The is a Japanese railway line in

Yamagata Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Yamagata Prefecture has a population of 1,079,950 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 9,325 km² (3,600 sq mi). Yamagata Prefecture borders Akita Prefecture to the nor ...

, Japan. It connects Akayu Station in Nanyō to Arato Station in

Shirataka 270px, Mogami Rover in Shirataka is a town located in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 13,482 in 4730 households, and a population density of 85 persons per km². The total area of the town is . Geography S ...

. The Flower Nagai Line is the only line operated by the third sector , which took over the former JR East line in 1988. In 2005, Yamagata Railway was in danger of having to shut down due to low patronage, leaving many residents, especially the young and old, without a mode of transportation from their farms. The only option available to the company was to try to attract more tourists to the scenic views. Lone train operator, Tatsuo Asakura, working without the knowledge of his superiors increased out-of-town passengers from 350 in 2005 to 7,000 in 2006, and in September 2008 had entertained more than 20,000 tourists with his uplifting guided tours, spoken in local dialect.

Operation

Six single-car diesel multiple units (YR-880 Series) serve the line, running from to once every one to two hours.

Rolling Stock

YR-880 Series

Eight single-car diesel multiple units were built by

Niigata Transys is a Japanese railway vehicle and equipment manufacturer based in Chiyoda, Tokyo. The company is a subsidiary of IHI Corporation and has a factory in Niigata, and representative offices in Osaka, Sapporo, Sendai, and Niigata. Products Low- ...

in 1988 and 1990 for the Flower Nagai Line, using the Niigata Transys NDC model. Six units exist as of 2018. One unit, YR-881 has been scrapped in 2003, and YR-885 had been scrapped in 2015.

MCR4A Series

A snow blower car manufactured by Niigata Transys, one unit has been manufactured.

History

* October 26, 1913: - section opens * November 15, 1914: - section opens * December 11, 1922: - section opens * April 22, 1923: - segment opens, completing the line * November 15, 1954: Diesel multiple units replace steam engines on the line * June 1, 1959: Miyauchi Station opens * May 20, 1960: Minami-Nagai Station opens * October 28, 1986: Government designates line for closure * April 1, 1987: Line inherited by JR East following privatization of JNR * October 10, 1988: Line transferred from JR East to Yamagata Railway Company * December 15, 1989:

Shirousagi Station is a railway station in Nagai, Yamagata, Japan, operated by the Yamagata Railway. Lines Shirousagi Station is a station on the Flower Nagai Line, and is located 23.2 rail kilometers from the terminus of the line at Akayu Station. Station layo ...

opens * October 23, 1997: Centralized traffic control (CTC) introduced * June 9, 2002: Ayame-Kōen Station opens * October 13, 2007: Shikinosato Station opens

Station list

All stations are located in

References

External links

* Railway lines opened in 1913 Rail transport in Yamagata Prefecture 1067 mm gauge railways in Japan 1913 establishments in Japan Japanese third-sector railway lines {{Japan-rail-line-stub