Ueda Electric Railway Bessho Line

Ueda Electric Railway Bessho Line
Ueda Electric Railway Bessho Line
	An Ueda Electric Railway 1000 series train in August 2008
Overview
Owner	Ueda Electric Railway
Locale	Ueda, Nagano
Termini	Ueda; Bessho-Onsen;
Stations	15
History
Opened	1921
Technical
Line length	11.6 km (7.2 mi)
Number of tracks	Single
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Minimum radius	120 m
Electrification	1,500 V DC, overhead catenary
Operating speed	65 km/h (40 mph)

The Bessho Line (別所線, Bessho-sen) is an 11.6 km (7.2 mi) Japanese railway line in Ueda, Nagano, Japan, operated by the private railway operator Ueda Electric Railway (上田電鉄, Ueda Dentetsu). It connects Ueda and Bessho-Onsen stations. This is currently the only railway line Ueda Dentetsu operates. Although the company is the root of its holding company, Ueda Kōtsū (上田交通, "Ueda Transport"), the group now mainly operates resort amusement facilities and bus lines. Ueda Kōtsū is owned by Tokyu Corporation. The railway line lacked funds to upgrade the infrastructure to meet the new safety standards, and separated to become the present company.

Stations

No.	Name	Japanese	Distance (km)	Date opened
BE01	Ueda	上田	0.0	15 August 1923
BE02	Shiroshita	城下	0.8	17 June 1921
BE03	Miyoshichō	三好町	1.5	17 June 1921
BE04	Akasakaue	赤坂上	2.2	21 September 1932
BE05	Uedahara	上田原	2.9	17 June 1921
BE06	Terashita	寺下	3.8	17 June 1921
BE07	Kabatake	神畑	4.5	17 June 1921
BE08	Daigakumae	大学前	5.2	17 June 1921
BE09	Shimonogō	下之郷	6.1	17 June 1921
BE10	Nakashioda	中塩田	7.4	17 June 1921
BE11	Shiodamachi	塩田町	8.0	14 July 1934
BE12	Nakano	中野	8.5	17 June 1921
BE13	Maita	舞田	9.4	17 June 1921
BE14	Yagisawa	八木沢	10.1	17 June 1921
BE15	Bessho-Onsen	別所温泉	11.6	17 June 1921

Rolling stock

As of 1 April 2015^[update], the fleet of trains operated on the line is as follows.^[2]

1000 series 2-car EMUs x4 (former Tokyu 1000 series, since 2008)^[3]
6000 series 2-car EMU x1 (former Tokyu 1000 series, since 28 March 2015)
7200 series 2-car EMU x1 (former Tokyu 7200 series, since 29 March 1998)^[1]

1000 series set 1001 in May 2012. Front designation/service signs shown are from former Tokyu Toyoko line service with through-running to the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line.
1000 series set 1004 in retro-style blue and cream livery in June 2017
6000 series set 6001 in January 2017
7200 series in May 2012

1000 series

Eight former Tokyu 1000 series EMU end cars were resold to the Ueda Electric Railway, and reformed as four two-car 1000 series sets.^[4]

Formations

Designation	Mc	Tc
Numbering	DeHa 100x	KuHa 110x

6000 series

In 2015, two former Tokyu Toyoko Line 1000 series intermediate cars (DeHa 1255 and DeHa 1305) were resold to the Ueda Electric Railway, which were reformed as a two-car 6000 series set with the addition of new cab ends.^[4]

Formation

Designation	Mc	Tc
Numbering	DeHa 6001x	KuHa 6101x

Car identities

The former identities of the fleet are as shown below.^[4]

Set No.	Car No.	Tokyu numbering
1001	DeHa 1001	DeHa 1315
1001	KuHa 1101	KuHa 1015
1002	DeHa 1002	DeHa 1318
1002	KuHa 1102	KuHa 1018
1003	DeHa 1003	DeHa 1314
1003	KuHa 1103	KuHa 1014
1004	DeHa 1004	DeHa 1316
1004	KuHa 1104	KuHa 1016
6001	DeHa 6001	DeHa 1305
6001	KuHa 6101	DeHa 1255

History

The first section of the line opened on 17 June 1921, using a 600 V DC overhead power supply.^[1] The line voltage was raised to 1,500 V DC from 1 October 1986.^[1] Wanman driver-only operation commenced on the line from 3 October 2005.^[1]

In 2009, the company sold out affiliated companies that Joden Bus and Joden Taxi to Jay Will Partners.

From 1 April 2016, station numbering was introduced on the line, with stations numbered from "BE01" (Ueda) to "BE15" (Bessho-Onsen).^[5]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Terada, Hirokazu (19 January 2013). データブック日本の私鉄 [Databook: Japan's Private Railways]. Japan: Neko Publishing. pp. 84–240. ISBN 978-4-7770-1336-4.
^ 私鉄車両編成表 2015 [Private Railway Rolling Stock Formations - 2015] (in Japanese). Japan: Kotsu Shimbunsha. 23 July 2015. p. 87. ISBN 978-4-330-58415-7.
^ 上田電鉄1000系 [Ueda Electric Railway 1000 series]. Japan Railfan Magazine (in Japanese). Vol. 48, no. 567. Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. July 2008. p. 103.
^ ^a ^b ^c Kubo, Toshi (July 2017). 東京メトロ日比谷線-4 [Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line - 4]. Japan Railfan Magazine (in Japanese). Vol. 57, no. 675. Japan: Koyusha Co., Ltd. pp. 125–126.
^ 【上田電鉄】駅ナンバリング導入 [Ueda Electric Railway introduced station numbering]. RM News (in Japanese). Japan: Neko Publishing Co., Ltd. 13 April 2016. Retrieved 14 April 2016.