is a Japanese third-sector railway company established in 2019 that operates passenger railway services on the section of the former

JR West , also referred to as , is one of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies and operates in western Honshu. It has its headquarters in Kita-ku, Osaka. It is listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange, is a constituent of the TOPIX Large70 index, and ...

Hokuriku Main Line The Hokuriku Main Line ( ja, 北陸本線, ) is a 176.6 kilometer railway line owned by the West Japan Railway Company (JR West) connecting the Maibara Station in Maibara, Shiga, with the Naoetsu Station in Joetsu, Niigata. The section betwee ...

that lay within

Fukui Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Fukui Prefecture has a population of 778,943 (1 June 2017) and has a geographic area of 4,190 km2 (1,617 sq mi). Fukui Prefecture borders Ishikawa Prefecture to the north, Gi ...

. This section of the Hokuriku Main Line was separated from the JR West network on 16 March 2024, coinciding with the opening of the

Hokuriku Shinkansen The is a high-speed Shinkansen railway line jointly operated by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) and West Japan Railway Company (JR West), connecting Tokyo with in the Hokuriku region of Japan. The first section, between and in Nagano Pr ...

extension from to , and Hapi-Line Fukui trains began operation on that day.

History

In preparation for the opening of the

extension between and stations, the company was founded on 13 August 2019 to inherit the parallel section between Tsuruga and stations on the

. Its headquarters are located in the city of

Fukui is a Japanese name meaning "fortunate" or sometimes "one who is from the Fukui prefecture". It may refer to: Places * Fukui Domain, a part of the Japanese han system during the Edo period * Fukui Prefecture, a prefecture of Japan located in ...

. Shares in the company are owned by Fukui Prefecture, the cities of Fukui and

Tsuruga is a city located in Fukui Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 66,123 in 28,604 households and the population density of 260 persons per km2. The total area of the city was . Geography Tsuruga is located in central ...

, the

Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

, and private-sector businesses.

Hapi-Line Fukui Line

On 16 March 2024, Hapi-Line Fukui took over control of local passenger operations on the section JR West

between and , with 20 stations (although Tsuruga Station remains under the control of JR West, Daishoji was transferred to

IR Ishikawa Railway The is a Japanese third-sector railway company established in 2012 to operate passenger railway services on the section of the JR West Hokuriku Main Line within Ishikawa Prefecture. The main line was separated from the JR West network on 14 Ma ...

). In addition, a new service type called "Rapid" was introduced on that same day, which operates during peak hours between and

and stops at major stations along the route. Some Hapi-Line Fukui trains provide through-service to the

IR Ishikawa Railway Line The is a Japanese third-sector railway company established in 2012 to operate passenger railway services on the section of the JR West Hokuriku Main Line within Ishikawa Prefecture. The main line was separated from the JR West network on 14 Ma ...

, which continue on to

Kanazawa Station is a major railway station in Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan, operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West), the private railway operator Hokuriku Railroad, and the third-sector operator IR Ishikawa Railway. Beneath a square in front of the JR ...

Stations

Aside from the northern terminus, all stations are located in Fukui Prefecture.

Rolling stock

The company inherited 15

521 series The is a dual-voltage AC/DC outer-suburban electric multiple unit (EMU) train type operated by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) and third-sector railway operators IR Ishikawa Railway and Ainokaze Toyama Railway on local services in the Fuk ...

EMU trainsets.

References

External links