Hokkaido Rail Maintenance Could Cost 200,000 Yen Per Person Annually

Under the system, JR would proceed working trains and managing rolling stock, whereas native governments would take accountability for sustaining rail infrastructure reminiscent of tracks and stations.

The key query is how a lot the association would value Hokkaido and municipalities alongside the affected routes. A widely known railway commentator and YouTuber often known as “Tetsubozu” has launched a daring estimate making an attempt to calculate the potential burden.

JR Hokkaido President Yasuyuki Watanuki stated on April fifteenth, “We are proposing discussions on a vertical separation model in which railway operations and railway assets are managed separately because we believe debate is necessary if these railways are to survive.”

In April, JR Hokkaido introduced its intention to start talks with municipalities alongside eight unprofitable rail sections, generally known as the “yellow line sections,” which the corporate says are troublesome to maintain independently.

At the middle of the proposal is the vertical separation mannequin, which successfully assumes native monetary help. However, municipalities themselves are already going through extreme monetary constraints.

The mayor of Abashiri stated, “It is extremely difficult for municipalities to handle this on their own.”

The mayor of Kitami additionally expressed warning, saying, “This issue should be organized and discussed as part of a broader debate over the future of Hokkaido’s railway network as a whole.”

Even coming into formal negotiations over the system seems difficult.

One railway-focused YouTuber criticized the idea, saying, “In the end, vertical separation is nothing more than shifting the losses elsewhere.”

Attention is now targeted on the dimensions of the monetary burden that would fall on Hokkaido and native municipalities, as additional evaluation explores the possibly huge prices of preserving the rail traces alive.

Source: HBCニュース　北海道放送