Watarase Keikoku Line

The Watarase Keikoku Line (わたらせ渓谷線) is a Japanese railway line connecting Kiryū Station in Kiryū, Gunma and Matō Station in Nikkō, Tochigi. This is the only railway line that the third-sector company Watarase Keikoku Railway (わたらせ渓谷鐵道) operates. The company and line are also known as Watakei (わた渓) or Watetsu (わ鐵). The company acquired the line from the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) in 1989. As the name suggests, the line runs along the Watarase River through a deep valley.

History
The Ashio Railway Co. opened the line to Ashio-Motoyama (2 km beyond Mato) in 1911–12 to service the Ashio Copper Mine, and leased the line to JNR in 1913. Passenger services were introduced in 1914. In 1918 the line was nationalised.

The copper mine closed in 1973, the same year the line was deviated for the construction of the Kusaki Dam, including the 5242 m Kusaki Tunnel.

Operation of the line between Kiryū and Matō was transferred to the Watarase Keikoku Railway, a third-sector company, in 1989. Also in 1989, the Ashio-Motoyama – Mato section was closed.

Basic data

 * Distance: 44.1 km
 * Gauge:
 * Stations: 17
 * Double-tracking: None
 * Electrification: None
 * Railway signalling:
 * Kiryū &mdash; Shimo-Shinden: Automatic
 * Shimo-Shinden &mdash; Matō: Simplified Automatic

Station list

 * Trains stop at stations marked "●" and pass those marked "｜".
 * Local trains stop at all stations (other than Shimo-Shinden Signal Box).