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Specified local lines

Selection of Japanese railway lines to be decommissioned

Wikipedia contributorsAdapted for Fathomly · View authors
3 min read
Source updated June 1, 2026

The specified local lines (特定地方交通線, Tokutei chihō kōtsū-sen) were the railway lines specified by Japanese National Railways (JNR) under the 1980 JNR Reconstruction Act (国鉄改革法, Kokutetsu kaikaku hō) to be closed. All of 83 lines were closed and substituted by buses or transferred to other railway operators between 1983 and 1990.

01Background

In 1972, when Kakuei Tanaka became the prime minister, all efforts to close the remaining lines of the 83 Deficit Lines movement were cancelled. However by the 1980s those remaining lines were relisted in the Specified local lines movement. Additionally, the effects of the 1973 oil crisis compounded the debt situation of the JNR in the form of rising fuel costs. The 1970s and 1980s also saw a rise in private automobiles and commercial aviation, leading to railroads across the country having a lower share across major modes of transport.

02Selection

Article 8 of the JNR Reconstruction Act (officially the Act on Special Measures concerning Reconstruction Promotion of Management of Japanese National Railways, Act No. 111 of 1980) directed JNR to specify unprofitable lines ("specified local lines") that should be replaced by bus operations based on certain criteria set by a Cabinet Order.

However, even if Units of transportation measurement were below 4000 per day, these 51 sections which met the following requirements were exempt from being decommissioned.

  1. The amount of passengers at peak time is over 1000 per hour in one direction.
  2. There is a lack of replacement roads.
  3. Replacement roads cannot be used during the winter over 10 days due to snow.
  4. The average length of usage is over 30km, and the units of transportation measurement is over 1000 per day.
  5. If the line is being used for cargo transportation, the line was exempt if the line transported if units of transportation measurement for cargo exceeded 4000t of cargo transported per day.

JNR selected 83 lines in three phases.

03List of lines

Operators in parentheses succeeded the railway operation of the lines. Lines not followed by parentheses were substituted by buses.

First phase

Second phase

Third phase

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Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Specified local lines”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

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Deficit 83 Lines

Deficit 83 Lines is a list of railway lines owned by Japanese National Railways (JNR) proposed for abolishment or transferring to third sector companies as it has fulfilled its goals in 1968.