On March 28, Oigawa Railway(its headquarter is in Kanaya-Higashi 2-chome, Shimada) sets new local bus line between Senzu station in Kawane-Hommachi and Kanzou station in Aoi, Shizuoka, which is along Ōigawa Railway Ikawa Line.
According to the company, Ikawa Line takes passengers 90 mins from Senzu to Kanzou due to slow speed and adding or removing locomotives for the rack railway. On the other hand, the new bus line takes 30 mins, which is dramatically shortened travel time.
Along the line, there are many spots such as the sole rack railway in Japan, Okuōikojō station on the peninsula on Nagashima Dam Lake, and Sekinosawa bridge locating farthest from the surface of river in Japanese private railways. The company says "The new bus line is expected to give tourists new enjoyable landscape and wider travel plans."
Frequency is 3 services per day. One-way fare is 820 JPY(adult(older than elementary school students)), 410 JPY(child(elementary school students)).
If you have a question, ask the management branch of the company(TEL:+81-0547-45-4112)
Citation: http://www.chunichi.co.jp/article/shizuoka/20120406/CK2012040602000200.html
I think it is interesting to take a train on rack railway. But, I don't want to take such a slow round-trip train. So, the new bus will play an important role for passengers who go home as fast as possible.
