The were the railway lines specified by Japanese National Railways (JNR) under the 1980 to be closed. All of 83 lines were closed and substituted by buses or transferred to other railway operators between 1983 and 1990.

Selection

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. JNR selected 83 lines in three phases.

List of lines

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

First phase

Shiranuka Line is a town located in Kushiro Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. As of September, 2013, it has an estimated population of 8,910, and an area of 773.74 km². The population has fallen significantly in recent years. Etymology It is believed ...

* Kuji Line ( Sanriku Railway) * Miyako Line ( Sanriku Railway) * Sakari Line ( Sanriku Railway) * Nitchū Line * Akatani Line *

Uonuma Line is a city located in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 35,027 in 13,289 households, and a population density of 37 persons per km2. Its total area is . The city is famous for its '' koshihikari'' rice, which co ...

* Shimizukō Line * Kamioka Line ( Kamioka Railway) * Tarumi Line (Tarumi Railway) * Kuroishi Line ( Kōnan Railway) * Takasago Line * Miyanoharu Line * Tsuma Line * Komatsushima Line *

Aioi Line Aioi (相生) is a Japanese surname that has also been used as a place name. Places Aioi may refer to the following places in Japan: * Aioi, Tokushima (相生町 Aioi-chō), the former name of a town located in Naka District, Tokushima * Aioi, Hy ...

* Shokotsu Line *

Manji Line Manji may refer to: * Sikh Manji, a religious administrative unit in Sikhism * The Japanese name of the 卍 character (from Chinese: ''wàn zì'') * Manji (era), a Japanese era name * A type of sai (weapon), a traditional Okinawan weapon * The al ...

* Hōjō Line (Hōjō Railway) * Miki Railway Miki Line (Miki Railway) *

Kurayoshi Line is a city located in the central part of Tottori Prefecture, Japan. As of October 1, 2016, the city has an estimated population of 48,558 and a population density of 180 persons per km², making it the third largest city in Tottori. The total ar ...

Katsuki Line Katsuki (written: 香月 or 勝生) is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: *, Japanese general *, Japanese voice actress *, Japanese baseball player *, Japanese baseball player Fictional characters: *, a character in the m ...

Katsuta Line is a district located in Okayama Prefecture, Japan. As of May 1, 2004, the population was 17,888. The area is 123.63 km2. Towns and villages * Nagi * Shōō History Prior to February 28, Katsuta District consisted of: *Katsuta * Nagi * S ...

Soeda Line Soeda ( ja, 添田) may refer to: People * Go Soeda (born 1984), Japanese tennis player * Takashi Soedaborn 1993), Japanese football player Places * Soeda, Fukuoka is a town located in Tagawa District, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of 2016, t ...

Muroki Line Muroki Mbote Wa Githinji (born 2000/2001), known mononymously as Muroki, is a Kenyan-New Zealand reggae musician. A member of the bands Cloak Bay and Masaya, Muroki debuted as a solo musician in 2019. In 2021, Muroki's song "Wavy" became a hit ...

Yabe Line was a village located in Yame District, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. Yabe is located at 330m above sea level. The average temperature is 14 °C and the average annual precipitation is 2,706mm. As of 2006, the village had an estimated popula ...

Iwanai Line is a town located in Shiribeshi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. As of September 2016, the town has an estimated population of 13,210. The total area is 70.64 km2. History Iwanai is one of the oldest towns in the region. Unlike many Hokkaid ...

* Kōhin North Line * Ōhata Line ( Shimokita Kōtsū) * Kōhin South Line * Bikō Line * Yashima Line (Yuri Kōgen Railway) * Akechi Line (Akechi Railway) * Amagi Line (Amagi Railway) * Takamori Line (Minamiaso Railway) * Kakunodate Line (Akita Nairiku Jūkan Railway) * Shigaraki Line (Shigaraki Kohgen Railway) * Wakasa Line (Wakasa Railway) * Kihara Line (Isumi Railway)

Second phase

* Urushio Line *

Iburi Line is a subprefecture of Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. Geography Located in south-central Hokkaido, Iburi stretches East-West and North-South. Iburi covers an area of . Iburi borders Oshima Subprefecture to the West, Shiribeshi, Ishikari, an ...

* Tomiuchi Line * Aniai Line (Akita Nairiku Jūkan Railway) * Etsumi South Line (Nagaragawa Railway) * Miyanojō Line *

Hiroo Line The was a railway line in Hokkaido, Japan operated by the Japanese National Railways The abbreviated JNR or , was the business entity that operated Japan's national railway network from 1949 to 1987. Network Railways As of June 1, 1949, t ...

* Ōsumi Line * Futamata Line (Tenryū Hamanako Railroad) * Setana Line * Yūmō Line * Shihoro Line * Ise Line (Ise Railway) *

Saga Line is a series of science fantasy role-playing video games by Square Enix. The series originated on the Game Boy in 1989 as the creation of Akitoshi Kawazu at Square. It has since continued across multiple platforms, from the Super NES to the Play ...

* Shibushi Line * Haboro Line * Horonai Line *

Matsumae Line Matsumae may refer to: * Matsumae (surname), a Japanese surname * Matsumae clan, a former Japanese clan * Matsumae Castle, a castle located in Matsumae in Hokkaidō, Japan * Matsumae, Hokkaidō, a town located in Matsumae District, Oshima, Hokkaid� ...

Utashinai Line is a city located in Sorachi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is Japan's smallest city by population. History It was formerly a prosperous coal mining city, but has declined greatly since the closing of the coal mines. The population hit a ...

* Shibetsu Line *

Tempoku Line The Tempoku Line (天北線 Tempoku-sen) was a railway line most recently operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido) in Hokkaidō, Japan. The 148.9 kilometres line connected from Otoineppu to Minami-Wakkanai via Nakatonbetsu, Hamaton ...

Nayoro Main Line The Nayoro Main Line was a rail line which was operated by Japanese National Railways and later under JR Hokkaido, which extended from Nayoro to Engaru, where it connected with the Sekihoku Main Line. It had a branch line known as the Yubetsu L ...

* Chihoku Line (Hokkaidō Chihoku Kōgen Railway) *

Aizu Line The is a long railway line from Nishi-Wakamatsu Station in Aizuwakamatsu to Aizukōgen-Ozeguchi Station in Minamiaizu, Fukushima, Japan. It is owned and operated by Aizu Railway. Services The train operation is controlled from Aizu-Tajima Stat ...

(

Aizu Railway , is a third-sector Japanese railway company whose major shareholders include the Fukushima prefectural and Aizuwakamatsu city governments. It owns and operates its only line, the Aizu Railway Aizu Line. The names of the company and the line ...

) * Mooka Line (Mooka Railway) * Ashio Line (Watarase Keikoku Railway) * Gannichi Line (Nishikigawa Railway) * Matsuura Line (Matsuura Railway) * Kamiyamada Line * Takachiho Line (Takachiho Railway)

Third phase

* Nagai Line (Yamagata Railway) * Okata Line (Aichi Loop Railway) *

Noto Line The was a Japanese railway line of Noto Railway in Ishikawa Prefecture, between Anamizu Station in Anamizu, Hōsu District and Takojima Station in Suzu. This railway line closed on April 1, 2005. Line data * Length: 61 km * Rail gauge ...

(

Noto Railway is a Japanese railway company on the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture. It runs the Nanao Line with eight stops between Nanao and Anamizu, a distance of . There are 34 trains plus sightseeing trains on the line. It previously operated the N ...

) * Miyazu Line (

Kitakinki Tango Railway was a rail transport, railway operator in Japan. The company's name, which consists of "Kitakinki" meaning northern Kansai region, Kinki region and "Tango" meaning Tango Province, is occasionally abbreviated as KTR. KTR was a so-called "third se ...

) *

Kajiya Line The was a railway line of West Japan Railway Company between Nishiwaki and Taka District all within Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. The line closed on April 1, 1990. Stations :Notes :1: Nomura Station was renamed Nishiwakishi Station upon closure of ...

Taisha Line The is a 8.3 km railway line owned by the Ichibata Electric Railway. The line connects Kawato Station with Izumo Taisha-mae Station, all within Izumo, Shimane, Izumo, Shimane Prefecture, Japan. With the closure of JR West, JR West's Taish ...

Nakamura Line The is a 43.0 km Japanese railway line operated by the third-sector railway operator Tosa Kuroshio Railway. It connects Kubokawa Station in the town of Shimanto with Nakamura Station in the city of Shimanto in Kōchi Prefecture. Stations ...

( Tosa Kuroshio Railway) * Ita Line (

Heisei Chikuhō Railway The is a third-sector operator of four railway lines in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The railway's nickname is ''Heichiku.'' Principal investors Fukuoka Prefecture holds 27.5% of the stock in the railway. The cities of Tagawa, Nōgata, and Yu ...

) * Itoda Line (

) * Tagawa Line (

) * Yunomae Line (Kumagawa Railway) * Miyada Line

References