Learn about the local train line abolition crisis
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| INTRODUCTION |
| Hello, and welcome to the Culture Class: News and Current Events in Japan, Season 1 - Lesson 12, The Local Train Line Abolition Crisis. |
| As Japan faces depopulation, another crisis is emerging; train companies are closing lines. |
| In this lesson, we'll learn about this news story. |
Lesson focus |
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| Along with the breakup and privatization of the National Railways in 1986, many of the routes with deficits across the country became abolished lines. |
| 30 years later, local lines in various parts of Japan are now facing another abolition crisis. |
| For instance, in areas where depopulation is occurring, it is becoming difficult to run local lines due to damage caused by natural disasters and aging and the cost of restoration. |
| For example, JR West officially announced the abolition of the entire "JR Sankō Line," which stretches 108 kilometers across the Shimane and Hiroshima prefectures. |
| This is due to the company’s inability to prevent the decrease of passengers. |
| JR Hokkaido is experiencing similar difficulties, with three quarters of all the routes facing managerial issues due to a steady decrease in passengers. |
| Railway costs include not only the vehicles themselves, but also the running costs, such as rails and station buildings. |
| Now that the situation is getting worse, JR is being pushed to the limit. |
| As JR is also a company, it is extremely difficult to maintain an unprofitable route. |
| JR is seeking a reasonable solution for local governments to maintain the route, but as depopulation increases, the financial difficulties of local governments have become more difficult to handle as well. |
| On the other hand, railroads are a matter of life and death for local governments. |
| For those who do not have a car, it goes without saying that railroads are an indispensable means of transportation. |
| If abolished, municipalities will be further depopulated. |
| Of course, tourists will also find it harder to travel. |
| How will we maintain railways that are relevant to the local economy and people's livelihoods? |
| It’s time for JR and municipalities to unite and use their collective knowledge to find a solution. |
Outro |
| Those are the key facts about the local train line abolition crisis. |
| If you want to find the related Japanese keywords, make sure to check out the lesson notes. |
| Okay, that’s all for this lesson. Thank you for listening everyone, and keep listening for more of the most talked about news stories in Japan! |
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