Hakodate Transportation Bureau

File:Hakodatetranstype9600.jpg

9600 series tramcar, known as Rakkuru-gō.

File:Hakodateshiden30kei.JPG

Hakodate Haikara-gō is a vintage tramcar introduced in 1910 and still operated for tourists.

The Hakodate Transportation Bureau (函館市企業局交通部, Hakodate-shi Kōtsūkyoku) is a public transportation authority of Hakodate, Japan. The bureau only operates tram lines. It once operated bus lines as well, but went out from the division later in 2003.

Kikan Horsecar Railway (亀函馬車鉄道, Kikan Basha Tetsudō), a private horsecar operator, opened Hakodate's first tram line in 1897. It became an electrified tram network later in 1913. After the operators changed for a few times, in 1943, Hakodate City Government took the lines under its control.

Hakodate City Tram

There once were 6 lines with 12 routes, spanning the total distance of 17.9 km. However, with a declining ridership, they closed the parts of the network in 1978, 1992, and 1993. The current network consists of 4 lines with 2 routes, the total distance 10.9 km. The tram lines accept Ikasu Card, a magnetic prepaid card.

• Lines: Officially, there are four lines.
  • Main Line (本線): Hakodate-Dokku-mae — Jūjigai — Hakodate-Ekimae
  • Yunokawa Line (湯の川線): Matsukazechō — Yunokawa
  • Hōrai-Yachigashira Line (宝来・谷地頭線): Jūjigai — Yachigashira
  • Ōmori Line (大森線): Hakodate-Ekimae — Matsukazechō
• Routes: There are two routes regularly in service by using the lines above.

■ Route 2 (2系統): Yunokawa — Matsukazechō — Hakodate-Ekimae — Jūjigai — Yachigashira

■ Route 5 (5系統): Yunokawa — Matsukazechō — Hakodate-Ekimae — Jūjigai — Hakodate-Dokku-mae

Tramcars come once per 10 minutes on each route, or once per 5 minutes in the section between Yunokawa and Jūjigai, where 2 routes run on the same lines. Cars come once per 20 minutes (10 minutes in the above section) after 7 p.m..

See also

• List of light-rail transit systems
• Sapporo City Transportation Bureau

External links

• (Japanese) Official website
• Network map