Sapporo, Sept. 17 (Jiji Press)–Hokkaido Railway Co., or JR Hokkaido, has said it will withdraw a proposal to ask local municipalities to share the cost of maintaining eight loss-making sections in the northernmost Japan prefecture. JR Hokkaido made the announcement Wednesday after it faced opposition from municipalities to the proposal concerning the eight sections it considers difficult to maintain on its own. The company will instead seek to establish a new council led by the central government to discuss measures to keep the sections in service, and has asked the Hokkaido prefectural government to join the council. The central government has asked the company to draw up fundamental measures to improve the financial situation of the eight sections by the end of fiscal 2026, which ends in March next year. In April, JR Hokkaido announced four reform proposals, including one under which the company would continue train operations while municipalities would own and manage the tracks and other facilities. But the proposal drew strong opposition from the municipalities along the sections over concerns about increased financial burdens. JR Hokkaido President Yasuyuki Watanuki said at a press conference Wednesday, “I would like to offer my apologies for receiving harsh criticism from various parties after making the proposal a topic of discussion.” The new council will aim to formulate improvement measures by examining possible strategies to enhance the value of the sections through the use of tourist trains, as well as the transfer of railway assets, such as station buildings, to local governments. Also on Wednesday, Watanuki and Tomoyuki Ishizuka, head of the Hokkaido District Transport Bureau of the transport ministry, held talks with Hokkaido Governor Naomichi Suzuki and requested the prefectural government to take part in the council as its secretariat. Suzuki said, “Frankly, I must say it will be difficult to compile (improvement measures) within the remaining six months.” He called for the compilation process to proceed carefully so as not to reach a hasty conclusion. Some municipalities along the sections took the announcement positively. An official of Kitami said the city welcomed the withdrawal of the proposal, which did not make clear how financial burdens would be shared. “We hope the central and prefectural governments will carefully consider improvement measures in light of the significance of the sections,” the official said. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
