Image courtesy of Wikipedia / Photo by Mr-haruka
In Rikubetsu Town, Hokkaido, something irresistible to railway enthusiasts was revived for one day only to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the closure of the “Furusato Ginga Line”. It was unfortunately cloudy in Rikubetsu Town on the 4th. Many people were seen at the roadside station.
A passenger said… “This is a very valuable event where the in-car announcements from that time will be played.” The announcements were stored on a cartridge-type tape. This was actually used on the Hokkaido Chihoku Kogen Railway’s Furusato Ginga Line, which ran between Ikeda and Kitami until 2006. The train car is currently used as an experience train, but on this day, it recreated the operation of that time. 20 years after the closure, this special event revived the in-car announcements for one day only. The audio tape was set, and the train departed a little after 3 p.m. The announcement from that time: “Next stop is Honbetsu.
This is Honbetsu.” The course is about 5.7 km and takes an hour and a half, with announcements for 12 stations one way, for a total of 24 stations. Passengers record the scenery passing by the window and the sounds along with the music. One passenger said, “It’s quite moving to hear familiar station names.” Then came the announcement for the final stop, a place they can no longer visit. The announcement from that time: “Next stop is the final stop, Kitami.
This is Kitami.” At the turnaround point, the moment the destination sign changes is also a great photo opportunity. Being able to take photos from the tracks is a rare experience. Soon, the train turns around. The announcement from that time: “Thank you for using the Furusato Ginga Line.” The enjoyable time passes all too quickly. One passenger said, “(How was it?) It was fantastic.” Another passenger said, “You don’t hear announcements like this very often. It made me feel the history.”
Kazuhiro Hazama of the Rikubetsu Railway Operations Support Department said, “Sound is important. Just by hearing the sounds, the scenery comes to mind. The passengers were so happy, it almost brought tears to my eyes.” Rikubetsu Railway, which planned this train with in-car announcements, also plans to organize a commemorative event for the 20th anniversary of the line’s closure.
