TOKYO: Railway services on 1,366 kilometres (km) of track among 68 sections, or five per cent of Japan’s total network, have been discontinued over the past three decades, a Kyodo News analysis showed Saturday, highlighting the shrinking of public transportation options in rural areas.
Kyodo News reported that most of the sections closed between fiscal 1996 and fiscal 2025 were in depopulating regions, with roughly one-third of the total track length in Hokkaido, northern Japan.
According to an analysis of data released by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the pace of closures has accelerated, with 387 km scrapped in the 10 years through fiscal 2005, 445 km in the following decade, and 534 km in the decade through fiscal 2025.
Of the total, 680 km were operated by railway companies created through the breakup of the state-owned Japanese National Railways, while 686 km were run by other rail companies.
In Hokkaido, one local railway company shut a 140 km route, while another discontinued 116 km of services.
Meanwhile, 1,913 km of tracks have been newly laid out during the 30 years, of which 1,156 were for Shinkansen bullet trains.
“We should not leave it to the operators but instead think of railways as a system for public transportation,” said Ikuhiro Nasuno, professor at Ryutsu Keizai University.
Municipalities should consider what role trains can play in communities and become actively involved in railway service management when necessary, he added. – BERNAMA-KYODO
