Karasuyama Line

The corridor's origins lie in a string of failed nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century schemes. In 1894 townspeople of Karasuyama, led by Shimazaki Zenpei, petitioned the prefecture for a "Jōya Railway" that would avoid the flood-prone Kinugawa crossing on the Nippon Railway Ōshū Line and instead reach Kawashima on what is now the Mito Line; the plan was never realised. After the Ōshū Line was relocated eastward and Hōshakuji Station opened, local promoters then formed a "Karasuyama Jinsha Railway" company to build a human-powered tramway between Karasuyama and Hōshakuji, but that scheme also came to nothing.

The successful project began as a light railway. From 1911 Karasuyama townspeople submitted repeated petitions to the Railway Agency for a light railway linking Karasuyama and Hōshakuji, and on 28 February 1912 the Diet approved a line from Hōshakuji to Karasuyama. Government funding lagged after the Russo-Japanese War, but the wartime boom of the First World War finally freed money for state construction, and work on the Hōshakuji–Fumihazama section was begun in January 1921. The line opened on 15 April 1923 as the state-run Karasuyama Line, with Niita (then written 熟田), Ōgane and Karasuyama stations; locally it was for a time also called the "Uhō Line."

The pre-war and early post-war decades brought incremental change. Niita Station was renamed in 1925, and on 15 August 1934 diesel-railcar (kidōsha) services began, accompanied by the opening of Shimotsuke-Hanaoka, Kōnoyama and Kobana stations; through running to Utsunomiya soon became established. Taki Station opened in 1954. The line had been worked from the outset by steam-hauled mixed trains; mechanical-transmission diesel railcars appeared on some workings in 1951, hydraulic-transmission cars replaced them in 1957, and steam operation ended in July 1960.

Under Japanese National Railways the line repeatedly faced closure but survived. A 1960 advisory body recommended conversion to bus operation as unprofitable, and in 1968 the line was named among the "Akaji 83" loss-making lines marked for abolition. A 1970 review of nationwide operating ratios, however, showed Karasuyama performing better than several comparable lines, and it was kept open; it was never subsequently designated a Specified Local Line, sparing it the third-sector conversion that befell other lines on the list. All freight service was abolished on 1 June 1979, and KiHa 40 series diesel railcars began running the next day.

With the privatisation of Japanese National Railways on 1 April 1987 the line passed to JR East. One-man (wanman) operation began line-wide on 10 March 1990. The line drew on its lucky-sounding station names — Hōshakuji and Ōgane — and its count of eight stations to adopt a Seven Lucky Gods theme from 1993, assigning a deity to each station except Hōshakuji. Operations were briefly suspended after the Tōhoku earthquake of 11 March 2011, resuming with the first train on 16 March.

The Karasuyama Line is best known for pioneering battery-electric operation in Japan. Developed from the experimental "Smart Denchi-kun" railcar tested on the line from 2012, the EV-E301 series "ACCUM" two-car battery electric multiple unit entered revenue service on 15 March 2014, recharging at a dedicated facility at Karasuyama Station and running on battery power over the unelectrified track. Three further sets were added so that the KiHa 40 series ended operation on 3 March 2017 and the whole line was worked by EV-E301 units from the following day, completing the transition to all-battery-electric service.

• 1894Karasuyama townspeople led by Shimazaki Zenpei petition the prefecture for a 'Jōya Railway' to Kawashima (on today's Mito Line), avoiding the flood-prone Kinugawa crossing; the plan is not realised.
• 191228 February: the Diet approves a light railway from Hōshakuji to Karasuyama, after repeated petitions from 1911.
• 192110 January: state construction of the Hōshakuji–Fumihazama section begins, funded thanks to the First World War economic boom.
• 192315 April: the Hōshakuji–Karasuyama line (20.4 km) opens as the state-run Karasuyama Line, with Niita (熟田), Ōgane and Karasuyama stations; the opening ceremony is held on 1 May.
• 19251 April: Niita Station's name is changed from 熟田 to 仁井田.
• 193415 August: diesel-railcar (kidōsha) service begins on the Hōshakuji–Karasuyama line; Shimotsuke-Hanaoka, Kōnoyama and Kobana stations open.
• 19541 June: Taki Station opens.
• 1960July: steam-locomotive operation on the line ends (dieselisation complete).
• 1968The line is named among the 'Akaji 83' loss-making lines marked for abolition; it is later spared after a 1970 review of operating ratios and is never made a Specified Local Line.
• 19791 June: all freight service is abolished. 2 June: KiHa 40 series diesel railcars enter service on the line.
• 19871 April: with the privatisation of Japanese National Railways, the line is transferred to JR East.
• 199010 March: one-man (wanman) operation begins line-wide, using KiHa 40 series DMUs.
• 199324 July: a 'Seven Lucky Gods' theme is introduced, decorating the cars and assigning a deity to each station except Hōshakuji.
• 201111 March: service is suspended owing to the Tōhoku (Great East Japan) earthquake, resuming with the first train on 16 March.
• 201415 March: the EV-E301 series 'ACCUM' battery electric multiple unit enters revenue service, recharging at Karasuyama Station and running on battery power over the unelectrified line.
• 20173 March: KiHa 40 series operation ends; from the next day the whole line is worked by EV-E301 units, completing the all-battery-electric transition.