The Iyo Railway Co., Ltd. (伊予鉄道株式会社), commonly known as Iyotetsu, is the main transport provider in Matsuyama, Ehime, Shikoku, Japan. The company operates railway, tram, and bus lines, and also has many subsidiaries, which include a bank, department stores, travel agencies, and various other businesses.

History

The company was founded on September 14, 1887, and its Takahama railway line, the first in Shikoku, was opened on October 28, 1888. In addition to being the first railway in Shikoku, it was also the third private railway in Japan. It is named for the former Iyo Province. The first tramway was electrified in 1911, whilst the entire tram network was changed from gauge to gauge in 1923.

Services

Railway

Iyotetsu operates the following railway lines. Takahama Line: Takahama — Matsuyama City Yokogawara Line: Matsuyama City — Yokogawara: Gunchū Line: Matsuyama City — Gunchū Port:

Takahama Line

This 9.4 km line opened as gauge in 1888, and was regauged to, double-tracked to Baishinji (8.2 km) and electrified at 600 V DC in 1931. This line is still electrified at 600 V DC, not increased to 750 V DC as Yokogawara or Gunchū Lines. The Takahama Line and the Ōtemachi Tramline have one of the few remaining rail/tram level crossings in Japan.

Yokogawara Line

This 13.2 km line opened as gauge in 1893, and was regauged to in 1931. Steam locomotives were replaced by diesel traction in 1954, and the line was electrified at 750 V DC in 1967. Through services to and from the Takahama line commenced in 1981.

Gunchū Line

The initial 10.7 km line was opened as a gauge line in 1896 by the South Iyo Railway. Iyotetsu acquired it through merger in 1900. It was regauged to in 1937. In 1939, a 600 m extension opened to Gunchuko, enabling a transfer to JR Iyo station (today Iyoshi on the Yosan Line. The line was electrified in 1950 at 600 V DC, increased to 750 V DC in 1976. CTC signalling was introduced on the rail system in 1993.

Former connecting lines

A 4.4 km 762 mm gauge line opened from Iyo Tachibana (on the Takahama line) to Morimatsu in 1896, the line being regauged to 1,067 mm in 1931. The line closed in 1965.

Tram

Iyotetsu operates the Matsuyama City Lines (松山市内線), a system of five interconnected tram (路面電車) lines.

Lines

There are officially five lines, as follows.

Routes

There are five routes regularly in service by using one or more lines above. Route 1 - Loop Line (clockwise): Matsuyama City Station → JR Matsuyama Station → Kiyachō → Teppochō → Ōkaidō → Matsuyama City Station Route 2 - Loop Line (counter-clockwise): Matsuyama City Station → Ōkaidō → Teppochō → Kiyachō → JR Matsuyama Station → Matsuyama City Station Route 3: Dōgo Onsen — Ōkaidō — Matsuyama City Station Route 5: Dōgo Onsen — Ōkaidō — JR Matsuyama station Route 6: Dōgo Onsen — Ōkaidō — Hommachi 6

Bus

The company operates highway buses linking Matsuyama and the major cities of Japan, including Tokyo, Ōsaka, Fukuyama, Takamatsu, Tokushima, and Kōchi. It also operates a local network in and around the city.

Rolling stock

Heavy rail

Trams

Two 5000 series low-floor tramcars (numbers 5001 and 5002) were delivered in September 2017, scheduled to enter revenue service on 21 September 2017.

Former rolling stock

Botchan Ressha

Iyo Railway also operates the Botchan Ressha, diesel-powered replicas of the original Iyotetsu steam locomotives, well-known from Natsume Sōseki's famous 1906 novel, Botchan. The current Botchan Ressha, operating on two of the city lines since 2001, reproduces the atmosphere of early train travel in Matsuyama.