The Hokkaido Railway Company (Japanese: 北海道旅客鉄道株式会社, Hepburn: Hokkaidō Ryokaku Tetsudō kabushiki gaisha) is one of the constituent companies of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group), and is often referred to by its official abbreviation: JR Hokkaido (JR北海道, Jeiāru Hokkaidō). 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 3,176.6 kilometres (1,973.8 mi) of narrow-gauge (1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)) track, as well as a ferry service to Aomori. Since then, that figure has dwindled to just below 2,500 kilometres (1,600 mi), 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 The ferry service has also been replaced by the 53.85-kilometre-long (33.46 mi) dual-gauge Seikan Tunnel for railways.
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 Ishikari-Numata–Rumoi section on 1 April 2023, and the final Fugagawa–Ishikari-Numata section on 1 April 2026), 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 Furano–Shintoku section of the Nemuro Line (closed 31 March 2024). Other lines, including the Sekihoku Main Line, Senmo Main Line, the Nayoro–Wakkanai section of the Soya Main Line, and the Kushiro–Nemuro section ("Hanasaki Line") of the Nemuro Line, have been proposed for conversion to third-sector operation. 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.
Contents
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
Lines and key stations
Shinkansen
Hokkaido Shinkansen:
Shin-Aomori - Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto 148.9 km (92.5 mi)
Trunk lines
Chitose Line:
Shiroishi - Numanohata 60.2 km (37.4 mi)
Minami-Chitose - New Chitose Airport 2.6 km (1.6 mi)
Hakodate Main Line()
Hakodate - Ōnuma-Kōen - Otaru - Sapporo - Asahikawa 423.1 km (262.9 mi)
Nanae - Oshima-Sawara - Mori 35.3 km (21.9 mi)
Muroran Main Line
Oshamanbe - Higashi-Muroran - Oiwake - Iwamizawa 211.0 km (131.1 mi)
Higashi-Muroran - Muroran 7.0 km (4.3 mi)
Nemuro Main Line
Takikawa - Furano 54.6 km (33.9 mi) and Shintoku - Nemuro 331.6 km (206.0 mi), a total of 386.2 km (240.0 mi)
Sekishō Line
Minami-Chitose - Shintoku 132.4 km (82.3 mi)
Other lines
Furano Line
Furano - Asahikawa 54.8 km (34.1 mi)
Hidaka Main Line
Tomakomai - Mukawa 30.5 km (19.0 mi)
Sekihoku Main Line
Shin-Asahikawa - Kitami - Abashiri 234.0 km (145.4 mi)
Sasshō Line
Sōen - Hokkaidō-Iryōdaigaku 28.9 km (18.0 mi)
Senmō Main Line
Higashi-Kushiro - Abashiri 166.2 km (103.3 mi)
Sōya Main Line
Asahikawa - Nayoro - Wakkanai 259.4 km (161.2 mi)
Under construction
Hokkaido Shinkansen
Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto - Sapporo 211.3 km (131.3 mi) scheduled to open in 2038 (as of October 2025)
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 4 June 1989, then closed on 21 April 2006
Esashi Line
Goryōkaku - Kikonai 37.8 km (23.5 mi) transferred to South Hokkaido Railway Company on 26 March 2016.
Kikonai - Esashi 42.1 km (26.2 mi) closed on 12 May 2014.
Hakodate Main Line branch
Sunagawa - Kami-Sunagawa 7.3 km (4.5 mi) closed on 16 May 1994.
Horonai Line
Iwamizawa - Ikushumbetsu 18.1 km (11.2 mi) and Mikasa - Horonai 2.7 km (1.7 mi) closed on 13 July 1987.
Matsumae Line
Kikonai - Matsumae 50.8 km (31.6 mi) closed on 1 February 1988.
Nayoro Main Line
Nayoro - Engaru 138.1 km (85.8 mi) and Naka-Yūbetsu - Yūbetsu 4.9 km (3.0 mi) closed on 1 May 1989.
Nemuro Main Line
Furano - Shintoku 81.7 km (50.8 mi) closed on 1 April 2024.
Rumoi Main Line
Rumoi - Mashike 16.7 km (10.4 mi) closed on 4 December 2016.
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 1 April 1985
Bikō Line
Bifuka - Niupu 21.2 km (13.2 mi) closed on 17 September 1985
Haboro Line
Rumoi - Horonobe 141.1 km (87.7 mi) closed on 30 March 1987
Hiroo Line
Obihiro - Hiroo 84.0 km (52.2 mi) closed on 2 February 1987
Iburi Line
Kutchan - Datemombetsu 83.0 km (51.6 mi) and Kyōgoku - Wakikata 7.5 km (4.7 mi) closed on 11 November 1986
Iwanai Line
Kozawa - Iwanai 14.9 km (9.3 mi) closed on 1 September 1985
Kōhin'hoku Line
Hama-Tombetsu - Kitami-Esashi 30.4 km (18.9 mi) closed on 1 July 1985
Kōhin'nan Line
Ōmu - Okoppe 19.9 km (12.4 mi) closed on 15 July 1985
Konpoku Line
Shiretoko-Shari - Koshikawa 12.8 km (8.0 mi) closed on 1 December 1970
Rolling stock
Electric multiple units
H5 Series Shinkansen
721 series
731 series
733 series
735 series
737 series
785 series – used on Kamui and Suzuran services
789 series
789-0 – used on Lilac services
789-1000 – used on Kamui and Suzuran services
Diesel multiple units
H100 series
KiHa 54 series
KiHa 150 series
KiHa 201 series
KiHa 261 series
261-0 – used on Sōya and Sarobetsu services
261-1000 – used on Tokachi, Hokuto, and Ōzora services
KiHa 283 series – used on Okhotsk services