Nanbu Jūkan Railway
The was a railbus line in eastern Aomori Prefecture, Japan. Services on the railway began 1962 and ceased in 1997 due to financial hardship. It connected Noheji Station in the town of Noheji to Shichinohe Station in the town of Shichinohe. Organization The Nanbu Jūkan Railway was operated by the Nanbu Jūkan Company, a privately owned company. The majority of the railway facilities and tracks were owned by the company. The only exception to this was the section of the Tōhoku Main Line between Noheji Station and Nishichibiki Station that was shared between the company and the Japanese National Railways (later East Japan Railway Company (JR East)). The Nanbu Jūkan Railway originally shared the tracks free of charge, but the successor to Japanese National Railways began asking for compensation after that company was re-organized into the various JR companies. Station list History The Nanbu Jūkan Railway was established in 1962 as a private railway by the Nanbu Jūkan Company in 1962 between Shichinohe and Nishichibiki. At first, its construction was subsidized by the municipal governments it would pass through, but it was ultimately funded by a steel company based in the city of Mutsu. The railway was extended to Noheji