This list was first compiled in early 2002
and has been continously updated since then. Companies where freight service
ended in 2002 or later are marked in red
| Company Name | year of
opening |
line(s) with freight service | km | remarks | train
pairs per day |
carried goods | carried
tons (2000) |
| Kyushu | |||||||
| Heisei Chihoku Tetsudo | (1893) | Nogata - Kanada* | 10 | a,q | 2 | Ce | 474,000 |
| Western Honshu | |||||||
| Mizushima Rinkai Tetsudo | 1943 | Kurashiki - Higashi Mizushima | 15 | 4 | Ch,Co | 462,000 | |
| Tokai | |||||||
| Seino Tetsudo | 1928 | Mino Akasaka - Saruiwa | 2 | b | 3 | Li | 529,000 |
| Tarumi Tetsudo | (1956) | Ogaki - Motosu* | 16 | a,s | 1 | Ce | 386,000 |
| Sangi Tetsudo | 1931 | Tomita - Higashi Fujiwara* | 23 | c | 9 | Ce,Fa,Po | 2,059,000 |
| Nagoya Rinkai Tetsudo | 1965 | Kasadera - Nagoya Minami Kamotsu
+ 3 branch lines |
17 | d | 9 | Ch,Co,Li | 888,000 |
| Kinuura Rinkai Tetsudo | 1975 | Obu - Handa / Hekinan | 10 | d,e | 3 | Co,Li,Po | 288,000 |
| Kamioka Tetsudo | (1966) | Inotani - Kamioka Kazan Mae* | 17 | a,f,r | 1 | Ch,Co | 66,000 |
| Gakunan Tetsudo | 1936 | Yoshiwara - Hina* | 6 | c | 4 | Ch,Co,Pa | 146,000 |
| Kanto | |||||||
| Shinano Tetsudo | (1888) | Shinonoi - Nishi Ueda* | 21 | g | 6 | Pe | g |
| Kanagawa Rinkai Tetsudo | 1969
1964 |
Negishi - Honmokufuto
Kawasaki-Chishimacho/Ukishimacho |
6
8 |
d | 4
17 |
Co Ch,Co,Pe,Ov |
2,038,000 |
| Chichibu Tetsudo | 1901 | Kumagaya - Chichibu* | 38 | c,h | ca. 20 | Ce,Li,Cl | 3,052,000 |
| Tobu Tetsudo | 1899 | Kuki - Kita Tatebayashi Niatsukaijo* | 30 | c,p | 1-2 | Pe | 304,000 |
| Keiyo Rinkai Tetsudo | 1963 | Soga - Keiyo Kubota | 19 | d | 14 | Ch,Co,Pe | 2,048,000 |
| Kashima Tetsudo | 1924 | Ishioka - Kariyado Mae | 21 | t | 1 | Pe | 29,000 |
| Kashima Rinkai Tetsudo | 1970 | Kashima Stadium - Kamisu* | 10 | 3 | Co,Ch | 248,000 | |
| Tohoku | |||||||
| Niigata Rinkai Tetsudo | 1970 | Kuroyama - Niigata Port | 5 | d,o | 2 | Ch | 162,000 |
| Fukushima Rinkai Tetsudo | 1907 | Izumi - Onahama | 6 | d | 4 | Ch,Co,Or | 329,000 |
| Sendai Rinkai Tetsudo | 1971 | Rikuzen Sanno - Sendai Port
+ 3 branch lines |
10 | d | 9 | Ch,Co,Pe,Ra | 998,000 |
| Iwate Kaihatsu Tetsudo | 1950 | Iwate Ishibashi - Sakari - Akasaki | 12 | l,n | 13 | Li | 3,166,000 |
| Akita Rinkai Tetsudo | 1971 | Akita Port - North Port / South Port | 8 | d | 6 | Ch,Co | 486,000 |
| Kosaka Tetsudo | 1908 | Odate - Kosaka | 22 | k | 2 | Co,Su | 242,000 |
| Hachinohe Rinkai Tetsudo | 1966 | Hachinohe Kamotsu - Kita Numi | 8 | d | 4 | Co,Pa | 246,000 |
| Hokkaido | |||||||
| Taiheiyo Sekitan Hanbai Yuso | 1925 | Harutori - Shireto | 5 | l,m | 6 | Cl | 1,430,000 |
* rest of the line/network has passenger service only
a "Third sector company" (former JNR line, privatized in
the 1980ies)
b passenger service abandoned in 1945
c electric locomotives in use for freight trains
d no passenger service
e trains operate partly over the JR Taketoyo line (km = own lines)
f freight trains operated with JR locomotives / own staff
g freight service operated by JR Freight
h mostly local freight transport
k passenger service abandoned in 1994
l only local freight transport (no exchange of cars with JR Freight)
m formerly "Kushiro Rinkai Tetsudo" (11.5 km), passenger service
abandoned in 1963, most sections of the line (including the connection
to JR in Higashi Kushiro) given up in 1986
n exchange of freight cars with JR Freight given up in 1983,
passenger service abandoned in 1992
o closed on 30th Sep 2002
p freight service ended in 2003
q freight service ended on 31st Mar
2004
r
freight service ended in autumn 2004 due to closure of the Kamioka smelter, line
scheduled for closure on 1st Dec 2006
s
freight service ended on 28th Mar 2006
t scheduled to close on 1st Apr 2007
Goods carried
Ce Cement
Ch Chemicals
Cl Coal
Co Container
Fa Flyash
Li Limestone
Or Ore
Pe Petroleum
Pa Paper
Po Potash
Ra Rail
Su Sulfuric Acid
Ov Oversize goods
The following is a list of companies which are still in operation in 2002 as passenger-only railways,but have given up freight transport. It can be seen that most companies gave up freight transport in the 1980ies and especially in 1984, because the Japan National Railways (JNR) gave up their marshalling yard system in 1984, which virtually ended single carload traffic. "Third sector companies", which took over JNR lines in the second half of the 1980ies, are not included in this list. With the exception of "third sector companies" which still transport freight in 2002 (see the above list), they never operated freight trains, because freight service on their lines already ended before 1984, when they were still operated by JNR.
freight service name of company
region
tons of freight in
ended in
1980 1990
1969
Kominato Tetsudo
Kanto
--- ---
1972
Mizumi Tetsudo
Kansai
--- ---
1973
Matsumoto Denki Tetsudo
Tokai
--- ---
1974
Isumi Tetsudo
Kanto
--- ---
1975
Hitachi Dentetsu
Kanto
--- ---
1976
Enshu Tetsudo
Tokai
--- ---
Hokuriku Tetsudo
Hokuriku ---
---
1977
Soubu Nagareyama Dentetsu
Kanto
--- ---
1978
Fuji Kyuko
Tokai
--- ---
1980
Izu Kyuko
Kanto
2,000 ---
1980-1989 Kounan Tetsudo
Tohoku
79,000 ---
Oigawa Tetsudo
Tokai
43,000 ---
Fukui Tetsudo
Hokuriku 44,000
---
Kinki Nippon Tetsudo
Kansai
117,000 ---
Nankai Denki Tetsudo
Kansai
60,000 ---
Shimabara Tetsudo
Kyushu
60,000 ---
1981
Fukushima Koutsuu
Tohoku
4,000 ---
1983
Toyama Chihou Tetsudo
Hokuriku 20,000
---
1984
Tsugaru Tetsudo
Tohoku
44,000 ---
Ueda Koutsu
Kanto
? ---
Ibaraki Koutsu
Kanto
8,000 ---
Choushi Denki Tetsudo
Kanto
22,000 ---
Odakyu Dentetsu
Kanto
24,000 ---
Nagoya Tetsudo
Tokai
184,000 ---
Toyohashi Tetsudo
Tokai
149,000 ---
Arida Tetsudo
Kansai
6,000 ---
Kishuu Tetsudo
Kansai
13,000 ---
1986
Joumou Denki Tetsudo
Kanto
11,000 ---
Towada Kankou Tetsudo
Tohoku
62,000 ---
1987
Kurihara Denen Tetsudo
Tohoku
93,000 ---
1988
Oomi Tetsudo
Kansai
782,000 ---
1994
Joushin Tetsudo
Kanto
222,000 169,000
1996
Seibu Tetsudo
Kanto
785,000 585,000
1998
Sagami Tetsudo (Sotetsu)
Kanto
31,000 ?
1998/99 Kushiro
Kaihatsu Tetsudo
Hokkaido ?
?
Sources:
- "Nihon no shitetsu" ("Private railways in Japan"), Neko Publishing
2002
- JRF "Kamotsu Jikokuhyou" (Freight timetable) 1998, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006
- various articles on the
Japanese
Railway Society website
- own observations
- information from railway staff
- Thanks to Jack Lozier for some additions !