Yunoyama Line

The line was not built by Kintetsu but by a small private company, the Yokkaichi Railway, which received its railway licence for the Yokkaichi–Komono section on 17 November 1910. It opened in stages as a 762 mm narrow-gauge line: the first section, from Kawashima-mura Station (today's Ise-Kawashima) to Yunoyama Station (today's Yunoyama-Onsen), opened on 1 June 1913, followed by Suwa–Kawashima-mura on 24 September 1913. The line was extended inward to Yokkaichi when the Yokkaichi–Suwa section opened on 5 March 1916.

The young railway electrified its line early, energising the Yokkaichi-shi–Yunoyama section in November 1921. Its corporate fortunes, however, were tied to a succession of regional mergers. On 18 March 1931 the Yokkaichi Railway was absorbed by the Mie Railway. During the wartime consolidation of small operators, the Mie Railway and six other companies merged on 11 February 1944 to form Mie Kōtsū (the Sanco group).

The Yunoyama Line spent the post-war decades as a narrow-gauge electric line, with several minor stations suspended in the 1950s and stations renamed; Kawashima-mura became Ise-Kawashima and Sakura-mura became Sakura in July 1954, and the overhead voltage was raised from 600 V to 750 V DC in 1959. A short new alignment between Kintetsu-Yokkaichi and Nakagawara opened on 23 September 1956.

The decisive transformation came in the 1960s as the line passed toward Kintetsu. On 1 February 1964 Mie Kōtsū split off its railway operations into a separate company, Mie Electric Railway. Just weeks later, on 1 March 1964, the Yunoyama Line was regauged from 762 mm to 1,435 mm standard gauge and its voltage raised to 1,500 V DC; on the same day through-running with the still-narrow-gauge Utsube and Hachiōji lines ended. The wider gauge let the line connect to Kintetsu's network: on 23 March 1964 Ōbaneen Station opened and through semi-express services with the Kintetsu Nagoya Line began. Mie Electric Railway was finally merged into Kintetsu Railway on 1 April 1965.

Under Kintetsu the line entered its golden age of onsen tourism. Limited-express operation began on 15 July 1965, and from March 1983 limited expresses ran through to the Osaka Line, putting the hot spring within a direct ride of the Kansai region; the present terminus name, Yunoyama-Onsen, dates from 1 August 1970, when Yunoyama Station was renamed. An imperial special train ran on the line during Emperor Shōwa's visit on 24–25 May 1980.

From the late 1990s the limited-express network was wound back as private cars displaced rail excursions: the through limited expresses to the Nagoya Line ended on 18 March 1997 and to the Osaka Line on 17 March 1998, one-man local operation began on 16 March 1999, the remaining limited expresses were cut to weekends and holidays from 20 March 2002, and limited-express service ended altogether on 18 March 2004. Daytime frequency was trimmed from three to two trains per hour on 20 March 2012. The line nonetheless retains its dual character today, carrying both onsen visitors bound for Mount Gozaisho and the everyday commuters and students of the Yokkaichi suburbs.

• 191017 November: the Yokkaichi Railway receives its railway licence for the Yokkaichi–Komono section.
• 19131 June: the Yokkaichi Railway opens Kawashima-mura (now Ise-Kawashima)–Yunoyama (now Yunoyama-Onsen) as a 762 mm narrow-gauge line; Suwa–Kawashima-mura follows on 24 September.
• 19165 March: the Yokkaichi–Suwa section opens, extending the line inward to Yokkaichi.
• 19211 November: the Yokkaichi-shi–Yunoyama section is electrified (initially at 750 V DC).
• 192729 November: the Yokkaichi-shi–Suwa section is closed and its right-of-way transferred to the Ise Electric Railway.
• 193118 March: the Yokkaichi Railway is absorbed by the Mie Railway.
• 194411 February: the Mie Railway and six other companies merge to form Mie Kōtsū (Sanco).
• 1954July: Kawashima-mura Station is renamed Ise-Kawashima and Sakura-mura Station is renamed Sakura.
• 195623 September: a new alignment between Kintetsu-Yokkaichi and Nakagawara opens.
• 1959The overhead voltage is raised from 600 V to 750 V DC.
• 19641 February: Mie Kōtsū splits its railway operations off into Mie Electric Railway. 1 March: the line is regauged from 762 mm to 1,435 mm standard gauge, voltage raised to 1,500 V DC, and through-running with the Utsube and Hachiōji lines ends. 23 March: Ōbaneen Station opens and semi-express through service to the Kintetsu Nagoya Line begins.
• 19651 April: Mie Electric Railway is merged into Kintetsu Railway. 15 July: limited-express operation begins on the line.
• 19701 August: Yunoyama Station is renamed Yunoyama-Onsen.
• 1983March: through limited-express service to the Osaka Line begins.
• 1998Through limited expresses to the Nagoya Line end (18 March 1997) and to the Osaka Line end (17 March 1998).
• 200418 March: limited-express service on the line ends (having been cut to weekends and holidays only from 20 March 2002).
• 201220 March: daytime frequency is reduced from three to two trains per hour.