On the third day, September 19th, I travelled with Kurobe Gorge Railway Main Line, which connects between Unazuki Station and Keyakidaira Station and originally opened as an industrial railway carrying construction materials for power plants building along Kurobe River built by an electric power company.
In 2018, Kurobe Gorge Railway is a branch company of Kansai Electric Railway, which is told by company symbol, consisting of that of Kansai Electric Power Company and cross-section of a rail. The trains only for the power plant workers and the freight trains keep operating. Among its ten stations, six stations, except Unazuki, Kuronagi, Kanetsuri, and Keyakidaira Stations, are only for the power plant workers.
It had been laid with track gauge of 762mm/30in, which is introduced by Sangi Railway Hokusei Line, Yokkaichi Asunarou Railway Utsube Line, and Yokkaichi Asunarou Railway Hachioji Line only in Japan.
The three types of carriages, windowless (1000 Series), Special Class (2000 Series), and Relax Class (3000 or 3100 Series), on Kurobe Gorge Railway Main Line exists, but I chose windowless carriage because I wanted to feel the atmosphere in my bones.
The train I rode on was consisted of 13 cars and hauled by Class EDR electric locomotive 25 and 26. Departing from Unazuki Station, the train crossed Shin-yamabiko Bridge over Kurobe River and started to run beside the river. On the right of the train's direction, Unazuki Dam, the latest dam on the river and has function since 2001, is located. Among the dams in Kurobe River, Unazuki dam is only one multifunctional one, mainly functions as flood control facility and storage for daily life water, as well as for power plant, and managed by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Beside the dam reservoir, a castle-like building stands, which is Shin-yanagawara Power Plant (third photograph).
While travelling, I noticed that it is very different not to equip roof from where passengers can get on or off, especially, the track for Unazuki-bound train of Sasadaira Station doesn't have platform.
The train kept running along the river and over series of curves, tunnels, and bridges.
The announcement is performed by a Japanese actress from Toyama Prefecture, Shigeru Muroi, which is about not only tourists attraction, but also knowledge about the railway and words in Toyama accent.
The second passenger-accessible station, Kanetsuri, has unique railway layout; both of the two platforms partly stand beside the turnouts. When the train depart from there, it once goes back before the switch and forward again to the main line.
It took about 80 minutes from end to end. From there, Kansai Electric Power Company Industrial Railway toward Kurobe No.4. Power Plant directly connects, but Kurobe Gorge Railway passengers can't go further than there.
At the roof of the station building, I photographed the gorge scenery with Shin-Kurobe No.3 Power Plant and train (tenth photograph). While watching the view, I noticed that the river water streams from Kurobe Dam which I watched two days before.
The train I rode on on the way back was hauled by Class EDV 34 and 35, which debut in 2012 and first equip variable frequency controller among Kurobe Gorge Railway electric locomotive.
Because I chose a windowless car, I could feel the atmosphere of beautiful gorge not only through eyes but also with all my senses. While travelling, I could see the two aspects of the river, one as source of power generation, and one creating beautiful landform. Watching the dams and power plants, I also considered how people live in coexistence with nature.