JR companies and local governments to continue talks on loss-making railway lines

Japan Railways Group companies are set to continue talks with local communities in 2026 on the fate of loss-making rural lines.

While the number of users of the unprofitable local lines is unlikely to recover amid population decline in rural Japan, people living near the lines want the railroad services to be maintained.

Of the six passenger service firms of the JR Group, each of JR Hokkaido, JR East, JR West, and JR Kyushu have said that they are in negotiations with relevant local communities on a total of 21 railroad sections.