Watarase Keikoku Railway Co.,Ltd.

This 44.1 km line connects Kiryu Station in Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture, to Mafuji Station in Ashio-cho, Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture. Originally a Japan National Railways (JNR) line, it was taken over by East Japan Railway Company with the privatization of JNR in 1987, and transferred to Watarase Gorge Railway Company in 1989. Since becoming Watarase Gorge Railway, the company has focused on tourist transportation instead of freight transportation, and in 1994, the annual number of passengers exceeded 1 million.