Takamatsu-Kotohira Electric Railway
This month we take a look at the Takamatsu-Kotohira Electric Railway (Kotoden), a privately operated system of 3 lines in the Takamatsu area of Shikoku.
All Photos: Anthony Leith, taken 2nd March 2018.
Kotoden's longest line is the 33 Km long Kotohira Line, running from the terminal station of Takamatsu-Chikkō to Kotoden-Kotohira, where Car 1087 had just arrived. Kotoden's 1080 series EMU's originally operated on the Keikyū Railway in the Greater Tōkyō area as their 1000 series from their construction in the early 1960's until the late 1980's. Nearby this station is Shikoku's largest shrine.
Kotoden's Nagao Line branches from the Kotohira Line at Kawaramachi, running 14 Km's south east from Central Takamatsu. Almost all services continue through to Takamatsu-Chikkō where 1308 had just arrived at Platform 3. The Kotoden 1300 series were also formerly Keikyū's 1000 series, however these cars are a later build and date from the mid 1970's.
Kotoden's shortest line is the 12km Shido Line, which while commencing from Kawaramachi, is physically isolated from the rest of the system. The connection at Kawaramachi being lost as a result of the construction of the building above Kawaramachi station in the mid 1990's. Car 801 was seen arriving at Kotoden-Yashima. The rolling stock on this line formerly operated on Nagoya Municipal Subway's Higashiyama Line.
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