Hokushin Line Explained

Hokushin Line
Native Name:北神線
Native Name Lang:ja
Type:Rapid transit
Status:Operational
Locale:Kobe
Stations:2
Owner:
Operator:Kobe Municipal Transportation Bureau
Depot:Tanigami
Stock:7000 series
Linelength Km:7.5
Tracks:2
Electrification: overhead catenary
Speed Km/H:75
Map State:collapsed

The is a line of Kobe Municipal Subway connecting Tanigami in Kita-ku, Kobe and Shin-Kobe in Chūō-ku, Kobe. The 7.5km (04.7miles) line has only these two stations.

Formerly operated by the third-sector Hokushin Kyuko Electric Railway (; a subsidiary of Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group), in 2020 the company was absorbed into the Kobe Municipal Transportation Bureau, and the Hokushin Line became part of the subway network.

Operations

All trains of the line operate through services to the Seishin-Yamate Line beyond Shin-Kobe Station.

History

The Hokushin Line opened on 2 April 1988, including the Hokushin Tunnel.[1]

The line was built by, a private railway company in Kobe, Japan. It was headquartered in Kita-ku, Kobe. Investors in the company included Hankyu Railway and Kobe Electric Railway, and it was a subsidiary of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings. On 4 March 2020, the Kobe Municipal Transportation Bureau announced that it would acquire Hokushin Kyuko Railway Co., Ltd. due to the heavy debt burden that had been incurred by Hokushin Kyuko;[2] the transaction was completed on 31 May, after which operation of the Hokushin Line was transferred to the transportation bureau.[2]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Terada, Hirokazu . データブック日本の私鉄 . Databook: Japan's Private Railways . Neko Publishing . 19 January 2013 . Japan . 154 . 978-4-7770-1336-4.
  2. 27 May 2020. 北神急行線の市営化が6月1日より始まります. Japanese. Kobe-shi. 4 June 2020. 29 November 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211129024732/https://www.city.kobe.lg.jp/a89954/kurashi/access/kotsukyoku/kotsu/20200527_hokushinkyuko_01.html. dead.