Today i'm in Hakone and today we're going to jump on the Hakone Tozan railway.
Again welcome to another video and i'm excited to show you this one today for two reasons.
Number one, this is one of three mountain railways here in japan and mountain railways
are generally built up a little bit differently because of the grades they have to deal with
and number two, this railway was actually damaged during the hurricane (oops)
during the typhoon in October 2019 and recently just opened in July, three weeks ago, in July 2020
so I'm happy to have this opportunity to show you and to enjoy this fantastic little railway.
The line itself runs from Odawara to Gora, where I'm at right now, and it's split into two sections
and we're going to be looking at the sections from Gora to Hakone-Yumoto which takes care of the the
mountain area. so whether you're interested in planning a trip to Hakone or japan or you're
interested in checking out a small local railway this video is for you so come along let's jump on the train!
Gora station is a small country station at Tthe end of the line. there are several small
shops and restaurants around the station however many visitors simply transfer to the cable car
to continue their journey to lake Ashi. Visitors can use a transit (IC) card (for the train)
however the Hakone free pass is the best deal as it covers your train from Tokyo and all the transportation in Hakone
which consists of more than half a dozen different modes. Speaking of trains they
operate fairly frequently so it's not too long before one pulls into the station. Trains come in either
two or three car configuration. One modification of this mountain railway are the noticeably smaller
shorter length cars this allows the train to handle those tighter curves along the mountain.
Gora station is 553 metres above sea level. When we reach our destination of Hakone-
Yomoto, 8.9 kilometres away will be down to 108 metres. This is an average grade of 5 %!
As we continue our way down we really get an idea of how sharp the turns are for the train
EE: Gora stn, 553m = 1 CN Tower above sea level
Also as the railway reopened less than a month prior repairs are still underway .
Nonetheless you get a sense of how high we are and how close railway is to the edge at times.
EE: The line first started with horses pulling cars. Gora was completed in 1930, when trains were then used
There are several types of cars employed on this line and I recommend these newer cars with the
large windows. They have six box seats with a few seats for two on either side of the car. It's nice,
open and you have this little table to hold your drinks or belongs for your journey .
Even during the high travel season... which there wasn't one this year (2020)..
when trains are a little more crowded these large windows ensures everyone can enjoy the view .
Due to the lack of space and grades this railway deals with it employs a series of switchbacks to
quickly ascend or descend which is a different experience. The switchbacks are essentially like
steps for the train so the train pulls into the waiting area, the driver and conductor switch,
we wait for the train headed the other way and... stare awkwardly at the other passengers...
and then we continue our way back down to the next switchback. There are three in total on this line.
It really doesn't matter which car you're in since the front and back alternate several
times throughout the trip. There are a few tunnels in the lower portion of the railway the single
track is doubled at stations to allow trains to pass. Some stations are a little quieter than others.
EE: We made a mistake and got off at the wrong station :D. Also, the tunnels are originals, over 100 years old. Withstood many Earthquakes.!
The Hakone Tozan railway has the steepest grade in japan at 8%
On that part of the line the front end of the train is 2.5 metres higher than the rear.
One last adaptation of this railway is that water is sprayed on the tracks as the train
makes its way to reduce wear and tear. You can see trains being replenished with water at the station.
Six stops and about 40 minutes later and we're reaching the end of the line.
Hakone Yumoto is the busiest station for this mountain railway as it's a transfer
station from change from tokyo there's many shops in the area outside near the station
the small center is worth stopping by and checking out in between trains
all right so we made it to hakone mojo station i'm going to end it here it's a great little uh line
a couple things to note number one uh aim for one of the newer cars likes the one behind me
the windows are larger you get box seats and i think gives you a better uh better experience
than just like a standard commuter car which there are a few of them and number two definitely pick
up the hakone free pass it covers all your trains from tokyo it covers the uh the cable car uh the
ropeway the boat all that stuff in hakone it's a great deal definitely pick that up anyways i think
i'm gonna end it there great little train hope you enjoyed it and i'll see you guys around next time