Kodomonokuni Line (Yokohama Minatomirai Railway)

The Kodomonokuni Line (こどもの国線 -sen) is a railway line of the Yokohama Minatomirai Railway Company.

Data

• Length: 3.4 km
• Gauge: 1067 mm
• Electrified segments: Entire line
• Electrification: 1500 VDC
• Stations: 3 (including terminals)

History

It opened in April 1967, at the same time as its 'parent' station, Nagatsuta. It is a single track local line designed principally to cater for visitors to Kodomonokuni (Children's Land) park. Consequently, the two carriage train is particularly busy during summer weekends and holidays.

The line originally was built and opened as a transportation link to the park (which opened in 1965) from the Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line. The Children's Land Association (Shakai Fukushi Houjin Kodomonokuni Kyokai) owned the right-of-way and the Kodomonokuni Station, but the actual operation was contracted out to Tokyu Corporation.

In 1997 the line was sold to Yokohama Minatomirai Railway Company, a joint venture of Tokyu Corporation, Kanagawa prefectural government and the City of Yokohama. In 2000 an intermediate station opened in Onda, Aoba to reflect the changing role of this line as a commuter rail. MMR today owns the right-of-way, Kodomonokuni and Onda stations and the rollingstock, but the actual operation continues to be managed by Tokyu.

Local residents along the train line have expressed an interest in getting the Kodomonokuni Line extended northward to meet the Odakyu Odawara Line at Tsurukawa; however the planning has not yet taken off due to the fact that the proposed rail alignment, despite its short distance, involves two prefectures (Kanagawa, Tokyo) and three cities (Aoba, Yokohama; Asao, Kawasaki and Machida, Tokyo).

The travelling time from Nagatsuta is 7 minutes (incorporating one stop at Onda Station). At both Kodomonokuni and Nagatsuta Stations there are ticket machines for this line, but the ticket gates are at Kodomonokuni only. Thus, entry is open to the Kodomonokuni Line platform at Nagatsuta (which is helpful if one is in a hurry).

Trains depart every 20 minutes throughout the day (every 10 minutes between 8 and 9 a.m. both directions) and at weekends; however, services are more regular during morning and evening peak times, and during Golden Week.

Stations

• Kodomonokuni (Nara-cho, Aoba, Yokohama)
• Onda (Akanedai 1-chome, Aoba, Yokohama)
• Nagatsuta (Nagatsuta 4-chome, Midori, Yokohama) -- connection to Den-en-toshi Line and JR Yokohama Line

External links

• Timetables for the Nagatsuta and Kodomonokuni stations (in Japanese)
• Fares (in Japanese)