Steam locomotive goes into service in Kinugawa area
Jiji -- Aug 11
A much-awaited steam locomotive went into service on Tobu Railway Co.'s Kinugawa Line in the city of Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, eastern Japan, on Thursday.

The Taiju train, pulled by the C11 207 locomotive, travels between Shimo-imaichi Station and Kinugawa-onsen Station, with three round-trip services offered a day on the 12.4-kilometer section. A one-way trip takes 35 minutes.

It is the first time in 58 years for a steam locomotive to run in the Kinugawa area, which is a major tourist destination featuring the Kinugawa Onsen hot spring resort and scenic spots around the Kinugawa River. The first Taiju train left Shimo-imaichi around 12:20 p.m. (3:20 a.m. GMT).

At a ceremony at Shimo-imaichi, Tobu Railway President Yoshizumi Nezu said, "It's our duty to meet the expectations of railway operators that supported us for the steam locomotive revival." Among these railway firms are Hokkaido Railway Co., or JR Hokkaido, and East Japan Railway Co. <9020>, or JR East.

News source: Jiji