The railway is capable of climbing one meter vertically for every 12.5 meters of horizontal distance, a maximum gradient of 8%. The line traverses Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, so the line was carefully designed to limit the impact on scenery. Due to the difficult conditions, the line has three switchbacks used to ascend particularly steep sections.
Local trains runs between Odawara and Hakone-Yumoto, partly from/to Shin-Matsuda Station using 4-car Odakyu EMUs.
Section between Hakone-Yumoto and Gōra is operated by local trains only, using Hakone Tozan 2/3-car EMUs.
Trains stop at three signal stops which have no passenger platforms.
There are three switchbacks: Deyama, Ōhiradai, and Kami-Ōhiradai.
Journey time between Odawara - Hakone-Yumoto is approximately 15 minutes, Hakone-Yumoto - Gōra is approximately 40 minutes, Shinjuku - Hakone-Yumoto is approximately an hour and 25–35 minutes by limited express.
Signal stops
There are three signal stops on the Hakone Tozan Line in addition to the regular passenger stations. All of them have a siding track and two of them have switchbacks.
Deyama Switchback
Signal stop with a switchback. 234 m AMSL. 35°13′57″N139°05′14″E
Kami-Ōhiradai Switchback
Signal stop with a switchback near Ōhiradai station which also has a switchback. 359 m AMSL. 35°14′08″N139°04′32″E
Sennindai Signal Stop
Signal stop without a switchback. 410 m AMSL. 35°14′18″N139°04′09″E
Hakone Tozan Railway (Hakone-Yumoto - Gōra)
MoHa 1
MoHa 2
1000 series ("Bernina", named after the Rhätische Bahn Line in Switzerland)
October 1, 1888: Odawara Horse-drawn Railway opens from Kōzu Station via Odawara Station, to Hakone-Yumoto Station.
October 31, 1896: Operating company name is changed to Odawara Electric Railway.
March 21, 1900: Line is electrified (as a tram, 600 V DC).
June 1, 1919: Line opens between Hakone-Yumoto and Gōra as an electrified (600 V DC) funicular railway.
December 16, 1920: Tram line closes between Kōzu - Odawara, and connected with the JGR (now JR) Tōkaidō Main Line at Odawara.
August 16, 1928: Hakone Tozan Railway is founded.
October 1, 1935: Mainline railway is extended from Hakone-Yumoto to Odawara. Tram line remains between Odawara - Hakone-Itabashi, and is renamed the "Odawara Town Line".
December 20, 1940: Tram section is renamed "Odawara City Line".
June 1, 1948: Hakone Tozan Railway becomes part of the Odakyu Group.
August 1, 1950: Odakyu Electric Railway begins operating Limited Express and Express trains from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto. The line voltage is changed to 1,500 V DC for the dual gauge section between Odawara and Hakone-Yumoto.
June 1, 1956: Odawara City Line (tram) is abandoned.
July 14, 1993: Hakone-Yumoto - Gōra section is uprated from 600 to 750 V DC. Operations start using 3-car EMUs.
March 18, 2006: Hakone Tozan Railway discontinues operation using its own units between Odawara and Hakone-Yumoto. Dual-gauge section reduced to Iriuda - Hakone-Yumoto.
