Image courtesy of X
Aiming to boost ridership on the underutilized Masuda-Izumo section of the San’in Main Line, five cities along the line and JR have established a new council. The council’s inaugural meeting was held at Hamada City Hall on April 13th, attended by the mayors of the five cities along the line, including Hamada and Izumo, as well as JR San’in Branch Manager Takaya.
Hamada City Mayor Miura said: “We see this as a platform where the municipalities along the line can work together, transcending administrative boundaries, and pool their wisdom to transform the railway from one that is ‘ridden and protected’ to one that is ‘utilized and nurtured’.” Amid declining population and the ongoing development of the San’in Expressway, ridership on the Masuda-Izumo section of the San’in Main Line is sluggish, with a projected daily “transport density” of only 868 people in fiscal year 2024.
The average deficit for the three years leading up to fiscal year 2024 is 3.25 billion yen, the largest among the 32 lines with a daily “transport density” of less than 2,000 people as published by JR West. At the inaugural meeting, it was confirmed that efforts would be made to promote the use of the route by utilizing social media for information dissemination, while the mayor in attendance also spoke out about the importance of the route.
Hamada City Mayor Miura: I would like to work together to consider the possibilities of how it can be used in various ways, such as disaster prevention and logistics in the event of a disaster. The council will hold regular meetings among its members to consider concrete measures to promote the use of the route.
