Hokushin Line
The Hokushin Line is a line of Kobe Municipal Subway connecting Tanigami in Kita-ku, Kobe and Shin-Kobe in Chūō-ku, Kobe. The line has only these two stations.
Formerly operated by the third-sector Hokushin Kyuko Electric Railway, in 2020 the company was absorbed into the Kobe Municipal Transportation Bureau, and the Hokushin Line became part of the subway network.
Operations
All trains on the line operate a through service to/from on the Seishin-Yamate Line.History
The Hokushin Line opened on 2 April 1988, including the Hokushin Tunnel.The line was built by Hokushin Kyuko Railway Co., Ltd., a private railway company in Kobe, Japan. It was headquartered in Kita-ku, Kobe. Investors in the company included Hankyu Railway and Kobe [Electric Railway], and it was a subsidiary of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings. On 4 March 2020, the Kobe Municipal Transportation Bureau announced that it would acquire Hokushin Kyuko Railway Co., Ltd. due to the heavy debt burden that had been incurred by Hokushin Kyuko;
the transaction was completed on 31 May, after which operation of the Hokushin Line was transferred to the transportation bureau.
Kobe Municipal Transportation Bureau commenced operating the line on June 1, 2020.