JR Hokkaido's Yubari Line: A Beloved Local Line Comes to an End
Japan Railway Journal · Season 2019 · Episode 5
On April 1, 2019, the Yubari branch of JR Hokkaido's Sekisho Line is sadly coming to an end. Back in the days, Yubari was a prosperous mining town and the line was a major route for transporting coal. But from the 1970's the mines began to close and the city started to decline. In recent years, the line only operated 5 round trips per day. With news of the line's closing, many railfans came to ride the line and the locals showed their appreciation by gifting handcrafted souvenirs. See the last moments of this beloved line and the challenges local lines are facing in Japan.
Episode Details
Air date, runtime, timezone, and episode position.
Season
2019
Episode
5
Air Date
12/Apr/2019
Air Time
07:30
Runtime
30 min
Overview
Episode summary.
On April 1, 2019, the Yubari branch of JR Hokkaido's Sekisho Line is sadly coming to an end. Back in the days, Yubari was a prosperous mining town and the line was a major route for transporting coal. But from the 1970's the mines began to close and the city started to decline. In recent years, the line only operated 5 round trips per day. With news of the line's closing, many railfans came to ride the line and the locals showed their appreciation by gifting handcrafted souvenirs. See the last moments of this beloved line and the challenges local lines are facing in Japan.
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