Hakodate Transportation Bureau

The nihongo|Hakodate Transportation Bureau|函館市交通局|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.

nihongo|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 is consisted 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-maeTramcars 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..

ee also

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

External links

* [http://www.city.hakodate.hokkaido.jp/transport/ Official website]