End of the Line: Meitetsu Hiromi Line Segment to Close as Municipalities Abandon Rail Preservation due to High Costs

A section of the Nagoya Railroad (Meitetsu) Hiromi Line between Shin-Kani and Mitake stations in Gifu Prefecture is set to be discontinued. Local municipalities have concluded discussions on preserving the segment, and Meitetsu has confirmed it will proceed toward closure. Moving forward, the focus will shift to transitioning to alternative transportation, such as local buses.

High Costs Lead to Abandoning the 'Vertical Separation' Model

The decision to end rail service was reached by the three municipalities along the line: Mitake Town, Kani City, and Yaotsu Town. The local governments had been exploring a "de-facto vertical separation" framework to keep the line running. Under this model, Meitetsu would handle train operations while the municipalities would cover the costs of maintaining track infrastructure and carriages.

However, local authorities ultimately abandoned the plan. According to announcements from Mitake Town and other partners, the model would have imposed an annual financial burden of approximately 340 million yen (about $2.2 million USD), severely impacting other public services. Additionally, they concluded they could not absorb sudden restoration costs in the event of natural disasters, such as heavy rain. The municipalities have requested Meitetsu to continue operations until the end of fiscal year 2028 to ensure a smooth transition to alternative transport.

The End of a Nostalgic Local Segment

The Shin-Kani to Mitake segment has seen a dramatic drop in ridership in recent years, standing out as one of the least-utilized sections in Meitetsu's entire network. Yet, it holds a special place in the hearts of railway enthusiasts and locals. In the past, direct express trains from the Nagoya area ran all the way to Mitake Station, navigating complex switchbacks along the route.

On social media, reactions to the decision ranged from nostalgia to pragmatism:

• "The time has finally come. I fondly remember when express trains ran all the way to Mitake."
• "The areas along the line are highly car-dependent. With ridership this low, closure might be inevitable."
• "Looking at the cost of the vertical separation model, it's just too heavy a burden for municipalities of this size. It's a painful but necessary decision."
• "This closure might accelerate discussions about the survival of other Meitetsu local lines and regional railways across Japan."

Transitioning to Bus Alternatives

Attention now shifts to establishing robust alternative transport. Municipalities plan to quickly develop bus routes, with some residents hoping for flexible scheduling of local and school buses during morning peak hours. As maintaining local rail lines remains a nationwide challenge in Japan, this major private railway's decision to cut a regional segment is bound to influence discussions on the future of rural transit.

The Context

To understand why this closure is significant, one must look at the structural challenges facing Japan's regional public transit. While Japan is globally renowned for its highly efficient rail network, this reputation is largely sustained by high-density urban areas and profitable Shinkansen (bullet train) lines. In rural and suburban regions, rapid depopulation, low birth rates, and high car ownership have led to a severe decline in rail ridership.

Furthermore, Japanese local governments are increasingly forced to choose between subsidizing deficit-ridden rail lines and funding essential services like healthcare and elderly care. The "vertical separation" model (where local governments own infrastructure while private operators run the trains) is often proposed as a savior, but as seen in the case of the Hiromi Line, the financial burden is frequently too great for small municipalities to bear. This decision highlights a growing trend across Japan where communities are reluctantly trading historic rail links for more cost-effective bus services.