The is a small-sector

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 ...

company operating a railway line in northern

Saitama Prefecture is a Landlocked country, landlocked Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Saitama Prefecture has a population of 7,338,536 (January 1, 2020) and has a geographic area of 3,797 Square kilometre, km2 ( ...

, Japan. In addition to its railway operations, the company deals in the real estate and tourism industries. It managed the Mitsumine Ropeway (三峰ロープウェイ) until it closed in December 2007 and the Mikajiri Line until its closure in 2020.

Taiheiyo Cement is a Japanese cement company. It was formed in 1998 with the merger of Chichibu Onoda (itself a merger of Chichibu Cement and Onoda Cement) and Nihon Cement (formerly Asano Cement). In July 2024, Secretary Alfredo Pascual and Mayor Mytha Ann ...

is its largest shareholder, and one of Chichibu Railway's main operations is the transportation of

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

from

Mount Bukō is a mountain in Chichibu, Saitama, Japan. A major regional source of limestone, it has been actively quarried since the Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the coun ...

. The railway's passenger services concentrate on the tourism industry, as there are popular destinations along the line. A train hauled by a

steam locomotive A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, Fuel oil, oil or, rarely, Wood fuel, wood) to heat ...

also operates regularly during some seasons, attracting tourists from around the country.

Lines

Railway lines

Chichibu Main Line The is a railway line in Japan, owned by the private railway operator Chichibu Railway, linking and , both in Saitama Prefecture. Stations * Rolling stock , the Chichibu Railway operates the following fleet of rolling stock on the line ...

: from to (passenger line)

Former Lines

* Mikajiri Line (三ヶ尻線): from Takekawa Station to Kumagaya Kamotsu Terminal (freight line which carried coal closed in 2020)

Aerial tramway lines

* at Mitsumineguchi (closed in December 2007) * Hodosan Ropeway at Nagatoro, Saitama (operated by subsidiary Hodo Kōgyō)

History

* 8 November 1899 - Founded as Jōbu Railway (Headquartered in now-defunct

Nihonbashi is a business district of Chūō, Tokyo, Japan, which sprung up around the bridge of the same name that has linked two sides of the Nihonbashi River at this site since the 17th century. The first wooden bridge was completed in 1603. The curre ...

Ward,

Tokyo City was a Cities of Japan, municipality in Japan and capital of Tokyo Prefecture (1868–1943), Tokyo Prefecture (or ''Tokyo-fu'') which existed from 1 May 1889 until the establishment of Tokyo Metropolis on 1 July 1943. The historical boundari ...

). * 7 October 1901 - Started operations between

Kumagaya is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 195,277 in 87,827 households and a population density of 1200 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Kumagaya is one of the largest cit ...

and Yorii. * 1916 - Company name changed to Chichibu Railway. * 1921 - Started operations between Hokubu Railway's Hanyu Station and Gyoda Station (now Gyodashi Station). * 1922 - Chichibu Railway acquired Hokubu Railway. * 1930 - Started operations on the full line between Hanyu and Mitsumineguchi. * 1954 - Started direct operations with the

Tōbu Tōjō Line The is a suburban railway line in Japan which runs from Ikebukuro Station in Toshima, Tokyo to Yorii Station in Yorii, Saitama, operated by the private railway operator Tobu Railway. Its official name is the , but it is referred to as on T ...

. * 1980 - Headquarters moved to

Kumagaya, Saitama is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 195,277 in 87,827 households and a population density of 1200 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Kumagaya is one of the largest cit ...

. * 1988 - Started operations of a steam locomotive-hauled train, the ''Paleo Express''. * 1989 - Started direct operations with

Seibu Railway is a conglomerate based in Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan, with principal business areas in railways, tourism, and real estate. Seibu Railway's operations are concentrated in northwest Tokyo and Saitama Prefecture; the name "Seibu" is an abbrevi ...

. * 1997 - Moved bus operations to a separate entity, Chichibu Railway Sightseeing Bus Co., Ltd. * 12 March 2022 - Start of fare collection with PASMO transit smartcard.

References

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

External links

* {{Authority control Railway companies of Japan Companies based in Saitama Prefecture Japanese companies established in 1899 Railway companies established in 1899