Nagakura Line (Uncompleted Railway)

This railway line, extending from Motegi—the terminus of the Mooka Railway—across the Naka River toward Hitachi-Ōmiya, was started before World War II. However, construction was halted due to the war and was never resumed, leaving the line permanently unfinished. Unfortunately, I lost my original notes from the time of my visit, so the exact date when these photos were taken is unknown. However, I recall that my visit took place sometime between October 1974 and March 1975. At that time, a long embankment stretched out from Motegi Station, with bridges crossing roads and a concrete bridge spanning the river—all still remaining in their original, untouched state. Today, this abandoned trackbed is known as a "phantom railway"—a line that was started but never completed. While embankments and bridges that had become obstacles to traffic have since been removed, some sections have been repurposed as walking paths. Here, I present scenes from when the line remained abandoned, left incomplete, and frozen in time.