Kashima Railway Line


The Kashima Railway Line was the sole line operated by the Kashima Railway Company in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. It operated between Ishioka Station and Hokota Station. It closed on 31 March 2007.

Stations

The line had 17 stations as shown below. As of 2002, only two stations, Ishioka and Hitachi-Ogawa, were staffed.
Station nameJapaneseDate openedDistance TransfersLocation
石岡8 June 19240.0Jōban LineIshioka, Ibaraki
Ishioka-Minamidai石岡南台16 June 19871.5Ishioka, Ibaraki
Higashi-Tanaka東田中18 November 19642.5Ishioka, Ibaraki
Tamari玉里1 November 19513.6Omitama, Ibaraki
Shin-Takahama新高浜8 June 19244.2Omitama, Ibaraki
Shikamura四箇村1 October 19515.1Omitama, Ibaraki
Hitachi-Ogawa常陸小川8 June 19247.1Omitama, Ibaraki
Ogawakōkō-shita小川高校下1 April 19887.8Omitama, Ibaraki
Momoura桃浦15 August 192610.7Namegata, Ibaraki
Yakimaki八木蒔1 October 195112.8Namegata, Ibaraki
Hama浜15 August 192614.4Namegata, Ibaraki
Tamatsukurimachi玉造町1 February 192815.8Namegata, Ibaraki
Enokimoto榎本6 May 192919.5Namegata, Ibaraki
Kariyado-mae借宿前1 October 195121.4Hokota, Ibaraki
Tomoegawa巴川16 April 192923.7Hokota, Ibaraki
坂戸19 November 195625.0Hokota, Ibaraki
鉾田6 May 192927.1Hokota, Ibaraki

History

The line first opened on 8 June 1924 as the steam-operated Kashima Sangu Railway, using steam operation between Ishioka and Hitachi-Ogawa. The full line to Hokota was opened on 16 May 1929.
Diesel operation commenced on 6 September 1930.
From 1 June 1965, the railway became the Kantō Railway Hokota Line, and from 1 April 1979, it became the separate Kashima Railway.
Freight operations ceased in 2002.
In 2006, the company announced the planned closure of the line, and the line finally closed on 31 March 2007.
The section between Ishioka and Shikamura stations was replaced with a BRT on August 2010.