Shimizukō Line

Shimizukō Line
The remains of Tomoegawaguchi Station, April 2008
Overview
Status	Abandoned
Locale	Shizuoka, Japan
Termini	Shimizu Miho
Stations	6
Operation
Opened	1916
Closed	1984
Technical
Line length	8.3 km (5.2 mi)
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)

The Shimizukō Line (清水港線, Shimizukō-sen^?, literally "Shimizu Port Line") was a Japanese railway line in Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka, operated by Japanese National Railways. It ran as a branch line off the Tōkaidō Main Line from Shimizu Station, through the industrial port of Shimizu before terminating in the residential area of Miho. The line operated first as a freight line and later as a passenger line before closing in 1984 and being replaced by a bus service. At its peak, the line included a total of four passenger stations, and two spur lines used for freight services.

Shimizu port had long been an important area for industry in the area. The areas natural harbour in Suruga Bay was a thriving fishing port and the export of the locally grown green tea. Miho is a busy residential area on the Shimizu peninsula famous for Miho no Matsubara. In an age before widespread bus or haulage services or personal transport, a train link into the area was conceived.

The line began life on July 10, 1916, purely as an industrial railway from the then-named Ejiri Station into the industrial area of Shimizu port. The first stretch of the line ran as a 1.6 km spur to Shimizu-minato Station (清水港駅, Shimizu-minato eki^?, "Shimizu Port Station"). An extension on February 1, 1930, took the line deeper into the port district, with a station opening as Shimizu-futō Station (清水埠頭駅, Shimizu-futō eki^?, "Shimizu Pier Station") to further service the many export factories in the region. On December 1, 1934, Ejiri Station was renamed as Shimizu Station in part to reflect the growing influence the port had on the region's identity.