article/railwaynews-171/

[ben_issacs]

Folks, 

Toyama is certainly a worthwhile location for both tramways  (Light Rail) and various railways.

The Alpine (Alpen) route from Dentetsu Toyama station of the District railway to Tateyama and then onwards through the mountains by funicular (one completely in tunnel, no scenic views from this) bus, trolley bus. last of its type now in Japan, elec. (battery) bus, ropeway, ending up at Shimano Omachi is costly, but very interesting.

The battery bus replaces one of the previous two trolley bus lines.

Trolley and battery buses are used because much of their journeys are in tunnel. 

From Shimano Om.... one can continue on by JR to Itoigawa on the Japan Sea coast, then by another JR train back to Toyama.

Probably a full days run to and from Toyama.

Then, again from Dentetsu Toyama by District Rly to  Unazuki Onsen, a mountain hot springs resort, there  take a trip on the 2'-6" gauge Kurobe Gorge Railway, which winds its way up the Kurobe River valley through numerous tunnels, to Keyakidaira.

This railway was built to service the construction of the Kurobe Dam, when this was finished it was kept  as a tourist line, a very popular and very scenic one.

I think that there could be a bus from Keyak... to the Kurobe dam itself, can't remember, worth a check.

Walking paths around Keyak... are another possibility .

Might also be a full day run, or perhaps to Keyak and directly back to Toyama might be a half-day.

Then there is the Toyama city tramway,  the Port Tram, a train ride (Shinkansen or ordinary JR) to Takaoka for the Manyosen system, depending on how much time one spends on photography, another full day, so a visit to Toyama could take up three days!

But for the enthusiast, good stuff!

The various previous videos give a good idea of the trams and light rail vehicles.

Regards, 

Bill,

Melbourne.

 

 

 

[Nick_Burman]

10 hours ago, ben_issacs said:

I think that there could be a bus from Keyak... to the Kurobe dam itself, can't remember, worth a check.

 

No luck - there are no vehicles of ANY kind at Keyakidaira. To get to Kurobe Dam you either have to hoof it over the mountains or get lucky with the Kurobe Gorge lottery and go along with one of its tours...

 

Cheers NB

[ben_issacs]

Nick, 

Thanks for that info in re no bus to Kurobe Dam.

But there's still plenty to see without it!

Regards, 

Bill,

Melbourne.

 

[Das Steinkopf]

If anyone is interested I have a number of photos from when I was passing through Toyama in April 2017, I managed to get shots of every class of the Toyama Shinai Kidōsen. We took a day trip from Kanazawa to Shirakawa Go and returned via Toyama, I also got some more shots when we moved on to Gero via Toyama. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 1, 2019 by Das Steinkopf