The is a railway line operated by the Japanese

private railway A private railway is a railroad run by a private business entity (usually a corporation but not need be), as opposed to a railroad run by a public sector. Japan In Japan, , commonly simply ''private railway'', refers to a public transit railway o ...

operator

Keio Corporation () is a private railway operator in Tokyo, Japan, and the central firm of the that is involved in transport, retail, real estate and other industries. The name is derived from taking one character each from the places through which the railw ...

. The line connects Kitano Station on the Keio Line, to

Takaosanguchi Station is a passenger railway station located in the city of Hachiōji, Tokyo, Japan, operated by the private railway operator Keio Corporation. It is the main point of railway access to Mount Takao. Lines Takaosanguchi Station is the terminus of t ...

, and offers access to

Mount Takao is a mountain in the city of Hachiōji, Tokyo, Japan. It is protected within Meiji no Mori Takao Quasi-National Park. Standing tall and located within an hour of downtown Tokyo, it is a popular hiking spot, with eight hiking trails and more t ...

at the terminal. It is gauge, electrified at 1,500 V DC. The line originally terminated at Goryōmae to service visitors to the Musashi Imperial Graveyard. During the daytime, most trains operate through to/from the

Shinjuku is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative centre, housing the northern half of the busiest railway station in the world (Shinjuku Station) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration ...

terminal on the Keio Line.

Service patterns

On the Takao Line, Keio operates six different service types, with trains running through to and from the Keio Main Line. * (L) * (R) * (SeE) * (E) * (SpE) * Mt.TAKAO (MT) - Reserved-seat supplementary-fare services to and from Shinjuku, operating on weekends and holidays with three round-trips.

Stations

All stations are in Hachiōji, Tokyo. ;Legend
● : All trains stop
▲ : Shinjuku-bound trains stop to pick up passengers
│ : All trains pass

History

Former Goryō Line

On March 20, 1930, the Keio Electric Tramway opened the Goryō Line, a 6.3 km branch of the Keio Line, electrified at 600 V DC, between Kitano Station and Goryōmae Station. The terminus, Goryōmae, was a gateway for the tomb of

Emperor Taishō was the 123rd Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession, and the second ruler of the Empire of Japan from 30 July 1912 until his death in 1926. The Emperor's personal name was . According to Japanese custom, while reigni ...

. The line had three intermediate stations: Katakura, Yamada, and Yokoyama. Yokoyama Station and Goryōmae Station were renamed Musashi-Yokoyama Station and Tamagoryōmae Station respectively in 1937. The line was single track and had a

passing loop A passing loop (UK usage) or passing siding (North America) (also called a crossing loop, crossing place, refuge loop or, colloquially, a hole) is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at or near a station, where trains or ...

at Yokoyama Station. On weekdays, the line operated at 30 or 40 minute intervals, while at weekends it operated through trains to Yotsuya-Shinjuku Station, the Tokyo terminal of Keio at that time, at 20-minute intervals. The Keio Electric Tramway was merged into Tokyō Kyūko Dentetsu (present-day

Tokyu Corporation The is a Japanese multinational ''keiretsu'' ( conglomerate) holding company headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo. Its main operation is , a wholly owned subsidiary operating railways in the Greater Tokyo Area. History The oldest predecessor ...

) in 1944. The new operator suspended operation of the Goryō Line on January 21, 1945, as a "not needed or not pressing" line, which was subject of the collection of metal for the war effort. In 1948, Keio Teito Electric Railway (present-day Keio Corporation) was established and succeeded the former operation of Keiō Electric Tramway including the suspended Goryō Line.

Takao Line

During the economic boom in 1960s, Keio decided to build a new line to

utilizing a part of the (effectively closed) Goryō Line. Keio opened the Takao Line on October 1, 1967, electrified at 1,500 V DC and dual track to Takao station. Of the former Goryō Line stations, Katakura Station (newly named Keiō-Katakura Station) and Yamada Station were revived.

References

This article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia.

External links

Keio Corporation website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Keio Takao Line Takao Line Railway lines in Tokyo 4 ft 6 in gauge railways in Japan