Shinano Railway

The Shinano Railway Co., Ltd. (しなの鉄道株式会社) is a Japanese third-sector railway operating company established in 1996 to operate passenger railway services on the section of the JR East Shinetsu Main Line within Nagano Prefecture when it was separated from the JR East network in October 1997, coinciding with the opening of the Nagano Shinkansen (Hokuriku Shinkansen) from Takasaki to Nagano. The company was founded on May 1, 1996, and has its headquarters in Ueda, Nagano.

Shareholders
Shares in the company are owned by Nagano Prefecture, the cities of Nagano, Ueda, Komoro, Chikuma, Saku and Tōmi, the towns of Karuizawa, Miyota, Sakaki, Shinano, and Iizuna and private-sector businesses.

Lines

 * Shinano Railway Line (65.1 km, Karuizawa - Shinonoi)
 * Kita-Shinano Line (37.3 km, Nagano - Myōkō-Kōgen)

On October 1, 1997, the company took over control of local passenger operations on the 65.1 km section of the JR East Shinetsu Main Line between Karuizawa and Shinonoi. This section is called the Shinano Railway Line.

From March 14, 2015, the company took over control of local passenger operations on the 37.3 km section of the JR East Shinetsu Main Line between Nagano and Myōkō-Kōgen. This section is called the Kita-Shinano Line.

History
The company was founded on May 1, 1996, and started railway business on the Shinano Railway Line on October 1, 1997.