Kurobe Gorge Railway

photo by 掬茶 · CC BY-SA 4.0

photo by Tochigi Lemon Milk · CC BY 4.0

Built for the hydroelectric works, it runs through 20 km of gorge on rails 76 cm apart.

Built to carry materials to the hydroelectric construction sites on the Kurobe River, the narrow-gauge line (762 mm) opened to the public in 1953 and runs 20.1 kilometres between Unazuki and Keyakidaira, inside a V-shaped gorge between walls that in places come close to a kilometre deep. The route, moved by 1.8 km in 1988 to make way for another dam, goes through dozens of tunnels and over bridges suspended above the torrent, including the new Yamabiko Bridge.

Small open sightseeing train (with open-top carriages in the warm season) that runs up the Kurobe River gorge from Unazuki Station, the direct heir of the construction railway built for the area's hydroelectric development.

ℹ️ Season roughly from mid-April to late November; fares are banded by arrival station (Kanetsuri, Kuronagi, Keyakidaira). Open carriages in summer, closed ones (at an extra charge) in the colder seasons. Check times and fares on the official site before setting off.

🚉 Unazukionsen · 2 min walk

Sources: ja.wikipedia.org

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