Railway Nationalization Act
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The Railway Nationalization Act (鉄道国有法, Tetsudō Kokuyū-hō, Act No. 17 of 1906[1]) brought many of Japan's private railway lines under national control. The 22nd Diet of Japan passed the bill on March 27, 1906[2] and Emperor Meiji signed on March 30, 1906.[1] The promulgation of the act on the Official Gazette occurred the next day.[3] The Act was repealed by Article 110 of the Act for Enforcement of Japanese National Railways Reform Act Etc. (Act No. 93 of 1986[4]).
The original bill which passed the House of Representatives on March 16, 1906 listed 32 private railways to be nationalized, but the House of Peers amended the bill removing 15 companies from the list on March 27, 1906 and the House of Representatives accepted this amendment the same day.[5]
Between 1906 and 1907, 2,812 miles (4,525 km) of track were purchased from 17 private railway companies. The national railway network grew to about 4,400 miles (7,100 km) of track, and private railways were relegated to providing local and regional services.
| Date | Railway | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|
| mi | km | ||
| October 1, 1906 | Hokkaido Colliery and Railway | 204.5 | 329.1 |
| Kōbu Railway | 27.8 | 44.7 | |
| November 1, 1906 | Nippon Railway | 860.8 | 1,385.3 |
| Ganetsu Railway | 49.5 | 79.7 | |
| December 1, 1906 | Sanyō Railway | 414.9 | 667.7 |
| Nishinari Railway | 4.6 | 7.4 | |
| July 1, 1907 | Kyūshū Railway | 442.8 | 712.6 |
| Hokkaidō Railway | 159.0 | 255.9 | |
| August 1, 1907 | Kyōto Railway | 22.2 | 35.7 |
| Hankaku Railway | 70.3 | 113.1 | |
| Hokuetsu Railway | 85.8 | 138.1 | |
| September 1, 1907 | Sōbu Railway | 73.2 | 117.8 |
| Bōsō Railway | 39.4 | 63.4 | |
| Nanao Railway | 34.4 | 55.4 | |
| Tokushima Railway | 21.5 | 34.6 | |
| October 1, 1907 | Kansai Railway | 275.2 | 442.9 |
| Sangū Railway | 26.1 | 42.0 | |
See also
References
- ^ a b "Digital Archive, National Archives of Japan". Retrieved August 3, 2014.
- ^ "第二十二囘帝國議會衆議院議事速記錄第二十三號" [Record of the House of Representatives at the 22nd Imperial Diet, No. 23]. Printing Bureau. March 28, 1906. p. 461. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
- ^ "官報" [Official Gazette]. March 31, 1906. p. 1. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
- ^ "法律第九十三号（昭六一・一二・四）". The House of Representatives. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
- ^ Ministry of Railways (1921). 日本鉄道史 中篇. p. 822.