JR East Japan decided to start discussions with the local city of Kimitsu and others to consider the future of the Kururi Line in Chiba Prefecture, which continues to be in the red, and the first meeting was held on the 11th.
The JR Kururi Line, which runs on the Boso Peninsula in Chiba Prefecture, continues to be in the red due to a decrease in users, and in March this year, JR East Japan requested consultations with the local Kimitsu City and other organizations to consider the future of the line.
In response to this, JR East Japan, Kimitsu City, Chiba Prefecture, and others gathered on the 11th to hold their first meeting.
In this context, JR proposed to proceed with discussions on the 3.1-kilometer section of Kururi Station and Kamisa-Kameyama Station, which is one-third of the line, and it was approved.
In fiscal 9, the average number of passengers per day on this line was 6, a decrease of 2021% over the past 1 years, and the profitability was the worst among JR East Japan, and while the fare revenue was 55 million yen, the operating expenses cost 30 million yen.
In the consultation, we will listen to opinions from experts familiar with transportation policy and local residents, and compile a conclusion.
After the meeting, Atsushi Okawa, manager of the Corporate Strategy Unit of JR East's Chi Japan ba Branch, said, "We would like to discuss how to make transportation in the region sustainable from a comprehensive perspective."