300 series DMU car 304 in March 2008 by Atsasebo (Source: Wikipedia)
Heisei Chikuhō Railway, which has been struggling financially due to a decline in ridership, has decided to discontinue its railway service and convert it into a bus service.
The statutory council says it will formulate a concrete plan by the end of next fiscal year. Ridership has fallen to one-third of its peak.Fukuoka Prefecture Governor Seitaro Hattori said, “We have decided on the bus service as the major direction for the future of Heisei Chikuhō Railway.”On the afternoon of the 25th, Governor Hattori of Fukuoka Prefecture reported to the municipalities along the line that, as a result of deliberations by the statutory council, Heisei Chikuhō Railway will be converted into a bus service.
Heisei Chikuhō Railway is a third-sector company that connects Nogata City, Tagawa City, and Yukuhashi City.Ridership has fallen to about one-third of its peak, and last fiscal year it incurred a deficit of 354 million yen.The deficit is expected to continue to expand, and the company will not be able to continue operating at this rate. Following discussions on three proposals, the statutory council established by the prefecture at the request of the municipalities along the route has been discussing three proposals: a separation of infrastructure and operation where the municipalities manage the facilities and maintain the railway; a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system where dedicated roads are built and buses run on them; and a regular bus route. The council is composed of 27 members, including the municipalities along the route and transportation operators.
In a written vote, 12 members abstained, and of the remaining 15, 8 supported the bus route, giving the council a majority. Shunsuke Kubonishi, head of the Transportation Policy Division, Fukuoka Prefecture: “We confirmed that the buses will be used properly by users and become sustainable. We will work together to do what we can to achieve that.”
Tagawa City: “We will abide by the decision” Tagawa City had supported the BRT rather than the bus route, but has decided to abide by the council’s conclusion. Takuya Murakami, Mayor of Tagawa City: “We had agreed to abide by the decision of the statutory council, so we will aim to create a public transportation system that is truly chosen by the entire community.” Voices of regret from users The decision to remove the railway from the town has drawn expressions of regret from users. A user commented, “It can’t be helped, I guess. The population is decreasing, and fewer people are using it, so I feel it’s difficult to keep it going.”
A high school student who uses the service said, “I hope they don’t abolish it. I use it quite a lot, for going to school and for fun.” It is estimated that 44 drivers would be needed to convert it to a regular bus route. Given that a shortage of bus drivers is a nationwide problem for bus companies, the conversion to a regular bus route will not be easy. The statutory council plans to formulate a regional public transportation plan to realize a “regular bus route” by the end of next fiscal year.
