Gakunan (passenger) comings and goings

[Nick_Burman]

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ghq4pVXH-oQ" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/Ghq4pVXH-oQ</a>

For once, a clip showing Gakunan passenger operations. The view of the cone of Mt. Fuji at the end is absolutely stunning. Can you imagine waking up every morning with that outside your window??


Cheers NB

[bikkuri bahn]

Come this spring, passenger operations will be the only thing you can see on this line, as freight operations are ending, due to deficits.  Apparently there is talk of ending passenger service also.

[miyakoji]

That's a former Keio car right?  The driver's stations at both ends is a modification, right?  I wonder who did it.  I suppose one car had to be sacrificed for the additional cab.

[bikkuri bahn]

I wonder who did it.

It was done by Keio Juuki Seibi.
http://www.keiojuuki.co.jp/

[tsubasa119]

Have just read this, any idea when this spring that the freight operations are finishing? I will be in Japan in March/April and would like to see some freights on the Gakunan if they are still running!!

[Nick_Burman]

Come this spring, passenger operations will be the only thing you can see on this line, as freight operations are ending, due to deficits.  Apparently there is talk of ending passenger service also.

GAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHHH!!!! First it was the Towada Kanko, now it's the Gakunan and the Konan Railway is also threatened with closure. 2012 started off well...


Cheers NB

[bill937ca]

But these railways hang on much longer in Japan than they would elsewhere.

[Nick_Burman]

But these railways hang on much longer in Japan than they would elsewhere.

Sure, however it is sad to see such lines go. Especially such lines of character like the Gakunan (for its freight service) or the Towada (for its immaculately mantained rolling stock). It's like loosing that favorite local pub you like to go to on summer weekends... sadly I fear that the Japanese rural private railway is a dying breed, unless the country does an economic and social about-turn. Not only that, they decided to give up the ghost right now when I'm mulling the possibility of a trip to Japan of my own!

The end of Gakunan freight service will possibly have some-knock on effects for those who railfan JRF operations in the area. It will mean the end of the Yoshiwara - Tokyo area paper trains, for starters. It will possibly mean also that most of the remaining wamuhachi fleet will be scrapped, with the exception of those cars emplyoed in the milk carton run in Niigata (I don't see JRF transferring cars to Niigata...they have been trying to containerize as much freight as possible over the last few years).

Cheers NB

[bikkuri bahn]

I don't see JRF transferring cars to Niigata...they have been trying to containerize as much freight as possible over the last few years.

JRF is all about promoting containerization and nothing else.  My school's career department receives a JRF newsletter, and all traffic spotlighted is container.  Some fans are accusing JRF of behaving hypocritically, of being "false eco", by giving up this kind of traffic to the trucks instead of trying to find a rail-based solution.

[gmat]

Sorry, posted on the wrong thread.

Grant