Kaigan Line

Kaigan Line
Kaigan Line
	A Kobe Municipal Subway 5000 series train in 2016
Overview
Other name(s)	Yumekamome
Native name	海岸線
Status	Operational
Owner	Kobe Municipal Transportation Bureau
Locale	Kobe
Termini	Sannomiya-Hanadokeimae; Shin-Nagata;
Stations	10
Service
Type	Rapid transit
System	Kobe Municipal Subway
Operator(s)	Kobe Municipal Transportation Bureau
History
Opened	7 July 2001; 22 years ago
Technical
Line length	7.9 km (4.9 mi)
Number of tracks	2
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	1,500 V DC overhead catenary
Operating speed	70 km/h (43 mph)
Route map
	Kobe subway lines

The Kaigan Line (海岸線, Kaigan-sen, literally "Coast Line"), also known as the "Yumekamome" (Japanese: 夢かもめ), is one of two lines of the Kobe Municipal Subway. Trains of the line are propelled by linear motors. This is the third linear motor rapid transit line to be built in Japan.

History

Construction of the line began in 1994 but was interrupted by the Great Hanshin earthquake which hit Kobe in 1995.^[2] Despite the cross section of the tunnels being smaller compared to a conventional subway tunnel, there was still a substantial amount of construction happening at surface level.^[2]

After being scheduled for a 1999 opening, revenue service began in 2001.^[3]

Since opening, ridership numbers have stagnated. The projected ridership within 2001 was estimated to be 80,000 boardings, the actual boardings recorded were just over 34,000 in that year.^[3] The goal of 50,000 boardings by 2020 was also not achieved. As a result, the line has accumulated a deficit of over ¥100 Billion over 20 years of operation as of 2021.^[3]

Operation

The line is 7.9 km (4.9 mi) long and runs between Shin-Nagata Station in the west to Sannomiya-Hanadokeimae Station in the east.^[2]

The maximum grade on the line is 50‰.^[2]

Stations

No.	Name	Japanese	Inter-station distance (km)	Total distance (km)	Transfers
K01	Sannomiya-Hanadokeimae	三宮・花時計前	-	0.0	Seishin-Yamate Line (Sannomiya: S03) Hankyu Kobe Line Kōbe Kōsoku Line (Sannomiya) Hanshin Main Line (Sannomiya) Port Island Line (Sannomiya: P01) Tōkaidō Main Line (JR Kobe Line) (Sannomiya (JR))
K02	Kyukyoryuchi-Daimarumae	旧居留地・大丸前	0.5	0.5	Tōkaidō Main Line (JR Kobe Line) (Motomachi) Hanshin Main Line Kōbe Kōsoku Line (Motomachi)
K03	Minato Motomachi	みなと元町 (ワコーレ和田興産前)	0.8	1.3
K04	Harborland	ハーバーランド (デュオこうべ前)	1.0	2.3	Tōkaidō Main Line, San'yō Main Line (JR Kobe Line) (Kobe) Kōbe Kōsoku Line (Kosoku Kobe)
K05	Chūō-Ichibamae	中央市場前	1.4	3.7
K06	Wadamisaki	和田岬 (三菱神戸病院前)	0.9	4.6	San'yō Main Line (Wadamisaki Line)
K07	Misaki-Kōen	御崎公園	1.1	5.7
K08	Karumo	苅藻 (三ツ星ベルト前)	0.8	6.5
K09	Komagabayashi	駒ヶ林 (三国志のまち・アグロガーデン前)	0.8	7.3
K10	Shin-Nagata	新長田 (鉄人28号前)	0.6	7.9	Seishin-Yamate Line (S09) San'yō Main Line (JR Kobe Line)

Rolling stock

5000 series (since 2001)

All trains are based at Misaki-Kōen Depot.

References

^ Terada, Hirokazu (19 January 2013). データブック日本の私鉄 [Databook: Japan's Private Railways] (in Japanese). Japan: Neko Publishing. p. 154. ISBN 978-4-7770-1336-4.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "海岸線の歴史と建設工事" [Kaigan Line History and Construction Work] (PDF). SUBWAY (in Japanese). No. 220. Tokyo, Japan: Japan Subway Association. 27 February 2019. p. 38. ISSN 0289-5668. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 June 2020. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c "累積赤字１千億円超、地下鉄海岸線開業２０年、一度も黒字なし神戸の下町、活性化遠く" [Cumulative Deficit of the Kaigan Line reaches 100 Billion Yen 20 Years Since Opening]. Kobe Shimbun Online (in Japanese). 27 July 2021. Archived from the original on 28 July 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2022.