The Kita-Kogane Branch of the Musashino Line (Minami-Nagareyama–Kita-Kogane, 2.9 km) is a freight branch with no scheduled passenger service. It’s a shortcut connecting the Joban Line and the Musashino Line, rideable only on special trains.
JR East’s Mito branch office announced a limited express called “Koedo Kawagoe no Kaze” running between Hitachi and Kawagoe. Looking up the route, I found it would go from the Joban Line through the Kita-Kogane Branch onto the Musashino Line, then continue to Kawagoe. A special train that passes through the Kita-Kogane Branch, and one you can ride with a regular limited express ticket. Unlike a charter train, the barrier to entry is low.
Itinerary
The train was an E653 series, 7-car formation. The route ran from the Joban Line through the Kita-Kogane Branch, Musashino Line, Omiya Branch, and Tohoku Main Line before entering the Kawagoe Line. The train originated at Hitachi, but I boarded at Kashiwa—the shortest segment that would cover the Kita-Kogane Branch. Most passengers were headed to Kawagoe for sightseeing, a very different crowd from the freight line tours. The limited express ticket was purchased separately for the Kashiwa–Kawagoe section.
The Kita-Kogane Branch
Leaving Kashiwa, the train headed south on the Joban Line. Just past Kita-Kogane, it branched off the main line. The train entered tracks it wouldn’t normally use, heading toward Minami-Nagareyama on the Musashino Line. The Kita-Kogane Branch is a short 2.9 km stretch, and the passage was over in no time.
Kawagoe
Arrived at Kawagoe at 10:05. Local residents were on the platform welcoming the train—they had been waiting for the special express to arrive. From Kawagoe, I continued on the Kawagoe Line to Komagawa, then the Hachiko Line and Chuo Main Line back to Tokyo.
Coverage Results
Completed the Kita-Kogane Branch (Musashino Line branch, Minami-Nagareyama–Kita-Kogane, 2.9 km). For more on the Musashino Line’s branch lines, see this article.