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Kanden Tunnel Electric Bus

The Kanden Tunnel Electric Bus is a Japanese electric bus line between Ōgizawa Station, Ōmachi and Kurobe Dam Station, Tateyama. The line does not have any official name. The 6.1-km line runs in a tunnel for 5.4 km, the approximately 700-metre above-ground section consisting of around 300 metres of open roadway at and near Ōgizawa station and 400 metres covered by a snow shelter on the approach to the tunnel. Opened in 1964 as a trolleybus line, it was one of the last two trolleybus lines that existed in Japan. The line is a part of the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, together with another trolleybus line, the Tateyama Tunnel Trolleybus. The line closed in November 2018 for renewal, and all of the trolleybuses have been replaced by the new battery-electric buses. All of the overhead wiring was removed and new charging pads were installed at the Ōgizawa terminal.

History
The tunnel was originally built to efficiently bring supplies to the site for the construction of the hydroelectric plant of Kurobe Dam, by the Kansai Electric Power Company (Kanden or KEPCO). It is only one lane wide, except for a short section near the middle, which is wider so as to allow vehicles going in opposite directions to pass. The trolleybus service began operation on 1 August 1964. After the dam and its power station were completed, KEPCO opened the tunnel for public use, as the power company had been ordered to do so by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The single-lane tunnel was not suitable for cars, and there was no space for parking, so the company chose to build a trolleybus line in the tunnel. End of trolleybus era in 2011. Trolleybus operation ended in 2018 after 54 years. in 2007 To commemorate the end of trolleybus operation, several events were held between 15 April 2018 and 30 November 2018. ==Operation==
Operation
The Kanden Tunnel electric bus line is owned and operated by the Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO), the same company as had owned it during the trolleybus era. in 1993 and 1994, and numbered 301–309. Another six of the same type were delivered later, by 1996, making the full new trolleybus fleet 15 vehicles numbered 301–315. Battery buses ==See also==
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