Hokkaido Railway Company

The Hokkaido Railway Company (北海道旅客鉄道株式会社) 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). 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 3176.6 km of narrow-gauge track, as well as a ferry service to Aomori. Since then, that figure has dwindled to just below 2500 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 The ferry service has also been replaced by the Seikan Tunnel.

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, 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 Shintoku. 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. JR Hokkaido closed 25 stations from March 2021 to March 2022 due to a decrease in passengers. JR Hokkaido's headquarters are in Chūō-ku, Sapporo.

History

 * 1 April 1987: Upon the privatization of the Japanese National Railways (JNR), the Hokkaido Railway Company was formed
 * 25 October 2008: Kitaca contactless smart card introduced in Sapporo area
 * 26 March 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

Trunk lines

 * Chitose Line:
 * Shiroishi - Numanohata 60.2 km
 * Minami-Chitose - New Chitose Airport 2.6 km
 * Hakodate Main Line
 * Hakodate - Ōnuma-Kōen - Otaru - Sapporo - Asahikawa 423.1 km
 * Nanae - Oshima-Sawara - Mori 35.3 km
 * Muroran Main Line
 * Oshamanbe - Higashi-Muroran - Oiwake - Iwamizawa 211.0 km
 * Higashi-Muroran - Muroran 7.0 km
 * Nemuro Main Line
 * Takikawa - Obihiro - Nemuro 443.8 km
 * Sekishō Line
 * Minami-Chitose - Shintoku 132.4 km

Other lines

 * Furano Line
 * Furano - Asahikawa 54.8 km
 * Hidaka Main Line
 * Tomakomai - Mukawa 30.5 km
 * Sekihoku Main Line
 * Shin-Asahikawa - Kitami - Abashiri 234.0 km
 * Rumoi Main Line
 * Ishikari-Numata - Fukagawa 14.4 km
 * Sasshō Line
 * Sōen - Hokkaidō-Iryōdaigaku 28.9 km
 * Senmō Main Line
 * Higashi-Kushiro - Abashiri 166.2 km
 * Sōya Main Line
 * Asahikawa - Nayoro - Wakkanai 259.4 km

Under construction

 * Hokkaido Shinkansen
 * Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto - Sapporo 211.3 km scheduled to open in 2031

Former lines
These lines were closed under the ownership of JR Hokkaido since 1987.
 * 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 - Kami-Sunagawa 7.3 km (4.5 mi) closed on May 16, 1994.
 * Horonai Line
 * Iwamizawa - Ikushumbetsu 18.1 km (11.2 mi) and Mikasa - Horonai 2.7 km (1.7 mi) closed on July 13, 1987.
 * Matsumae Line
 * Kikonai - Matsumae 50.8 km (31.6 mi) closed on February 1, 1988.
 * Nayoro Main Line
 * Nayoro - Engaru 138.1 (85.8 mi) and Naka-Yūbetsu - Yūbetsu 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.
 * Rumoi - Ishikari-Numata 35.7km (22.2 mi) closed on 1 April 2023.
 * Shibetsu Line
 * Shibecha - Nemuro-Shibetsu 69.4 km (43.1 mi) and Naka-Shibetsu - Attoko 47.5 km (29.5 mi) closed on April 30, 1989.
 * Shinmei Line
 * 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.
 * Utashinai Line
 * Sunagawa - Utashinai 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 1 April 1987.
 * Aioi Line
 * Bihoro - Kitami-Aioi 36.8 km (22.9 mi) closed on April 1, 1985
 * Bikō Line
 * Bifuka - Niupu 21.2 km (13.2 mi) closed on September 17, 1985
 * Haboro Line
 * Rumoi - Horonobe 141.1 km (87.7 mi) closed on March 30, 1987
 * Hiroo Line
 * Obihiro - Hiroo 84.0 km (52.2 mi) closed on February 2, 1987
 * Iburi Line
 * Kutchan - Datemombetsu 83.0 km (51.6 mi) and Kyōgoku - Wakikata 7.5 km (4.7 mi) closed on November 11, 1986
 * Iwanai Line
 * Kozawa - Iwanai 14.9 km (9.3 mi) closed on September 1, 1985
 * Kōhin'hoku Line
 * Hama-Tombetsu - Kitami-Esashi 30.4 km (18.9 mi) closed on July 1, 1985
 * Kōhin'nan Line
 * Ōmu - Okoppe 19.9 km (12.4 mi) closed on July 15, 1985
 * Konpoku Line
 * Shiretoko-Shari - Koshikawa 12.8 km (8.0 mi) closed on December 1, 1970
 * Manji Line
 * Shibun - Manji-Tanzan 23.8 km (14.8 mi) closed on April 1, 1985
 * Setana Line
 * Kunnui - Setana 48.4 km (30.1 mi) closed on March 16, 1987
 * Shihoro Line
 * Obihiro - Tokachi-Mitsumata 78.3 km (48.7 mi) closed on March 23, 1987
 * Shiranuka Line
 * Shiranuka - Hokushin 33.1 km (20.6 mi) closed on October 23, 1983
 * Shokotsu Line
 * Shokotsu - Kitami-Takinoue 34.3 km (21.3 mi) closed on April 1, 1985
 * Temiya Line
 * Minami-Otaru - Temiya 2.8 km (1.7 mi) closed on November 5, 1985
 * Tomiuchi Line
 * Mukawa - Hidakachō 82.5 km (51.3 mi) closed on November 1, 1986
 * Yūmō Line
 * Naka-Yūbetsu - 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