Shikoku Railway Company

The Shikoku Railway Company (四国旅客鉄道株式会社, Shikoku Ryokaku Tetsudō Kabushiki-gaisha), commonly known as JR Shikoku (JR四国, Jei-āru Shikoku), is the smallest of the seven constituent companies of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group). It operates 855.2 kilometres (531.4 mi) of intercity and local rail services in the four prefectures on the island of Shikoku in Japan. The company has its headquarters in Takamatsu, Kagawa.[2]

Shikoku Railway Company
Native name
四国旅客鉄道株式会社
Shikoku Ryokaku Tetsudō ("Shikoku Passenger Railway") kabushiki gaisha
Company typeState-owned KK
IndustryPrivate railway
PredecessorJapanese National Railways (JNR)
FoundedApril 1, 1987; 37 years ago (1987-04-01)
(privatization of JNR)
Headquarters,
Japan
Area served
Shikoku
Key people
Masafumi Izumi (CEO)[1]
ServicesPassenger rail
Freight services
Intercity bus
Revenue31.35 billion yen (2007)
Total assets357.137 billion yen (2007)
Total equity3.5 billion yen
OwnerJapan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency (100%)
Number of employees
2,942 (as of 1 April 2007)
SubsidiariesJR Shikoku Bus
Websitewww.jr-shikoku.co.jp

Lines

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JR Shikoku railway network

In 1988 JR Shikoku, unlike other JR companies, discontinued the classification of its rail lines as either main, secondary, or branch lines. Prior to the change, the Dosan, Kōtoku, Tokushima, and Yosan Lines had all been main lines.

Each line is color-coded and labeled with a letter, in conjunction with which a number is assigned to each station on the line. For example, Naruto Station on the Naruto Line (labeled N) is numbered N10. Although this method is now widely used by rail companies, especially metro systems in Japan, JR Shikoku was the first JR company to adopt it.

Line
color
Abbreviation Line Japanese Termini
Main Lines
  (none) Honshi Bisan Line[* 1] 本四備讃線 Kojima – Utazu
  Y Yosan Line Main Line 予讃線 Takamatsu – Matsuyama
U Matsuyama – Mukaibara
Branch Line (New Line) Mukaibara – Uchiko
Uchiko Line 内子線 Uchiko – Niiya
Yosan Line Branch Line (New Line) 予讃線 Niiya – Iyo-Ōzu
Main Line Iyo-Ōzu – Uwajima
  S Main Line (Old Line) Mukaibara – Iyo-Ōzu
  T Kōtoku Line 高徳線 Takamatsu – Tokushima
  D Dosan Line 土讃線 Tadotsu – Kōchi
K Kōchi – Kubokawa
  B Tokushima Line 徳島線 Tsukuda – Sako
Other Lines
  M Mugi Line 牟岐線 Tokushima – Kaifu
  N Naruto Line 鳴門線 Ikenotani – Naruto
  G Yodo Line 予土線 Wakai – Kita-Uwajima
  1. ^ Part of the Seto-Ōhashi Line connecting Okayama to Shikoku via the Great Seto Bridge.

Train services

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JR Shikoku provides intercity transportation with its limited express services, connecting major cities on the island of Shikoku with Okayama on Honshū. The company also operates local trains.

Major named trains of JR Shikoku
Type Name Endpoints and major intermediate stations
(Stations not owned by JR Shikoku in parentheses)
Train type
Limited
Express
Ashizuri Kōchi – (Nakamura) – (Sukumo) 2000 series DMU, 2700 series DMU
Ishizuchi TakamatsuMatsuyama 8000 series EMU, 8600 series EMU
Muroto TokushimaAnanKaifu KiHa 185 series DMU
Nanpū (Okayama) – Awa-Ikeda – Kōchi 2700 series DMU
Uwakai Matsuyama – Uwajima 2000 series DMU
Uzushio (Okayama) – Takamatsu – Tokushima KiHa 185 series DMU, 2600 series DMU, 2700 series DMU
Shimanto Takamatsu – Awa-Ikeda – Kōchi 2700 series DMU
Shiokaze (Okayama) – Matsuyama 8000 series EMU, 8600 series EMU
Tsurugisan Tokushima – Anabuki – Awa-Ikeda KiHa 185 series DMU
Sunrise Seto (Tokyo) – (Okayama) – Takamatsu 285 series EMU sleeper (operated by JR West and JR Central)
Rapid Marine Liner (Okayama) – Takamatsu 5000 series EMU (operated by JR Shikoku)
223-5000 series EMU (operated by JR West)

References

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  1. ^ "会社案内:JR四国". Jr-shikoku.co.jp. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
  2. ^ "Company Information Archived 2010-03-24 at the Wayback Machine." Shikoku Railway Company. Retrieved on March 27, 2010.
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