The Manchukuo National Railway (Traditional Chinese and Japanese kanji: , Japanese romanization: Manshū Kokuyū Tetsudō) was the state-owned national railway company of Manchukuo. Generally called the "國線" ("National Line", Kokusen), it was controlled by the Manchukuo Ministry of Transportation and had its lines primarily in the central and northern parts of the country. In local newspapers it was simply referred to as "國鉄" (Japanese: Kokutetsu, "National Rail"). Although theoretically independent, it was managed by the South Manchuria Railway, a state-owned national railway company of the Empire of Japan, of which the Kwantung Army frequently intervened in its affairs.
History
Sino-Japanese competition in railway construction In Manchuria, the division of rights in mainland China manifested itself in the form of competition in railway construction. As a result, following the end of the Russo-Japanese War, railway rights in Manchuria were split between Russia, which operated the Chinese Eastern Railway, and Japan, which operated the South Manchuria Railway (Mantetsu). Meanwhile, in the western part of Manchuria there operated a Chinese-owned railway on the Beijing–Shanhaiguan–Fengtian route, the Jingfeng Railway, which had been built with a loan given by the British Hongkong Shanghai Bank. In 1913 and 1918, China and Japan concluded two railway agreements which strengthened Japanese rights in Manchuria, further increasing the dominance of the great powers in China. After the 1922 establishment of the Republic of China, political and military activities were undertaken to reclaim Chinese rights. In Manchuria this movement also reached the railways, in the form of attacks against Mantetsu and Japanese interests.
The Fengtian warlords were in effect governing Manchuria at the time, and its leader, Zhang Zuolin, was cooperative with Japan. Nevertheless, he exhibited an independent attitude regarding railways, and in 1924 he established the "3 Eastern Provinces Transportiation Committee" (), and began laying railway with Chinese capital. To counter this, Japanese interests opened five more rail lines. Zhang Zuolin accepted the Japanese right to build new lines, but the Fengtian clique continued to build railways as well. The Kwantung Army had for some time wanted to somehow divide the Fengtian warlords, and on 4 June 1928 they assassinated Zhang Zuolin. He was succeeded as leader of the Fengtian clique by his son, Zhang Xueliang, who in December of that year declared his allegiance to the Kuomintang, becoming fervently anti-Japanese.
After Zhang Xueliang's succession, he reorganised the 3 Provinces Transportation Committee into the "Northeastern Transportation Committee" (), and undertook a strategy intended to surround and attack Mantetsu. The first step was the construction of a branch from the midpoint of the Jingfeng Railway to Huludao, where he built a new port. From then on, the Jingfeng Railway's network was planned with the goal of encircling and undermining the Japanese-owned railway. This was a severe blow to Mantetsu. The Jingfeng Railways new lines all ran parallel to the Mantetsu lines, several kilometres away, but shippers who previously had no choice but to use Mantetsu's service moved their business to the Chinese-owned company, even if its line was further away. The Japanese protested strongly on the basis of the Sino-Japanese Treaty concerning the Three Provinces (), in which it had been agreed that no railways running parallel to Mantetsu lines would be built. The Fengtian clique ignored this, and the conflict between the two railways intensified.
Establishment of Manchukuo and succession of rights
In order to break the stalemate in the conflict between Japan and the Fengtian warlords, including the conflict over railways, the Kwantung Army took action, staging the Mukden Incident, in which a Japanese soldier detonated a small quantity of dynamite near a Mantetsu line on 18 September 1931; although no damage was inflicted, it was blamed on Chinese terrorists, and was used as a pretext for the Japanese invasion of Manchuria. The Fengtian clique, which effectively had been the government of Manchuria until that time, collapsed in October. As the Northeastern Transportation Committee was dissolved with the collapse of the Fengtian junta, the Kwantung Army established the "New Northeastern Transportation Committee" () on 23 October, which temporarily took over management of the railways. By February 1932, the Kwantung Army had occupied all of Manchuria. To avoid international criticism, the Kwantung Army established the puppet state of Manchukuo on 1 March 1932. Consequently, the management of the railways was transferred from the Transportation Committee to the new Manchukuo Ministry of Transportation. Each railway company remained independent - no "state-owned" railway company was established at this time.
Creation of the Manchukuo National Railway
Less than a year later, the "Railway Act" was passed on 9 February 1933, which nationalised all railways, and went into effect on the same day, establishing the Manchukuo National Railway. However, on the very same day as they were nationalised, all railway companies received a directive from the Ministry of Transportation instructing them to hand over their operations to the South Manchuria Railway. In effect, the Manchukuo Ministry of Transportation never managed "its" railway on its own, instead immediately outsourcing it to the Japanese-owned Mantetsu and removing itself entirely from the sector of business.
The Manchukuo National Railway was created out of nine companies.
Fengshan Railway (奉山鉄路): Shanhaiguan–Fengtian, Huanggutun–Fengtian General Station, Dahushan–Tongliao, Goubangzi–Yingkou, Jinxian–Koubeiyingzi, Jinlingsi–Beipiao, Lianshan–Huludao. This was the oldest railway in Manchuria, established in 1899 as an extension of the Jingfeng Railway. The full network, including branch lines, was completed in 1927. Initially part of the Jingfeng Railway, it became an independent entity on 9 January 1932. This Yingkou Station was not the same as the Yingkou Station as Mantetsu's station of the same name. Huhai Railway (呼海鉄路): Machuankou–Hailun. This railway in Heilongjiang Province was originally planned during the Qing dynasty, but the Xinhai Revolution prevented it from being built. An agreement was subsequently made with Russia to build the line, but due to the October Revolution these plans also fell through. Construction finally began in 1925 as a joint venture between the government and private interests, and the line was completed in December 1928. The line ran north from Machuankou, which was on the opposite bank of the river from Harbin. As Harbin was a central point of the Chinese Eastern Railway, conflict arose with the CER, and the line remained isolated from the rest of Manchuria's rail network at the time of the nationalisation. Jichang Jidun Railway (吉長吉敦鉄路): Xinjing–Jilin, Jilin–Dunhua, Jiaohe–Naizishan. This was originally two companies, the Jichang Railway (吉長鉄路) and the Jidun Railway (吉敦鉄路), which were both joint ventures between Japan and the Republic of China. The Jichang Railway was completed in October 1912, and the Jidun Railway was completed in October 1928. Management of both railways was entrusted to Mantetsu. As the expenses for the short railways were too high, the two companies were merged in November 1931, as a cost-management measure. Jihai Railway (吉海鉄路): Chaoyangzhen–Jilin. Opened in August 1929, it operated in conjunction with the Shenhai Railway to connect Fengtian with Jilin City. It was one of the routes built parallel to Mantetsu as part of Zhang Xueliang's anti-Mantetsu efforts. Qike Railway (斉克鉄路): Qiqihar–Ang'angxi, Yushuntun–East Ang'angxi, Qiqihar–Taian, Ningnian–Laha. Initially, the Qike Railway had planned only to build north from Qiqihar; the line south from there was originally planned by the Taoang Railway. The Taoang Railway was unable to realise that plan due to problems getting permission to cross the Chinese Eastern Railway, but after an intervention by the Northeast Transportation Committee, the line was built - by the Qike Railway - in 1928. The first section to be built was the Qiqihar–Keshan section. At the North Manchuria Railway (Chinese Eastern Railway) Qiqihar Station this line connected with the narrow-gauge Qi'ang Light Railway. Shenhai Railway (瀋海鉄路): Fengtian–Hailong–Chaoyangzhen, Shahe–Xi'an. This was originally one of the routes that Japan received the right to build under the terms of the Sino-Japanese railway agreements of 1913 and 1918. As the construction never took place, the rights were given to Chinese interests in 1924. Construction was undertaken by the Fengtian clique's "Three Provinces Transportation Commission", and the line was completed in August 1928. Although it was originally a semi-private railway, in practical terms it was government-run at all times. It was originally called "Fenghai Railway" (奉海鉄路). It was one of the routes built parallel to Mantetsu as part of Zhang Xueliang's anti-Mantetsu efforts. Sitao Railway (四洮鉄路): Sipingjie–Zhengjiatun–Taonan, Zhengjiatun–Tongliao. This was originally one of the routes that Japan received the right to build under the terms of the Sino-Japanese railway agreements of 1913 and 1918. The entire network was completed in November 1923. An agreement to entrust management to Mantetsu was signed in 1931, but was not implemented until after nationalisation. Taoang Railway (洮昂鉄路): Taonan–Ang'angxi. This railway was established in 1924 as a joint venture between Mantetsu and the Fengtian clique, with construction of the line being completed in July 1926. It was originally planned to continue the line to Qiqihar, but permission to cross the Chinese Eastern Railway could not be secured. See the Qike Railway below for further information. Taosuo Railway (洮索鉄路): Baichengzi–Huaiyuanzhen. This is one of the five railways whose construction was ordered by the Fengtian clique in 1927. Planning and construction was undertaken by the Northeastern Transportation Committee, as part of the network intended to surround Mantetsu. By February 1931 it was not yet completed.
After the nationalisation and the creation of the Manchukuo National Railway, each former company was reformed as a "Railway Bureau", e.g. the Fengshan Railway became the "Fengshan Railway Bureau" (奉山鉄路局), and each former railway's lines were named as a group, e.g., the entire network of the Fengshan Railway was called the "Fengshan Line" (奉山線). Due to the fact that the various railways had been independent, in several cities it was the case that there were several separate railway stations, which left the National Railway with a complicated organisational structure.
Establishment of the General Railway Administration
On 1 March 1933, just under a month after the operation and management of the National Railway was entrusted to Mantetsu, the "General Railway Administration" was established at Mukden and the "Railway Construction Bureau" at Dalian. As a result of this, lines owned by Mantetsu were called "Company Lines" (社線, Ch. shèxiàn, Ja. ), while those of the National Railway were called "National Lines" (國線, Ch. guóxiàn, Ja. kokusen). Although the General Railway Administration was officially a department of Mantetsu, in reality the Kwantung Army, which was secretly the power behind the Manchukuo government and wanting to take advantage of the railways of Manchuria, was deeply involved in its operation. When the General Railway Administration was set up, an "Agreement on the Management of Railways, Ports and Rivers" was signed. This gave the Kwantung Army extensive management rights over Mantetsu, and treated the Administration as if it were a department of the Kwantung Army.