Hokkaido Railway Company

Hokkaido Railway Company
Native name	北海道旅客鉄道株式会社
Romanized name	Hokkaidō Ryokaku Tetsudō ("Hokkaido Passenger Railway") kabushiki gaisha
Type	State-owned KK
Industry	Private railway
Predecessor	Japanese National Railways (JNR)
Founded	April 1, 1987 (privatization of JNR)
Headquarters	Chūō-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
Area served	Hokkaido
Products	Kitaca (a rechargeable contactless smart card)
Services	Passenger rail; Freight services; Intercity bus
Owner	Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency (100%)
Number of employees	7,970 (as of April 1, 2007)
Subsidiaries	JR Hokkaido Bus
Website	www.jrhokkaido.co.jp/global

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 the 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 and local rail services in Hokkaido, Japan. The company introduced Kitaca, a smart card ticketing system, in autumn 2008.

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 figure 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 The ferry service has also been replaced by the Seikan Tunnel.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 rationalize its network by the withdrawal of services from up to 1,237 km, or about 50% of the current network,^[1] 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 (closed on 1 April 2019), the non-electrified section of the Sassho Line (closed 17 April 2020) and the Nemuro Line between Furano and Kami-Ochiai Junction. Other lines including the Sekihoku Main Line, Senmo Main Line, the Nayoro - 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. In March 2021, 18 unmanned stations were closed due to a decrease in the number of passengers.

Hokkaido Railway's headquarters are in Chūō-ku, Sapporo.^[2]

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 building

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

Lines and key stations[]

KiHa 283 series DMU Ōzora

789-1000 series EMU Super Kamui

Shinkansen[]

Hokkaido Shinkansen:
- Shin-Aomori - Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto 148.9 km (92.5 mi)

Trunk lines[]

Chitose Line:
- Shiroishi - Numanohata 60.2 km (37.1 mi)
- Minami-Chitose - New Chitose Airport 2.6 km (1.6 mi)
Hakodate Main Line(^{[* 1]})
- Hakodate - Ōnuma-Kōen - Otaru - Sapporo - Asahikawa 423.1 km (262.9 mi)
- Nanae - Oshima-Sawara - Mori 35.3 km (21.9 mi)
Muroran Main Line
- Oshamanbe - Higashi-Muroran - Oiwake - Iwamizawa 211.0 km (131.1 mi)
- Higashi-Muroran - Muroran 7.0 km (4.4 mi)
Nemuro Main Line
- Takikawa - Obihiro - Nemuro 443.8 km (275.8 mi)
Sekishō Line
- Minami-Chitose - Shintoku 132.4 km (82.3 mi)

^ Most trains run between Sapporo and Oshamanbe.

Other lines[]

Sapporo Station

Furano Line
- Furano - Asahikawa 54.8 km (34.1 mi)
Hidaka Main Line
- Tomakomai - Mukawa 30.5 km (19.0 mi)
Sekihoku Main Line
- Shin-Asahikawa - Kitami - Abashiri 234.0 km (145.4 mi)
Kaikyō Line
- Naka-Oguni - Tsugaru-Imabetsu - Kikonai 87.3 km (54.3 mi)
Rumoi Main Line
- Fukagawa - Rumoi 50.1 km (31.1 mi)
Sasshō Line
- Sōen - Hokkaidō-Iryōdaigaku 28.9 km (18.0 mi)
Senmō Main Line
- Higashi-Kushiro - Abashiri 166.2 km (103.3 mi)
Sōya Main Line
- Asahikawa - Nayoro - Wakkanai 259.4 km (161.2 mi)

Under construction[]

Hokkaido Shinkansen
- Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto - Sapporo 211.3 km (131.3 mi) scheduled to open in 2031

Former lines[]

Chihoku Line
- Ikeda - Kitami 140.0 km (87.0 mi) transferred to Hokkaidō Chihoku Kōgen Railway Company on June 4, 1989, then closed on April 21, 2006
Esashi Line
- Goryōkaku - Kikonai 37.8 km (23.5 mi) transferred to South Hokkaido Railway Company on March 26, 2016
- Kikonai - Esashi 42.1 km (26.2 mi) closed on May 12, 2014
Hakodate Main Line branch
- Sunagawa - 7.3 km (4.5 mi) closed on May 16, 1994
- Iwamizawa - 18.1 km (11.2 mi) and - 2.7 km (1.7 mi) closed on July 13, 1987
- Kikonai - 50.8 km (31.6 mi) closed on February 1, 1988
- Nayoro - Engaru 138.1 (85.8 mi) and - 4.9 km (3.0 mi) closed on May 1, 1989
Rumoi Main Line
- Rumoi - Mashike 16.7 km (10.4 mi) closed on December 4, 2016
- Shibecha - 69.4 km (43.1 mi) and - Attoko 47.5 km (29.5 mi) closed on April 30, 1989
- Fukagawa - Nayoro 121.8 km (75.7 mi) closed on September 4, 1995
Tempoku Line
- Otoineppu - Minami-Wakkanai 148.9 km (92.5 mi) closed on May 1, 1989
- Sunagawa - 14.5 km (9.0 mi) closed on April 25, 1988
Sekishō Line
- Yūbari - Shin-Yūbari 16.1 km (10.0 mi) closed on March 31, 2019
Sasshō Line
- Hokkaidō-Iryōdaigaku - Shin-Totsukawa 47.6 km (29.6 mi) closed on April 17, 2020

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.

- Bihoro - 36.8 km (22.9 mi) closed on April 1, 1985
- Bifuka - 21.2 km (13.2 mi) closed on September 17, 1985
- Rumoi - Horonobe 141.1 km (87.7 mi) closed on March 30, 1987
- Obihiro - Hiroo 84.0 km (52.2 mi) closed on February 2, 1987
- Kutchan - Datemombetsu 83.0 km (51.6 mi) and - 7.5 km (4.7 mi) closed on November 11, 1986
- Kozawa - 14.9 km (9.3 mi) closed on September 1, 1985
- - 30.4 km (18.9 mi) closed on July 1, 1985
- - 19.9 km (12.4 mi) closed on July 15, 1985
- Shiretoko-Shari - 12.8 km (8.0 mi) closed on December 1, 1970
- Shibun - 23.8 km (14.8 mi) closed on April 1, 1985
- Kunnui - 48.4 km (30.1 mi) closed on March 16, 1987
- Obihiro - 78.3 km (48.7 mi) closed on March 23, 1987
- Shiranuka - 33.1 km (20.6 mi) closed on October 23, 1983
- - 34.3 km (21.3 mi) closed on April 1, 1985
Temiya Line
- Minami-Otaru - 2.8 km (1.7 mi) closed on November 5, 1985
- Mukawa - 82.5 km (51.3 mi) closed on November 1, 1986
- - Abashiri 121.8 km (75.7 mi) closed on March 20, 1987
Sasshō Line
- Shin-Totsukawa - Ishikari-Numata 34.9 km (21.7 mi) closed on June 19, 1972

References[]

^ "JR Hokkaido says it can't maintain half of its railways". 2016-11-19. Archived from the original on 2017-02-02.
^ "会社概要 Archived 2013-10-14 at the Wayback Machine." Hokkaido Railway Company. Retrieved on March 27, 2010.

External links[]

JR Hokkaido - Official site (in Japanese)
JR Hokkaido - Official site (in English)
"Company history books (Shashi)". Shashi Interest Group. April 2016. Wiki collection of bibliographic works on Hokkaido Railway Company

[3] Most trains run between Sapporo and Oshamanbe.

[1] "JR Hokkaido says it can't maintain half of its railways". 2016-11-19. Archived from the original on 2017-02-02.

[2] "会社概要 Archived 2013-10-14 at the Wayback Machine." Hokkaido Railway Company. Retrieved on March 27, 2010.

[1]

[2]

[* 1]

show v t Japan Railways Group
Predecessors: Ministry of Industry \| Cabinet \| Home Ministry \| Ministry of Communications \| Cabinet \| Ministry of Railways \| Ministry of Transport and Communications \| Ministry of Transport \| Japanese National Railways \| Japan Railway Construction Public Corporation \| JNR Settlement Corporation
Passenger Railway Companies	JR Hokkaido	JR East	JR Central	JR-West	JR Shikoku	JR Kyushu
JR Bus Companies	JR Hokkaido Bus	JR Bus Tohoku [ja] [ja]	JR Tokai Bus	West JR Bus [ja] [ja] [ja] [ja]	[ja]	[ja]
Smart cards	Kitaca	Suica Mobile Suica	TOICA EX-IC	ICOCA	ICOCA (SHIKOKU ICOCA)	SUGOCA
Shinkansen lines	Hokkaido Shinkansen	Tōhoku Shinkansen Jōetsu Shinkansen Hokuriku Shinkansen	Tokaido Shinkansen Chūō Shinkansen	San'yō Shinkansen Hokuriku Shinkansen	[ja](proposed)	Kyushu Shinkansen
Railway museums	[ja]	Railway Museum Ome Railway Park	SCMaglev and Railway Park	Kyoto Railway Museum Tsuyama Railroad Educational Museum	[ja]	[ja]
Rolling stock manufacturers	-	Japan Transport Engineering Company (J-TREC)	Nippon Sharyo	Kinki Sharyo (partner)	-	-
International operations	-	West Midlands Trains (14.95%)	-	-	-	-
Other organizations	JR Freight	Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI)	[ja]	Railway Telecommunication ↓ Softbank	Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency (JRTT)
Related topics: MARS (ticket reservation system) \| National Railway Workers' Union \| Japan Confederation of Railway Workers' Unions \| [ja] \| All Japan Construction, Transport and General Workers' Union \| Sankei Children's Book Award

show v t Mass transit in Hokkaido
JR Hokkaido lines	Hokkaido Shinkansen ■■ Chitose ■ Esashi ■ Furano ■■■ Hakodate ■ Hidaka ■ Kaikyō ■■ Muroran ■■ Nemuro ■ Rumoi ■ Sasshō ■ Sekihoku ■ Sekishō ■ Senmō ■ Sōya
JR named trains	Hayabusa Hayate Hokuto Kamui Kitami Lilac Okhotsk Ōzora Sarobetsu Sōya Taisetsu Tokachi Suzuran
Discontinued JR named trains	Cassiopeia Hakuchō Hamanasu Ishikari Super Hakuchō Super White Arrow Twilight Express White Arrow
Other railways	Hakodate Streetcar Sapporo Streetcar Taiheiyō Coal (freight only) South Hokkaido Railway Company
Sapporo Municipal Subway	Namboku Tōzai Tōhō
Terminals	Rail Hakodate Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Sapporo Ōdōri Shin-Sapporo Asahikawa Airports Asahikawa New Chitose Hakodate Kushiro Memanbetsu Monbetsu Nakashibetsu Okadama Okushiri Rishiri Tokachi–Obihiro Wakkanai Ports Hakodate Otaru Tomakomai Kushiro
Public Ferries	Heart Land Ferry (ja) (Wakkanai—N. Islands) (Tomakomai—Hachinohe) Tsugaru Kaikyō Ferry (Hakodate—Aomori) Seikan Ferry (Hakodate—Aomori) Shin Nihonkai Ferry MOL Ferry (ja) Taiheiyō Ferry Haboro-Enkai Ferry (ja) (Haboro—Yagishiri Island)
Miscellaneous	Cards Kitaca SAPICA Tunnels Seikan Tunnel
Japan transit: Tokyo Keihanshin Nagoya Fukuoka Hakone Fuji Izu Hokkaido Aomori Sendai Akita Niigata Toyama Nagano Okayama Hiroshima Shikoku Metro systems Shinkansen trams (list) aerial lifts (list)

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