Another one bites the dust...

[Nick_Burman]

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/sapporo-news/20191112/7000015257.html

 

JR Hokkaido has announced that the suspended section of the Hidaka Line, damaged by floods, will be permanently closed. Between the forces of nature and its own financial and organizational woes JR Hokkaido seems to be unravelling at an alarming speed. Better ride those rural lines ASAP...

 

 

Cheers NB

Edited November 12, 2019 by railsquid
(remove URL tracking ID)

[katoftw]

I thought that section was closed for good. Unless this is an official announcement has been made?

[Yavianice]

The article, at the end, also says that these following lines will be abolished soon:

• The rest of the Rumoi line (between Fukugawa and Rumoi) (may be replaced by BRT)
• Gakuentoshi line past the hokkaido medical university
• Furano - Shintoku Nemuro line (part of which has been closed since the 2016 typhoon. This part also featured in a recent train cruise episode)

Hope i'll be able to visit Hokkaido before JR Hokkaido will cease to exist and everything will be either abolished, third party operation, and the Shinkansen line from Hakodate to Sapporo (over dramatization but, I can see that happening one day).