JR West 125 series EMU at Wakasa-Hongō Station on Obama Line by Kansai explorer / Source: Wikipedia
A reporter boards a “loss-making local train line” to investigate the situation. The JR Obama Line, which connects Higashi-Maizuru Station in northern Kyoto Prefecture and Tsuruga Station in Fukui Prefecture, has publicly announced that it is operating at a deficit.
The Obama Line celebrated its 100th anniversary of full line opening in 2022, but the average number of passengers per kilometer per day is 991. The deficit amounts to 1.81 billion yen per year… (Data at the time of broadcast)
Surprisingly, when the reporter boards the train, there are many passengers, and voices calling for the Obama Line to continue operating are heard.
