Hokkaido Railway Company
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2010) |
.svg){kind=logo} | |
| Company type | Corporation |
|---|---|
| Industry | Private railroad |
| Predecessor | Japan National Railways (JNR) |
| Founded | April 1, 1987 (privatization of JNR) |
| Headquarters | , 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 | www2 |
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.
At the time of its privatization in 1987, JR Hokkaido operated 21 railway lines totalling 3,176.6 km of track, as well as a ferry service to Aomori. Since then, that number has dwindled to just below 2,500 km, 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 The ferry service has also been replaced by the Seikan Tunnel.
Hokkaido Railway's headquarters are in Chūō-ku, Sapporo.[1]
History
![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (February 2010) |
- 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
Headquarters and branch offices
- Headquarters: 1-1-15 Kita-11-jō-Nishi, Chūō-ku, Sapporo
- Branch offices:
Lines and key stations
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([* 1])
- Hakodate - Ōnuma-Kōen - Otaru - Asahikawa (423.1 km (262.90 mi))
- Nanae - Oshima-Sawara - Hokkaidō (35.3 km (21.93 mi))
- Muroran Main Line
- Oshamanbe - Higashi-Muroran - Hokkaidō - Iwamizawa (211.0 km (131.11 mi))
- Higashi-Muroran - Muroran (7.0 km (4.35 mi))
- Nemuro Main Line
- Sekishō Line
- Minami-Chitose - Shintoku (132.4 km (82.27 mi))
- Shin-Yūbari - Yūbari (16.1 km (10.00 mi))
- ^ Most trains run between Sapporo and Oshamanbe.
Other lines
- Esashi Line
- Furano Line
- Furano - Asahikawa (54.8 km (34.05 mi))
- Hidaka Main Line
- Sekihoku Main Line
- Shin-Asahikawa - Hokkaidō - Abashiri (234.0 km (145.40 mi))
- Kaikyō Line
- Naka-Oguni - Tsugaru-Imabetsu - Kikonai (87.3 km (54.25 mi))
- Rumoi Main Line
- 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
Under construction
References
External links
.svg){kind=logo}
.svg){kind=logo}
