Japan Railway Journal

Season 3, Episode 4

Episode Title: The Long Winter of Discontent: One Railway's Battle Against Snow

Air Date: 2017-03-10

Overview:

The Iiyama Line in Nagano Prefecture operates in one of Japan's snowiest regions. 7.85m of snow has been recorded along the line, which is the record among Japanese railways. Heavy snow is an obstacle that cannot be avoided in this region, so clearing it is crucial to maintaining scheduled operations. In this program, we introduce the latest vehicle that operates as both a snow plow and blower, various countermeasures used to combat snow, and the railway's battle against the long harsh winter.