Friday 3 February 2017

Students' Supporter on Shikoku Island

Diesel rail-cars JR Shikoku 1000 series arrive at Kochi Station in the morning sunlight

I had an opportunity to visit Kochi City for the first time in five years. Kochi is the main city of Kochi Prefecture on Shikoku Island. You can reach there from Tokyo by air or by trains passing through the Seto-ohashi railway bridge. Although I was very busy there, I could secure a short time in the early morning to visit Kochi Station on the Dosan Line to see what was going on at this gateway station to the main city.

Just before 8 o'clock, a 4-car train arrived at the station with a light engine sound. It was JR Shikoku's diesel rail-car, the 1000 series. The Dosan Line is un-electrified, so we can't see any catenaries or wire poles at the station yard. The passengers getting out of the train were mainly high school students coming from the suburban areas of Kochi City. The boys and girls headed to their schools chatting happily with their friends. It may be a usual morning scene. Five minutes later, the platform became quite again, and the next train arrived 10 minutes later.

The diesel rail-car JR Shikoku 1000 series was launched in 1990 for commuter transport in the Kochi and Tokushima areas. To date, a total of 56 units have been built by Niigata Tekkosho. It has six doors per car to make it easy for passengers to get on and off at the stations.

The diesel rail-car 1000 series... it is a strong supporter of students on Shikoku Island.

Diesel rail-cars JR Shikoku 1000 series stand at Kochi Station on the Dosan Line