The Tadami line is a Japanese railway that connects Aizu-Wakamatsu station (会津若松駅 Aizu-Wakamatsu-eki) in the city of Aizu-Wakamatsu in Fukushima prefecture and Koide station (小出駅 Koide-eki) in the city of Uonuma, in the neighboring Niigata prefecture.
It has a total length of 135km and three-fourths of the railway runs through the area called the Aizu (会津) region.
In the section of the line in the west side mountain area of Aizu called Okuaizu (奥会津), very few passengers use the line usually, so it is a really local line that has only seven services in a day.
Railways started to be built in Japan around the time when the new era called the Meiji period began about 150 years ago.
Building railways was an important policy for Japan as it aimed to become a modern state.
While the construction of the railways in various regions in Japan was spreading, a plan to build a railway was made in Aizu too.
The construction of theTadami line began as a light railway originally managed by a private company.
In 1928, a railway that connected Aizu-Wakamatsu with Yanaizu (柳津) opened, and was named the Aizu line (会津線 Aizu-sen).
BehBeh
In about 1920, Japan was planning to build a railway network all over Japan, and a line that would connect between Yanaizu with Koide was planned to be in the network.
In 1934, the construction of the line was formally decided.
Though there was concern about the huge construction costs and the number of users, there was the main reason for the determination that the line was needed to use natural resources such as water, forests and minerals in Oku-Aizu.
The construction was started in two sections between Yanaizu and Kawaguchi (川口) and between Koide (小出) and Tadami (只見).
Even during the second world war, these railways continued to be constructed because they were used for transporting resources for military use.
In 1941, the section between Yanaizu and Miyashita (宮下) was opened.
In 1942, the section between Koide and Ōshirakawa (大白川) was opened, and this section was named the “Tadami line (只見線 Tadami-sen)”, which would become the current name.
However, the construction was stopped because of losing the war in 1945.
In 1949, Japan National Railways was founded.
Japan National Railways was a public corporation separated from the state.
It operated the railway business instead of the state.
The Tadami river was used for developing electric power because as a par of postwar restoration.
It was decided that some dams would be constructed from the upper reaches to the lower reaches of the river.
With this as a trigger, a movement to resume the railway construction took place, and the railway construction was restarted in 1955.
To construct the Tagokura dam, a dedicated railway, used for transporting goods, was built from Kawaguchi to Tadami in 1956 by the Electric Power Development Co., Ltd which is the operator of the dam.
In 1960, the Tagokura dam was completed.
The original plan was that Japan National Railways would buy the railway from the Electric Power Development Co., Ltd after completing the dam.
Japan National Railways, however, announced its plan to discontinue the railway because the Tadami line was a problematic unprofitable route.
The Electric Power Development Co., Ltd rebelled against that, and inhabitants too, because they provided their land and had endured the bad effects of the construction,
Finally, the government mediated, Japan National Railways bought the railway much more cheaply than the original plan and took over the management of the railway.
In 1963, the section between Kawaguchi and Tadami was opened.
Around this time, there were increasing calls domestically to abolish local lines running at a deficit.
In 1968, the Tadami line was recommended for abolition, but the inhabitants didn’t stop their movement to open the whole line.
They maintained that the line was necessary for the growing of local industries, the improvement of living standards, and as important transportation in winter.
Then, a very influential political leader, Kakuei Tanaka insisted on developing the local area and accomplishing the intended purpose of connecting Aizu-Wakamatsu with Koide, and appealed for the continuation of the construction.
Fukushima pref
In 1971, the construction of the Rokujūrigoe(六十里越) tunnel that is on the boundary was completed.
Finally, the connection between Aizu-Wakamtsu station and Koide station was finished, and the whole line opened.
Then the whole line was unified as the “Tadami line”.
Although the line had opened, that was a period of high economic growth and the coming of car society to Japan.
A national route along Tadami line was improved, so more and more the inhabitants used cars.
The deficit of the line was increasing, and depopulation in the area was spreading as the people in the region wanted to live in cities.
Fukushima pref
Diesel cars began to be used in about 1970, and Steam locomotives were abolished in 1974.
In 1987, Japan National Railways was broken up, divided and privatized, and the Tadami line started to be operated by the East Japan Railway Company.
Nonetheless, The Tadami line is still being managed with a large deficit.
Fukushima pref
In July 2011, a disastrous flood stroke the Aizu region, and the section between Kawaguchi and Tadami was closed because some bridges were destroyed by the disaster.
The East Japan Railway Company side had decided to abolish the section, but the local community side made strong demands to restore it.
After a conference between the two sides, it was decided to reopen the section.
Both sides had the perception that the entire reopening of the Tadami line would lead to renewed local revitalization.
However, there will be considerable management costs.
It was decided, therefore, that the East Japan Railway Company will be responsible for the operation of the transportation services while the local community will be responsible for the managing the facilities; a two-tiered system wherein infrastructure and operation are separated.
Furthermore, Fukushima Prefecture and the municipalities along the line have laid a plan for the development of tourism and commerce by making better use of the line.
The entire reopening is going to be in 2022.