Kyushu Railway Company

The Kyushu Railway Company[2], also referred to as JR Kyushu (JR九州, Jeiāru Kyūshū), is one of the seven constituent companies of Japan Railways Group (JR Group). It operates intercity rail services within Kyushu, Japan and the JR Kyushu Jet Ferry Beetle hydrofoil service across the Tsushima Strait between Fukuoka and Busan, South Korea. It also operates hotels, restaurants, and drugstores across its service region.[3][4] JR Kyushu's headquarters are in Hakata-ku, Fukuoka.[5]

Kyushu Railway Company
Native name
九州旅客鉄道株式会社
Kyūshū Ryokaku Tetsudō Kabushiki gaisha
lit. "Kyushu Passenger Railway Share Company"
Company typePublic KK
IndustryRail transport
PredecessorJapanese National Railways (JNR)
FoundedApril 1, 1987; 37 years ago (1987-04-01)
(privatization of JNR)
Headquarters,
Japan
ProductsSUGOCA (a rechargeable contactless smart card)
Servicespassenger railways
freight services
bus transportation
Real estate development
other related services
OwnerJRTT (1987–2016)
Public float (2016–present)[a]
Number of employees
9,060 (as of 1 April 2016)
Websitejrkyushu.co.jp/english/index.html
  Kyushu Railway Company
Kyushu Shinkansen 800 series Tsubame
Operation
National railwayJapan Railways Group
Infrastructure companyJapan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency
Statistics
Ridership331 million[1]
Passenger km9.191 billion per year[1]
System length
Total2,273.0 km (1,412.4 mi) [1]
Double track772.8 km (480.2 mi) (34%) [1]
Electrified1,341.1 km (833.3 mi) (59%) [1]
High-speed288.9 km (179.5 mi) (12.7%) [1]
Track gauge
Main1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
High-speed1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in)
Electrification
Main1,500 V DC overhead catenary 1,341.1 km (833.3 mi)
25 kV AC 60 Hz overhead 288.9 km (179.5 mi)
Kyushu Shinkansen
Features
No. stations567[1]
Map
Time table

History

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When Japanese National Railways was divided in 1987, Kyushu Railway Company inherited its assets and operations on the island of Kyushu along with losses of around 28.8 billion yen, exacerbated by a growing highway network in Kyushu and many lightly used rural lines. After privatization, JR Kyushu diversified its business into new ventures such as fish and mushroom farming and car sales. Two of its more successful side ventures were the Beetle ferry, started in 1991, and the Train d'or bakery chain, started in 1992. JR Kyushu also built up its premium rail services through the development of the Kyushu Shinkansen high-speed rail line and the Seven Stars in Kyushu luxury excursion train.[6]

The company introduced SUGOCA, a smart card ticketing system, from 1 March 2009.

JR Kyushu executed its initial public offering in October 2016.[3] Non-railway operations account for roughly 60% of the company's sales and most of its profits.[6]

Lines

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Shinkansen line

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Main lines

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885 series White Sonic limited express EMU

Other lines

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Limited express and tourist train services

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The Seven Stars in Kyushu Class DF200 locomotive DF200-7000, September 2013

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Largest shareholders:
    Morgan Stanley investment accounts(5.55%)
    TMTBJ investment trusts (4.80%)
    J.P. Morgan investment accounts (3.39%)
    SSBTC TREATY 505234 (2.84%)

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Fact Sheets 2017" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 July 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  2. ^ 九州旅客鉄道株式会社, Kyūshū Ryokaku Tetsudō Kabushiki-gaisha
  3. ^ a b Cooper, Chris; Matsuda, Kiyotaka (16 October 2016). "JR Kyushu Prices IPO at Top End of Range to Raise $4 Billion". bloomberg.com. Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  4. ^ "Company Overview of JR Kyushu Drug Eleven Co., Ltd". bloomberg.com. Bloomberg. 13 March 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  5. ^ "Corporate Summary Archived 2009-12-09 at the Wayback Machine." Kyushu Railway Company. Retrieved on March 27, 2010.
  6. ^ a b Kurimoto, Suguru (26 March 2015). "Japan rail company diversifies its way around disadvantages". Nikkei Asian Review. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
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