Japan used to have quite a few trolleybus lines, though most have been replaced – first by diesel, and now by Battery Electric and Fuel Cell models. Currently there is only one trolleybus line still in operation – and the operator recently announced it will be discontinued today, Nov 30th – to be replaced by BEV models when it resumes operation next Spring. It’s a rather unique route – fully enclosed within a mountain. It’s the Tateyama Trolleybus Line.
Open air diesel bus section of the Tateyama-Kurobe route after opening in the Spring
The Tateyama line’s history is actually opposite that described above – it first used diesel buses when opened in 1971 and was later converted to electric trolley in 1996. The line is part of the Tateyama-Kurobe route – one of Japan’s most scenic alpine areas. The route is composed of nine sections using different modes; railway, funicular, trolley/diesel/electric bus, aerial tramway, and walking over 23 miles (37 km).
The trolleybus line has only two stations – one at the west end of the mountain and one at the east – the entire line runs within Mount Tateyama. The 2.3 mile (3.7 km) journey takes approximately 10 minutes.
The buses have special coachwork designed to fit within the tunnels, and are constructed on a Mitsubishi Fuso chassis, utilizing 600 volts DC.
The Kanden tunnel section of the Tateyama-Kurobe route converted from trolleybuses to Battery Electric in 2018 – the buses are built on a Hino Blue Ribbon chassis. I imagine the new buses next year will be similar to these.
Fun Fact: While using trolleybuses, the government regulates the line as a “railway.” The “Railway Business Law” contains provisions for monorails, tramways, and cable cars. In turn, the line uses railway-type signals to control movement along the route.
And I thought we got a lot of snow where I live! We are having our first snowstorm this weekend.
I have never been to Japan, but after reading this article and the one a few days ago about the railway museum I am thinking about it. Thanks for posting this.
I miss riding in warm, quiet and comfortable electric trolly buses around Boston, Mass. in the 60’s .
-Nate
Mexico City use underground tunnel systems for buses too, they had tires mount 90 degrees to the walls, turn sidewise , n the sharper turns that rolled and prevent the buses from scrapping the walls.
I wonder what the economics are that made them abandon trolleybus? BEV bases would be heavier and more expensive, and the lifetime before the need to replace the batteries is if course way less than the lifetime of the motor and chassis. Perhaps the cost of maintaining the overhead wires and caternaries outweighs that, but if it’s totally enclosed in a tunnel I cannot see it would require that much maintenance. Could this solely have been due to external factors, regulatory or otherwise? Perhaps there is some energy saving with BEV’s due to regenerative braking, but then wouldn’t it make sense to still maintain the overhead wires so one would need a lower capacity battery?