Deficit 83 Lines (赤字83線, Akaji-Hachijyusansen) is a list of railway lines owned by Japanese National Railways (JNR) proposed for abolishment or transferring to third sector companies as it has fulfilled its goals in 1968.
Criteria The criteria for a railway line being listed are the following: The length of the track is under 100 kilometers, and the function seen from the line is small, and there is a small population along the tracks. The one-way transportation volume of regular customers is less than 3,000 people, and the daily departure and arrival of cargo is within 600 tons. The transportation volume growth is lower than that of competing transportation institutions, and both passengers and cargo are decreasing.
The idea to close lines and replace them with bus services that cost less to operate was formulated as early as 1968.
By these criteria, 83 railway lines of in length have been listed, and the JNR began talks with the local municipalities to close the lines. However, due to furious protests from the local residents, out of the 83 lines, before 1972 only 11 of those listed were closed, i.e. .
However, the Japan Railway Construction Public Corporation continued to build local lines, and most of the 11 lines opened during the talks were generating negative income, resulting in no improvements from the closure of the 11 lines.
In 1972, when Kakuei Tanaka became the prime minister, all efforts to close the remaining lines were cancelled. However, most of the lines that continued service after being listed as 83 deficit lines were abolished by Specified local lines movement.
Aftermath of all 83 lines This table shows the current status of the lines.
Lines that were closed as a part of deficit 83 lines movement Name of the linePrefectureSectionsOperationalLength (km)Date of abolishmentNotesKōbukuro LineFukuokaKotake - Futase7.6 km8 December 1969 After the abolition, Nishitetsu Bus, including the following branch lines, took over, but it was split into Kaho Kotsu (now Nishitetsu Bus Chikuho) on 3 April 1988.Kōbukuro Line (Cargo branch)Kōbukuro - Ikisu2.5 kmThe 1.6 km section between Kōbukuro and Kawazu signal station is a duplicate section with the main line.Konpoku LineHokkaidoShari - Koshikawa12.8 km1 December 1970Transferred to Shari bus Koshikawa Line.Bus line abolished 27 April 2004.Karatsu Line (Kishitake Branch)Saga Yamamoto - Kishitake4.1 km20 August 1971Main line continued operations. Line transferred to Showa bus.Sechibaru LineNagasakiHizen-Yoshii - Sechibaru6.7 km26 December 1971 Turned into a cycling road. Transferred to Saihi Bus Sechibaru Line.Usunoura LineNagasaki Saza - Usunoura3.8 km26 December 1971 Transferred to Saihi bus.Kajiyabara LineTokushimaItano - Kajiyabara6.9 km16 January 1972JNR bus (later JR Shikoku bus) converted to Awa Line.Abolished on 1 April 1996. Alternative transportation on the former Kajiyahara Line section will be integrated with the competing Tokushima Bus Kajiyahara Line.Sasanoyama LineHyogoSasayamaguchi - Fukusumi17.6 km1 March 1972Converted to JNR Bus (later West Japan JR Bus) Sono Shino Line.Converted to Shinki Bus (currently Shinki Green Bus) in 2002.Mikuni LineFukuiAwaraonsen - Awara-Yunomachi4.5 km1 March 1972Transferred to JNR bus Kanazu Mikuni Line.In 1987, it was converted to the Keifuku Bus Kanazu/Tojinbo Line.Mikuni Line (Partial)Awaraonsen - Mikuni4.2 kmMikuni - Mikuni-Minato1.0 kmInterged into the Keifuku Electric Railroad Mikuni Awara Line (current Echizen Railway Mikuni Awara Line).Ujina LineHiroshima Hiroshima - Kamiōkō2.4 km1 April 1972Even after the abolition date, it was operated once a day as a JNR side line of the Ujina Four-Party Agreement Line, but it was abolished in 1986.Kawamata LineFukushimaMatsukawa - Iwashiro-Kawamata12.2 km14 May 1972Converted to JNR Bus (later JR Bus Tohoku) Kawamata Line.On March 31, 2005, it was transferred to bus services by the local government.Sasshō Line (Partial)HokkaidoShin-Totsukawa - Ishikari-Numata34.9 km19 June 1972Transferred to JNR bus (later JR Hokkaido Bus Company) Ishikari Line.Transferred to Hokkaido Chuo BusSome sections transferred to bus services by Numata.Hososhima LineMiyazakiHyūgashi - Hososhima3.5 km1 February 1972Passenger service abolished on the mentioned date.Continued service until December 1, 1993, as a nameless cargo branch of Nippō Main Line.Miyazaki Kōtsu operates a bus line nearby.
Lines that continued service after the movement, but were abolished in later movements Name of the LinePrefectureSectionOperational length (km)Date of abolishmentNotesKesennuma LineMiyagiMinami-Kesennuma - Kesennumakō1.6 km1 November 1979Cargo branchKesennuma - Motoyoshi21.3 km1 April 2020Yanaizu - Motoyoshi 34.0 km extension opened December 11, 1977. Incorporated Yanaizu Line, 17.5 km between Maeyachi and Yanaizu.55.3 km section between Yanaizu and Kesennuma transferred to BRT as a result of Aftermath of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.Abolished as a railway line on April 1, 2020.Shiranuka LineHokkaidoShiranuka - Kami-Charo25.2 km23 October 1983Kami-Charo - Hokushin 7.9 km extension opened 8 September 1972.Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and abolished.Transferred to bus service. First line to be abolished under JNR Reconstruction act.Nicyū LineFukushimaKitakata - Atsushio11.6 km1 April 1984Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and abolished. Transferred to Aizu Bus.Akatani LineNiigata Shibata - Higashi-Akatani18.9 km1 April 1984Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and abolished. Transferred to Niigata Kotsu.Uonuma LineNiigataRaikōji - Nishi-Ojiya12.6 km1 April 1984Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and abolished. Transferred to Echigo Kotsu.Kuroishi LineAomoriKawabe - Kuroishi6.6 km1 November 1984Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and transferred to Kōnan Railway.Railway line abolished April 1, 1998 and transferred to Kōnan Bus.Tsuma LineMiyazakiSadowara - Sugiyasu19.3 km1 December 1984Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and transferred to Miyazaki Kotsu.Miyanoharu LineŌitaKumamotoEra - Higo-Okuni26.6 km1 December 1984Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and transferred to Oita Transportation Bus.Bus line abolished in 2013 except for some sections.Komatsushima LineTokushima Chūden - Komatsushima1.9 km14 March 1985Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and abolished.Transferred to Komatsu Bus (Later Tokushima Bus).Aioi LineHokkaidoBihoro - Kitami-Aioi36.8 km1 April 1985Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and abolished.Transferred to Kitami Bus and Tsubetsu Bus.Shokotsu LineHokkaidoShokotsu - Kitami-Takinoue34.3 km1 April 1985Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and abolished. Transferred to Hokumon Bus.Yahiko Line (Partial)Niigata Higashi-Sanjō - Echigō-Nagasawa7.9 km1 April 1985Transferred to Echigo Kotsu.Hōjō LineHyogoAo - Hōjōmachi13.8 km1 April 1985Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and transferred to Hōjō Railways.Miki LineHyogoYakujin - Miki6.8 km1 April 1985Later Listed as specified local lines (1st) and transferred to Miki Railway Miki Line. Railway line abolished 1 April 2008 and transferred to Shinki Bus.Kurayoshi LineTottoriKurayoshi - Yamamori20.0 km1 April 1985Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and abolished.Converted to Nippon Kotsu/Hinomaru Motor Bus/Chutetsu Bus (currently Chutetsu Mimasaka Bus).Katsuki LineFukuokaNakama - Katsuki 3.5 km1 April 1985Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and abolished. Converted to Nishitetsu Bus (currently Nishitetsu Bus Kitakyushu).Katsuta LineFukuokaYoshizuka - Chikuzen-Katsuta13.8 km1 April 1985Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and abolished. Transferred to Nishitetsu Bus.Soeda LineFukuokaKawara - Soeda12.1 km1 April 1985Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and abolished. Transferred to Seitetsu Bus Chikuho.Muroki LineFukuokaOngagawa - Muroki11.2 km1 April 1985Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and abolished, transferred to Nishitetsu Bus. Bus service abolished 1996.Yabe LineFukuokaHainuzuka - Kuroki19.7 km1 April 1985Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and abolished. Transferred to Horikawa Bus.Iwanai LineHokkaidoKozawa - Iwanai14.9 km1 July 1985Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and abolished. Transferred to Nisseki Bus.Kōhin-Hoku LineHokkaidoHama-Tombetsu - Kitami-Esashi30.4 km1 July 1985Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and abolished. Transferred to Soya Bus.Ōhata LineAomori Shimokita - Ōhata18.0 km1 July 1985Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and transferred to Shimokita Kotsu Ōhata Line.Railway Line abolished on April 1, 2001. Transferred to Shimokita Bus.Kōhin-nan LineHokkaidoOkoppe - Omu19.9 km15 July 1985Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and abolished. Transferred to Hokumon Bus.Bikō LineHokkaidoBifuka - Niupu21.2 km17 September 1985Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and abolished. Transferred to Meishi Bus.Yashima LineAkitaUgo-Honjō - Ugo-Yashima23.0 km1 October 1985Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and transferred to Yuri Kōgen Railway Chōkai Sanroku Line.Akechi LineGifuEna - Akechi25.2 km16 November 1985Later listed as specified local lines (1st) and transferred to Akechi Railroad Akechi Line.Uchiko Line (Partial)EhimeGorō - Niiya5.0 km3 March 1986Rest of the line continues operation as listed below.Takamori LineKumamoto Tateno - Takamori17.7 km1 April 1986Later listed as specified local lines (2nd) and transferred to Minamiaso Railway Takamori Line. Tominai LineHokkaidoMukawa - Hidakachō83.0 km1 November 1986Later listed as specified local lines (2nd) and abolished. Transferred to Donan Bus.Aniai LineAkitaTakanosu - Hitachinai46.1 km1 November 1986Later listed as specified local lines (2nd) and transferred to Akita Nairiku Railways Akita Nairiku North Line.29.0 km extension between Hitachinai - Matsuba opened 1 April 1989.