JR East to Cease Operations on Part of Kururi Line by 2027: A Glimpse into Japan's Struggling Local Railways

JR East's Chiba Branch announced on the 9th that it will abolish the railway business for the Kururi-Kazusa-Kameyama section of the Kururi Line, effective April 1, 2027. A notification of the railway business's abolition is scheduled to be submitted to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism within the current fiscal year.

This particular section of the Kururi Line has faced severe management challenges for many years. The decision has been met with a mix of resignation and understanding on social media, with comments such as "It finally happened" and "It's unavoidable." However, there were also expressions of deep regret, including "I haven't been there yet" and "I want to ride it before it's abolished," and some users even shared their sadness with tears.

According to JR East's announcement, the abolished Kururi-Kazusa-Kameyama section will be replaced by a fixed-route, fixed-time bus service. A bus operator, commissioned by the local municipality, will be responsible for operations, with JR East committing to bear the associated costs for a period of 18 years. This long-term financial commitment has been widely praised, with some observers calling it "the greatest concession for a for-profit company like JR East."

Regarding the line's profitability, questions have been raised about the difficulty in accurately assessing true fare revenue due to issues with its operating ratio and the frequent use of free passes by tourists. Historically, the Kururi Line was also known for frequent strikes stemming from labor disputes, leading to speculation such as, "It makes one wonder how they managed to bring Doro-Chiba under control."

Of the ten KiHa E130 series 100-series trains currently in service on the Kururi Line, it is anticipated that one or two vehicles may become surplus after the abolition. Speculation abounds regarding the fate of these surplus trains, including their potential transfer to other lines (such as the Ōminato Line), conversion into spare cars, or even a possible transfer to the Hitachinaka Seaside Railway. All eyes are on JR East's future decisions.

This partial abolition of the Kururi Line underscores the severe challenges currently facing local railways across Japan. Concerns are increasingly being voiced that "this kind of situation will likely become more common," suggesting that similar closures may affect other regional lines in the near future.

The context

JR East (East Japan Railway Company) is one of Japan's major railway operators, serving the Kanto and Tohoku regions. The Kururi Line is a local diesel-powered railway line located in Chiba Prefecture, known for its picturesque rural scenery. Like many regional lines in Japan, it has struggled with declining passenger numbers due to an aging and shrinking population, increased car ownership, and high maintenance costs.

The "operating ratio" (営業係数 - eigyo keisu) mentioned in the article is a crucial financial metric for Japanese railways. It represents the expenses incurred for every 100 yen of revenue. An operating ratio significantly above 100 indicates financial losses. Many local lines in Japan operate with very high ratios, making them financially unsustainable without significant subsidies or, as in this case, leading to partial or full closure.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) is the central government body that regulates transportation in Japan, including railway operations and their abolition. Replacing an unprofitable railway section with a bus service, with financial support from the former railway operator, is a common strategy in Japan to ensure continued public transportation in rural areas while reducing the railway company's losses.

"Doro-Chiba" (動労千葉), the Chiba National Railway Motive Power Union, is a historically significant and often militant labor union within the Japanese railway industry. Known for its strong opposition to the privatization of Japanese National Railways (JNR) in the 1980s and its subsequent hardline stance on various labor issues, its mention in the article highlights a past era of intense labor relations on the Kururi Line and in the broader railway sector.