Harman Patil (Editor)

Hokkaido Railway Company

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Native name
  
北海道旅客鉄道株式会社

Industry
  
Headquarters
  
Type
  
Corporation

Area served
  
Founded
  
1 April 1987


Predecessor
  
Products
  
Kitaca (a rechargeable contactless smart card)

Train view multi angle series vol 7 travel of hokkaido railway company steam locomotive bgm


The Hokkaido Railway Company (北海道旅客鉄道株式会社, Hokkaidō Ryokaku Tetsudō Kabushiki-gaisha) is one of the constituent companies of Japan Railways Group (JR Group), and is often referred to using its official abbreviation of JR Hokkaido (JR北海道, Jeiāru Hokkaidō). It operates intercity rail services in Hokkaido, Japan. The company introduced Kitaca, a smart card ticketing system, from autumn 2008.

Contents

At the time of its privatization in 1987, JR Hokkaido operated 21 railway lines totalling 3,176.6 kilometres (1,973.8 mi) of narrow-gauge (1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)) track, as well as a ferry service to Aomori. Since then, that number has dwindled to just below 2,500 kilometres (1,600 mi), as unprofitable lines have been shut down or spun off (in the case of the Hokkaidō Chihoku Kōgen Railway). The ferry service has also been replaced by the Seikan Tunnel.

On 19 November 2016, JR Hokkaido's President announced plans to further rationalise its network by up to 1,237 km, or ~50% of the current network, including closure of the remaining section of the Rumoi Main Line (the Rumoi - Mashike section closed on 4 December 2016), the Shin-Yubari - Yubari section of the Sekisho Line, the non-electrified section of the Sassho Line and the Nemuro Line between Furano and Kami-Ochiai Junction. Other lines including the Sekihoku Main Line, Senmo Main Line, the Naroyo - Wakkanai section of the Soya Line and Kushiro - Nemuro section of the Nemuro Line are proposed for conversion to Third Sector operation, but if local governments are not agreeable, such sections will also face closure.

Hokkaido Railway's headquarters are in Chūō-ku, Sapporo.

Travel of hokkaido railway company steam locomotive narrated


History

  • April 1, 1987: Upon the privatization of the Japanese National Railways (JNR), the Hokkaido Railway Company was formed
  • October 25, 2008: Kitaca contactless smart card introduced in Sapporo area
  • March 26, 2016: First Hokkaido Shinkansen service between Shin-Aomori and Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto launched.
  • Headquarters and branch offices

  • Headquarters: 1-1-15 Kita-11-jō-Nishi, Chūō-ku, Sapporo
  • Branch offices:
  • Asahikawa branch office: 6-4152-2 Miyashita-dōri, Asahikawa
  • Hakodate branch office: 12-5 Wakamatsu-chō, Hakodate
  • Kushiro branch office: 5-14 Kita-ōdōri, Kushiro
  • Shinkansen

  • Hokkaido Shinkansen:
  • Shin-Aomori - Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto (148.9 km (92.52 mi))
  • Trunk lines

  • Chitose Line:
  • Shiroishi - Numanohata (60.2 km (37.41 mi))
  • Minami-Chitose - New Chitose Airport (2.6 km (1.62 mi))
  • Hakodate Main Line()
  • Hakodate - Ōnuma-Kōen - Otaru - Sapporo - Asahikawa (423.1 km (262.90 mi))
  • Nanae - Oshima-Sawara - Mori (35.3 km (21.93 mi))
  • Muroran Main Line
  • Oshamanbe - Higashi-Muroran - Oiwake - Iwamizawa (211.0 km (131.11 mi))
  • Higashi-Muroran - Muroran (7.0 km (4.35 mi))
  • Nemuro Main Line
  • Takikawa - Obihiro - Nemuro (443.8 km (275.76 mi))
  • Sekishō Line
  • Minami-Chitose - Shintoku (132.4 km (82.27 mi))
  • Shin-Yūbari - Yūbari (16.1 km (10.00 mi))
  • Other lines

  • Furano Line
  • Furano - Asahikawa (54.8 km (34.05 mi))
  • Hidaka Main Line
  • Tomakomai - Samani (146.5 km (91.03 mi))
  • Sekihoku Main Line
  • Shin-Asahikawa - Kitami - Abashiri (234.0 km (145.40 mi))
  • Kaikyō Line
  • Naka-Oguni - Tsugaru-Imabetsu - Kikonai (87.3 km (54.25 mi))
  • Rumoi Main Line
  • Fukagawa - Rumoi (50.1 km (31.13 mi))
  • Sasshō Line
  • Sōen - Shin-Totsukawa (76.5 km (47.53 mi))
  • Senmō Main Line
  • Higashi-Kushiro - Abashiri (166.2 km (103.27 mi))
  • Sōya Main Line
  • Asahikawa - Nayoro - Wakkanai (259.4 km (161.18 mi))
  • Under construction

  • Hokkaido Shinkansen
  • Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto - Sapporo (211.3 km (131.30 mi)) scheduled to open in 2031
  • Former lines

  • Chihoku Line
  • Ikeda - Kitami (140.0 km (86.99 mi)) transferred to Hokkaidō Chihoku Kōgen Railway Company on June 4, 1989
  • Esashi Line
  • Goryōkaku - Kikonai (37.8 km (23.49 mi)) transferred to South Hokkaido Railway Company on March 26, 2016
  • Kikonai - Esashi (42.1 km (26.16 mi)) closed on May 12, 2014
  • Hakodate Main Line branch
  • Sunagawa - Kami-Sunagawa (7.3 km (4.54 mi)) closed on May 16, 1994
  • Horonai Line
  • Iwamizawa - Ikushumbetsu (18.1 km (11.25 mi)) and Mikasa - Horonai (2.7 km (1.68 mi)) closed on July 13, 1987
  • Matsumae Line
  • Kikonai - Matsumae (50.8 km (31.57 mi)) closed on February 1, 1988
  • Nayoro Main Line
  • Nayoro - Engaru (138.1 km (85.81 mi)) and Naka-Yūbetsu - Yūbetsu (4.9 km (3.04 mi)) closed on May 1, 1989
  • Rumoi Main Line
  • Rumoi - Mashike (16.7 km (10.38 mi)) closed on December 4, 2016
  • Shibetsu Line
  • Shibecha - Nemuro-Shibetsu (69.4 km (43.12 mi)) and Naka-Shibetsu - Attoko (47.5 km (29.52 mi)) closed on April 30, 1989
  • Shimmei Line
  • Fukagawa - Nayoro (121.8 km (75.68 mi)) closed on September 4, 1995
  • Tempoku Line
  • Otoineppu - Minami-Wakkanai (148.9 km (92.52 mi)) closed on May 1, 1989
  • Utashinai Line
  • Sunagawa - Utashinai (14.5 km (9.01 mi)) closed on April 25, 1988
  • The company also operated the Seikan Ferry until 1988.

    Former JNR lines closed before JR Hokkaido formation

    These lines have been closed by JNR in Hokkaido before April 1, 1987.

  • Aioi Line
  • Bihoro - Kitami-Aioi (36.8 km (22.87 mi)) closed on April 1, 1985
  • Bikō Line
  • Bifuka - Niupu (21.2 km (13.17 mi)) closed on September 17, 1985
  • Haboro Line
  • Rumoi - Horonobe (141.1 km (87.68 mi)) closed on March 30, 1987
  • Hiroo Line
  • Obihiro - Hiroo (84.0 km (52.20 mi)) closed on February 2, 1987
  • Iburi Line
  • Kutchan - Datemombetsu (83.0 km (51.57 mi)) and Kyōgoku - Wakikata (7.5 km (4.66 mi)) closed on November 11, 1986
  • Iwanai Line
  • Kozawa - Iwanai (14.9 km (9.26 mi)) closed on September 1, 1985
  • Kōhin'hoku Line
  • Hama-Tombetsu - Kitami-Esashi (30.4 km (18.89 mi)) closed on September 1, 1985
  • Kōhin'nan Line
  • Ōmu - Okoppe (19.9 km (12.37 mi)) closed on September 15, 1985
  • Konpoku Line
  • Shiretoko-Shari - Koshikawa (12.8 km (7.95 mi)) closed on December 1, 1970
  • Manji Line
  • Shibun - Manji-Tanzan (23.8 km (14.79 mi)) closed on April 1, 1985
  • Setana Line
  • Kunnui - Setana (48.4 km (30.07 mi)) closed on March 16, 1987
  • Shihoro Line
  • Obihiro - Tokachi-Mitsumata (78.3 km (48.65 mi)) closed on March 23, 1987
  • Shiranuka Line
  • Shiranuka - Hokushin (33.1 km (20.57 mi)) closed on October 23, 1983
  • Shokotsu Line
  • Shokotsu - Kitami-Takinoue (34.3 km (21.31 mi)) closed on April 1, 1985
  • Temiya Line
  • Minami-Otaru - Temiya (2.8 km (1.74 mi)) closed on November 5, 1985
  • Tomiuchi Line
  • Mukawa - Hidakachō (82.5 km (51.26 mi)) closed on November 1, 1986
  • Yūmō Line
  • Naka-Yūbetsu - Abashiri (121.8 km (75.68 mi)) closed on March 20, 1987
  • References

    Hokkaido Railway Company Wikipedia


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