昭和初期における局地鉄道事業の展開と地域交通体系の再編成 : 両備鉄道の事例

抄録

In the early Showa era local railway companies were in difficulties because of the Showa economic depression and the development of bus transportation. Proposals for the reorganisation of transport systems were made and carried out in various parts of Japan. Since the reorganisation schemes were not coordinated on a national level, they have to be examined individually. In this paper the case of the Ryobi Railway is examined. (1) The Ryobi Railway and the Ikasa Railway were privately-owned branch lines of the Sanyo Line of Japan National Railways (JNR), The Ryobi Railway had two lines : the Fuchu Line, joining Fukuyama and Fuchu, which opened in 1914, and the Takaya Line, joining Kannabe and Takaya, which opened in 1922 and was transferred to the Shinko Railway in 1933. The Ikasa Railway opened between Kasaoka and Ibara in 1913 and was extended to join Ibara and Takaya in 1925. The two railways met at Takaya. (2) Because Fukuyama had been at the center of the regional economy since the Meiji era, the Ryobi Railway was more profitable than the Ikasa Railway. When bus transportation began to grow rapidly between the last years of the Taisho era and the early years of the Showa era, the Ryobi Railways strengthened the connection between the Fuchu Line and JNR. (3) The Ryobi Railways Fuchu Line was nationalized in 1933, and in 1935, its gauge was widened and its track relaid. The Takaya Line was not nationalised but taken over by the Shinko Railway instead. As the Shinko Railway was not competitive with bus transportation, it suffered great economic losses. (4) The Shinko Railway was going to close down, but through the intermediation of the Ministry of Transport and local community, it was absorbed by the Ikasa Railway. (5) After nationalisation, the Fuchu Line reduced its fares so that they agreed with the Ministry of Transport levels. Trains were able to run faster as a result of the gauge-widening and track-relaying carried out in 1935. In contrast, the Takaya Line could not keep to its timetable because of the need for passengers to change trains, and fares on the Shinko Railway were not competitive with those of the buses. (6) After nationalisation, the Fuchu Line became more closely connected with the Sanyo Line, and traffic grew as a result. When the Line was extended northwards, this contributed to the economic development of that area of Fukuyama.