Draft:Deficit 83 Lines

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Deficit 83 Lines (赤字83線, Akaji-Hachijyusansen)is a list of railway lines owned by Japanese National Railways proposed for abolishment or transferring to third sector companies.[1][2]

Criteria[edit]

The criteria for a railway line being listed is the following:[3]

  • The length of the track is under 100 kilometers, and the function seen from the line is small, and has a small amount of population along the tracks.
  • The one-way transportation volume of regular customers is less than 3,000 people, and the daily departure and arrival of cargo is within 600 tons.
  • The growth of transportation volume is lower than that of competing transportation institutions, and both passengers and cargo are decreasing.

By this criteria, 83 railway lines of 2590.6km in length has been listed, and the JNR began talks with the local municipalities to close the lines. However, due to furious protests from the local residents, out of the 83 lines, the lines that were closed before 1972 were only 11 of those listed(116.0km).[1]

However, the Japan Railway Construction Public Corporation continued to build local lines, and most of the 11 lines opened during the talks were generating negative income, resulting in no improvements from the closure of the 11 lines[1].

In 1972, when Kakuei Tanaka became the prime minister, all efforts to close the remaining lines were cancelled[4]. However, most of the lines that continued service after being listed as 83 deficit lines were abolished by Specified local lines movement.[5]

Aftermath of all 83 lines[edit]

This table shows how did the deficit 83 lines end up.[5][1]

Lines that were closed as a part of deficit 83 lines movement[edit]

Name of the line Location Sections Operational
Length
Date of abolishment Notes
Kōbukuro Line Fukuoka Prefecture Kotake - Futase 7.6 km 8 December, 1969 After the abolition, Nishitetsu Bus, including the following branch lines, took over, but it was split into Kaho Kotsu (now Nishitetsu Bus Chikuho) on April 3, 1988.
Kōbukuro Line(Cargo branch) Kōbukuro - Ikisu 2.5 km The 1.6km section between Kōbukuro and Kawazu signal station is a duplicate section with the main line.
Konpoku Line Hokkaido Shari - Koshikawa 12.8 km 1 December, 1970 Transferred to Shari bus Koshikawa Line.
Bus line abolished 27 April 2004.
Karatsu Line(Kishitake Branch) Saga Prefecture Yamamoto - Kishitake 4.1 km 20 August, 1971 Main line continued operations. Line transferred to Showa bus.
Sechibaru Line Nagasaki Prefecture Hizen-Yoshii - Sechibaru 6.7 km 26 December 1971 Turned into a cycling road. Transferred to Saihi Bus Sechibaru Line.
Usunoura Line Nagasaki Prefecture Saza - Usunoura 3.8 km 26 December 1971 Transferred to Saihi bus.
Kajiyabara Line Tokushima Prefecture Itano - Kajiyabara 6.9 km 16 January 1972 JNR bus (later JR Shikoku bus) converted to Awa Line.
Abolished on April 1, 1996.

Alternative transportation on the former Kajiyahara Line section will be integrated with the competing Tokushima Bus Kajiyahara Line.

Sasanoyama Line Hyogo Prefecture Sasayamaguchi - Fukusumi 17.6 km 1 March 1972 Converted to JNR Bus (later West Japan JR Bus) Sono Shino Line.
Converted to Shinki Bus (currently Shinki Green Bus) in 2002.
Mikuni Line Fukui Prefecture Awaraonsen - Awara-Yunomachi 4.5 km March 1 1972 Transferred to JNR bus Kanazu Mikuni Line.
In 1987, it was converted to the Keifuku Bus Kanazu/Tojinbo Line.
Mikuni Line(Partitial) Awaraonsen - Mikuni 4.2 km
Mikuni - Mikuni-Minato 1.0 km Interged into the Keifuku Electric Railroad Mikuni Awara Line (current Echizen Railway Mikuni Awara Line).
Ujina Line Hiroshima Prefecture Hiroshima - Kamiōkō 2.4 km 1 April 1972 Even after the abolition date, it was operated once a day as a JNR side line of the Ujina Four-Party Agreement Line, but it was abolished in 1986.
Kawamata Line Fukushima Prefecture Matsukawa - Iwashiro-Kawamata 12.2 km 14 May 1972 Converted to JNR Bus (later JR Bus Tohoku) Kawamata Line.
On March 31, 2005, it was transferred to bus services by the local government.
Sasshō Line (Partial) Hokkaido Shintotsukawa - Ishikari-Numata 34.9 km 19 June 1972 Transferred to JNR bus (later JR Hokkaido Bus Company) Ishikari Line.
Transferred to Hokkaido Chuo Bus
Some sections transferred to bus services by Numata.
Hososhima Line Miyazaki Prefecture Hyūgashi - Hososhima 3.5 km 1 February 1972 Passenger service abolished on the mentioned date.
Continued service until December 1, 1993 as a nameless cargo branch of Nippō Main Line. Miyazaki Kōtsu operates a bus line nearby.

Lines that continued service after the movement, but were abolished in later movements[edit]

Name of the Line Location Section Operational length Date of abolishment Notes
Kesennuma Line Miyagi Prefecture Minami-Kesennuma - Kesennumakō 1.6 km 1 November 1979 Cargo branch
Kesennuma - Motoyoshi 21.3 km 1 April 2020 Yanaizu - Motoyoshi 34.0 km extension opened December 11, 1977. Incorporated Yanaizu Line, 17.5 km between Maeyachi and Yanaizu.
55.3km section between Yanaizu and Kesennuma transferred to BRT as a result of Aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
Abolished as a railway line on April 1, 2020.
Shiranuka Line Hokkaido Shiranuka - Kami-Charo 25.2 km 23 October 1983 Kami-Charo - Hokushin 7.9km extension opened September 8, 1972.
Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and abolished.
Transferred to bus service.
Nicyū Line Fukushima Prefecture Kitakata - Atsushio 11.6 km 1 April 1984 Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and abolished. Transferred to Aizu Bus.
Akatani Line Niigata Prefecture Shibata - Higashi-Akatani 18.9 km 1 April 1984 Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and abolished. Transferred to Niigata Kotsu.
Uonuma Line Niigata Prefecture Raikōji - Nishi-Ojiya 12.6 km 1 April 1984 Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and abolished. Transferred to Echigo Kotsu.
Kuroishi Line Aomori Prefecture Kawabe - Kuroishi 6.6 km 1 November 1984 Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and transferred to Kōnan Railway.
Railway line abolished April 1, 1998 and transferred to Kōnan Bus.
Tsuma Line Miyazaki Line Sadowara - Sugiyasu 19.3 km 1 December 1984 Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and transferred to Miyazaki Kotsu.
Miyanoharu Line Ōita Prefecture
Kumamoto Prefecture
Era - Higo-Okuni 26.6 km 1 December 1984 Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and transferred to Oita Transportation Bus.
Bus line abolished in 2013 except for some sections.
Komatsushima Line Tokushima Prefecture Chūden - Komatsushima 1.9 km 14 March 1985 Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and abolished.
Transferred to Komatsu Bus (Later Tokushima Bus).
Aioi Line Hokkaido Bihoro - Kitami-Aioi 36.8 km 1 April 1985 Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and abolished.
Transferred to Kitami Bus and Tsubetsu Bus.
Shokotsu Line Hokkaido Shokotsu - Kitami-Takinoue 34.3 km 1 April 1985 Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and abolished. Transferred to Hokumon Bus.
Yahiko Line(Partial) Niigata Prefecture Higashi-Sanjō - Echigō-Nagasawa 7.9 km 1 April 1985 Transferred to Echigo Kotsu.
Hōjō Line Hyogo Prefecture Ao - Hōjōmachi 13.8 km 1 April 1985 Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and transferred to Hōjō Railways.
Miki Line Hyogo Prefecture Yakujin - Miki 6.8 km 1 April 1985 Later Listed as specified local lines (1st) and transferred to Miki Railway Miki Line.
Railway line abolished April 1, 2008 and transferred to Shinki Bus.
Kurayoshi Line Tottori Prefecture Kurayoshi - Yamamori 20.0 km 1 April 1985 Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and abolished.
Converted to Nippon Kotsu/Hinomaru Motor Bus/Chutetsu Bus (currently Chutetsu Mimasaka Bus).
Katsuki Line Fukuoka Prefecture Nakama - Katsuki 3.5 km 1 April 1985 Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and abolished. Converted to Nishitetsu Bus (currently Nishitetsu Bus Kitakyushu).
Katsuta Line Fukuoka Prefecture Yoshizuka - Chikuzen-Katsuta 13.8 km 1 April 1985 Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and abolished. Transferred to Nishitetsu Bus.
Soeda Line Fukuoka Prefecture Kawara - Soeda 12.1 km 1 April 1985 Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and abolished. Transferred to Seitetsu Bus Chikuho.
Muroki Line Fukuoka Prefecture Ongagawa - Muroki 11.2 km 1 April 1985 Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and abolished, transferred to Nishitetsu Bus. Bus service abolished 1996.
Yabe Line Fukuoka Prefecture Hainuzuka - Kuroki 19.7 km 1 April 1985 Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and abolished. Transferred to Horikawa Bus.
Iwanai Line Hokkaido Kozawa - Iwanai 14.9 km 1 July 1985 Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and abolished. Transferred to Nisseki Bus.
Kōhin-Hoku Line Hokkaido Hama-Tombetsu - Kitami-Esashi 30.4 km 1 July 1985 Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and abolished. Transferred to Soya Bus.
Ōhata Line Aomori Prefecture Shimokita - Ōhata 18.0 km 1 July 1985 Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and transferred to Shimokita Kotsu Ōhata Line.
Railway Line abolished on April 1, 2001. Transferred to Shimokita Bus.
Kōhin-nan Line Hokkaido Okoppe - Omu 19.9 km 15 July 1985 Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and abolished. Transferred to Hokumon Bus.
Bikō Line Hokkaido Bifuka - Niupu 21.2 km 17 September 1985 Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and abolished. Transferred to Meishi Bus.
Yashima Line Akita Prefecture Ugo-Honjō - Ugo-Yashima 23.0 km 1 October 1985 Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and transferred to Yuri Kōgen Railway Chōkai Sanroku Line.
Akechi Line Gifu Prefecture Ena - Akechi 25.2 km 16 November 1985 Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and transferred to Akechi Railroad Akechi Line.
Uchiko Line(Partial) Ehime Prefecture Gorō - Niiya 5.0 km 3 March 1986 Rest of the line continues operation as listed below.
Takamori Line Kumamoto Prefecture Tateno - Takamori 17.7 km 1 April 1986 Later listed as specified local lines (2nd) and transferred to Minamiaso Railway Takamori Line.
Tomiuchi Line Hokkaido Mukawa - Hidakachō 83.0 km 1 November 1986 Later listed as specified local lines (2nd) and abolished. Transferred to Donan Bus.
Aniai Line Akita Prefecture Takanosu - Hitachinai 46.1 km 1 November 1986 Later listed as specified local lines (2nd) and transferred to Akita Nairiku Railways Akita Nairiku North Line.
29.0km extension between Hitachinai - Matsuba opened April 1, 1989. Incorporated Akita Nairiku South Line and renamed to Akita Nairiku Line on the same date.
Etsumi-Nan Line Gifu Prefecture Mino-Ōta - Hokunō 72.2 km 11 December 1986 Later listed as specified local lines (2nd) and transferred to Nagaragawa Railway Etsumi-Nan Line.
Miyanojyō Line Kagoshima Prefecture Sendai - Satsuma-Ōkuchi 66.1 km 10 January 1987 Later listed as specified local lines (2nd) and abolished. Transferred to Nangoku Kotsu Bus.
Furue Line Kagoshima Prefecture Shibushi - Kaigata 64.8 km 14 March 1987 33.5km extension between Kaigataonsen - Kokubu opened September 9, 1972. Renamed to Ōsumi Line.
Later listed as specified local lines (2nd) and abolished. Transferred to JR Kyushu bus and Kagoshima Kotsu Bus. (JR Kyushu Bus ended service later)
Senata Line Hokkaido Kunnui - Senata 48.4 km 16 March 1987 Later listed as specified local lines (2nd) and abolished. Transferred to Hakodate Bus.
Yūmō Line Hokkaido Naka-Yūbetsu - Abashiri 89.8 km 20 March 1987 Later listed as specified local lines (2nd) and abolished. Transferred to Abashiri Bus.
Abashiri bus abandons sections between Naka-Yūbetsu and Tokoro on October 1, 2010. (Some sections continues operations by local municipalities)
Saga Line Saga Prefecture
Fukuoka Prefecture
Saga - Setaka 24.1 km 28 March 1987 Later listed as specified local lines (2nd) and abolished.
Transferred to Seitetsu Bus, Saga City Bus and Horikawa Bus.(Saga City Bus route abandoned 1998)
Shigaraki Line Shiga Prefecture Kibukawa - Shigaraki 14.8 km 13 July 1987 Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and transferred to Shigaraki Kohgen Railway.
Aizu Line(Partial) Fukushima Prefecture Nishi-Wakamatsu - Aizukōgen-Ozeguchi 57.4 km 16 July 1987 Later listed as specified local lines (2nd) and transferred to Aizu Railway Aizu Line.
Gannichi Line Yamaguchi Prefecture Kawanishi - Nishikichō 32.7 km 25 July 1987 Later listed as specified local lines (2nd) and transferred to Nishikigawa Seiryū Line.
Wakasa Line Tottori Prefecture Kōge - Wakasa 19.2 km 14 October 1987 Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and transferred to Wakasa Railway Wakasa Line.
Yamano Line Kumamoto Prefecture
Kagoshima Prefecture
Minamata - Kurino 55.7 km 1 Feburary 1988 Later listed as specified local lines (2nd) and abolished. Transferred to Nangoku Kotsu Bus.
Kihara Line Chiba Prefecture Ōhara - Kazusa-Nakano 26.9 km 24 March 1988 Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and transferred to Isumi Railways Isumi Line.
Noto Line Ishikawa Prefecture Anamizu - Takojima 61.1 km 25 March 1988 Later listed as specified local lines (3rd) and transferred to Noto Railway.
Railway line abolished in April 1, 2005. Transferred to Hokutetsu Okunoto Bus.
Nakamura Line Kochi Prefecture Kubokawa - Tosa-Saga 20.7 km 1 April 1988 22.7km extension between Tosa-Saga - Nakamura opened October 1, 1970.
Later listed as specified local lines (3rd) and transferred to Tosa Kuroshio Railway Nakamura Line.
Mooka Line Ibaraki Prefecture
Tochigi Prefecture
Shimodate - Motegi 42.0 km 11 April 1988 Later listed as specified local lines (2nd) and transferred to Mooka Railways Mooka Line.
Nagai Line Yamagata Prefecture Akayu - Arato 30.6 km 25 October 1988 Later listed as specified local lines (3rd) and transferred to Yamagata Railways Flower Nagai Line.
Hinokage Line Miyazaki Prefecture Nobeoka - Hinokage 37.6 km 28 April 1989 12.5km extension between Hinokage - Takachiho opened July 22, 1972. Renamed to Takachiho Line.
Later listed as specified local lines (2nd) and transferred to Takachiho Railway Takachiho Line.
Suspended operations in September 6, 2005 due to a typhoon and abolished December 28, 2008.
Transferred to Miyazaki Kotsu Bus.
Shibetsu Line Hokkaido Shibecha - Nemuro-Shibetsu 69.4 km 30 April 1989 Later listed as specified local lines (2nd) and abolished. Transferred to Akan Bus.
Nakashibetsu - Attoko 47.5 km Later listed as specified local lines (2nd) and abolished. Transferred to Nemuro Kotsu Bus.
Yunomae Line Kumamoto Prefecture Hitoyoshi - Yunomae 24.9 km 1 October 1989 Later listed as specified local lines (3rd) and transferred to Kumagawa Railway Yunomae Line.
Kajiya Line Hyogo Prefecture Nomura - Kajiya 13.2 km 1 April 1990 Later listed as specified local lines (3rd) and abolished. Transferred to Shinkai Bus.
Taisha Line Shimane Prefecture Izumoshi - Taisha 7.5 km 1 April 1990 Later listed as specified local lines (3rd) and abolished. Transferred to Ichibata Bus.
Shinmei Line Hokkaido Fukagawa - Nayoro 121.8 km 4 September 1995 Transferred to JR Hokkaido Bus.
Kabe Line(Partial) Hiroshima Prefecture Kabe - Kake 32.0 km 1 December 2003 14.2km extension between Kake - Sandankyō opened July 27, 1969.
46.2km unelectrified section between Kabe - Sandankyō abolished December 1 2003.
Transferred to Hiroshima Katsu Bus and Hiroden Bus.
Section between Kabe - Aki-Kameyama reopened and electrified March 4, 2017.
Omoto Line Iwate Prefecture Moichi - Asanai 31.2 km 1 April 2014 7.4 extension between Asanai - Iwaizumi opened February 6, 1972. Renamed to Iwaizumi Line.
Later listed as specified local lines (2nd) but unlisted due to lack of replacement roads.
Continued operations until July 31, 2010 due to a natural disaster.
Abolished in April 1, 2014 and transferred to East Japan Kotsu Bus.
Esashi Line Hokkaido Kikonai - Esashi 42.1 km 12 May 2014 Abolished before the opening of Hokkaido Shinkansen. Transferred to Hakodate Bus.
Kikonai - Goryōkaku 37.8 km 26 March 2016 Transferred to South Hokkaido Railway Company before the opening on Hokkaido Shinkansen.
Sankō-Hoku Line Shimane Prefecture Gōtsu - Hamahara 50.1 km 1 April 2018 26.9km extension between Hamahara - Kuchiba opened August 31 1975. Incorporated Sankō-Minami Line and renamed to Sankō Line on the same date.
Continued operations as a part of Sankō Line, but abolished April 1 2018. Transferred to Yamato Kanko Bus.
Sankō-Minami Line Hiroshima Prefecture
Shimane Prefecture
Miyoshi - Kuchiba 28.4 km 1 April 2018 Incorporated into Sankō-Hoku Line in August 31, 1975.
Continued operations as a part of Sankō Line, but was abolished in April 1, 2018. Transferred to several bus services.

Lines that continue service[edit]

Name of the line Location Section Operational length Notes
Hachinohe Line(Partial) Aomori Prefecture Same - Kuji 53.1 km After the opening of Tohoku Shinkansen, the line is isolated from other JR lines.
Ōminato Line Aomori Prefecture Noheji - Ōminato 58.4 km Similar as above, but the line does not connect to the Tohoku Shinkansen unlike Hachinohe Line.
Aizu Line(Partial) Fukushima Prefecture Aizu-Miyashita - Tadami 43.0 km Continues operations as a part of Tadami Line.
Tadami Line Niigata Prefecture Koide - Ōshirakawa 26.0 km 20.8 km extension between Tadami - Ōshirakawa opened August 29, 1971. Incorporated the section Aizu-Wakamatsu - Tadami of Aizu Line on the same date.
Karasuyama Line Tochigi Prefecture Hōshakuji - Karasuyama 20.4 km  
Etsumi-Hoku Line Fukui Prefecture Minami-Fukui - Kadohara 43.1 km 10.2 km extension between Kadohara and Kuzuryūko opened December 15, 1972.
Changed starting point of the line to Echizen-Hanandō at April 1, 1987.
Also called Kuzuryū Line.
Meishō Line Mie Prefecture Matsusaka - Ise-Okitsu 43.5 km Listed for specified local lines (2nd) but were unlisted due to lack of roads to replace it.
Sangū Line(Partial) Mie Prefecture Iseshi - Toba 14.1 km  
Uwajima Line Kochi Prefecture and Ehime Prefecture Kita-Uwajima - Ekawasaki 33.6 km 42.7 km extension between Ekawasaki - Wakai opened March 1, 1974. Renamed into Yodo Line and continues operation as it.
Naruto Line Tokushima Prefecture Ikenotani - Naruto 8.3 km  
Mugi Line(partial) Tokushima Prefecture Anan - Mugi 43.3 km 11.6 km extension between Mugi and Kaifu opened October 1, 1973. 1.5km section between Awa-Kainan abolished and transferred to Asa Coast Railway Company on November 1, 2020.
Uchiko Line(Partial) Ehime Prefecture Niiya - Uchiko 5.3 km On March 3, 1986, the extension of the Yosan Main Line between Mukaihara and Uchiko and Shintani and Iyo-Ozu was incorporated into the short-circuit route, and othe 4.1 km between Kitayama and Uchiko (Shin-Uchiko) was changed to a new route. Gōrō Station were abolished from Uchiko Line as a result. (Station remains as a station belonging to Yosan Line)
Kashii Line(Partial) Fukuoka Prefecture Kashii - Umi 14.1 km  
Ibusuki Makurazaki Line(Partial) Kagoshima Prefecture Yamakawa - Makurazaki 37.9 km  
Nichinan Line Miyazaki Prefecture and Kagoshima Prefecture Minami-Miyazaki - Shibushi 89.0 km  

See also[edit]

Specified local lines

Beeching cuts

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d 国鉄の地方線問題の経緯と将来動向 『土木学会論文集』第1985巻第353号, 土木学会, 1985, 1-10pages.
  2. ^ "赤字ローカル線問題 JRの経営開示に戸惑う行政側の盲点について(鳥塚亮) - エキスパート". Yahoo!ニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  3. ^ "国鉄(JR)線廃線". park7.wakwak.com. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
  4. ^ "赤字83線とは (アカジハチジュウサンセンとは) [単語記事]". ニコニコ大百科 (in Japanese). 2012-08-22. Retrieved 2024-01-21.
  5. ^ a b "国鉄があった時代". ifs.nog.cc. Retrieved 2024-01-18.