[Iwate Prefecture] Local trains and route buses between Morioka and Miyako are coexisting after 40 years of competition!

Public transportation connecting Morioka City, the capital of Iwate Prefecture, and Miyako City, the core city of Sanriku, is JR East's ``Yamada Line'' ``106 (Hyakuroku) Limited Express/Express,'' which runs on National Route 106. Bus” has been competing for 45 years.

There is now a movement between these two public transportation systems to cooperate and coexist with each other.

The experiment that allows you to ride a bus with a JR Yamada Line ticket will be carried out for one year from April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025, and nearly two months have passed since the start.

In this article, we will introduce the history and circumstances leading up to the demonstration experiment, details of the demonstration experiment, and future prospects.

JR Yamada Line - Local line "Higashi no Yokozuna" is a line in the red

When it first opened, it was named because it was a line that connected Morioka City, Miyako City, and Yamada Town, and its history began in 1920, when Takashi Hara, a native of Iwate Prefecture, decided to construct it when he became Prime Minister. .

By 1935, it was in operation, and in 1939, it opened from Yamada Town to Kamaishi City, serving as a railway line for transporting people and cargo, directly transporting iron and other resources from the Kamaishi Steel Works and Kamaishi Mines to the Tohoku Main Line. contributed to.

However, when the Kamaishi Line connecting Hanamaki City and Kamaishi City was opened after the Pacific War, it lost its position as the main route for freight transportation between Iwate Inland and Kamaishi City.

Recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake

Due to the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011, 21.7km of the 55.4km line between Miyako and Kamaishi along the coast was flooded by the tsunami, 10% of the entire track was washed away, and 4 stations and 6 railway bridges were destroyed. The embankments collapsed in 10 places.

At one point, the introduction of BRT was considered due to the difficulty of this reconstruction, but there was already a route bus connecting the two cities on National Route 45, which runs north and south along the Sanriku coast, and there were strong calls from the local community for the revival of the railway. We will move towards railway reconstruction.

Transferred damaged lines to Sanriku Railway

In 2014, JR East announced that it would pay 14 billion yen out of the 21 billion yen restoration cost to restore the tracks and station buildings, and then transfer management free of charge to Sanriku Railway and the four municipalities on the affected routes. Did.

As a result, the Yamada Line will become a local line connecting Morioka City and Miyako City, and the Sanriku Railway, which was previously divided into two lines north of Miyako City and south of Kamaishi City, will be connected as one line from Kuji City to Kamaishi City. That's what happened.

Current status of JR Yamada Line

There are few trains that run directly throughout the area, with only two round trips on weekdays (one round trip during off-season).

On Saturdays and holidays, the ``Rapid Rias'' is operated, but it still makes 4 round trips, and the ``Sanriku Train Miyako'' is operated, it is a quiet local line that makes 5 round trips a day.

In addition, regional trains for commuting to and from school are operated between Morioka Station and Kamimenai Station, between Kawauchi Station and Miyako Station, and between Shigeichi Station and Miyako Station.

Iwate Prefectural Kita Bus “106 Express Bus” ~A new means of transportation created by motorization~

As a route bus that runs on National Route 106 (Heiji Highway) connecting Morioka City and Miyako City, it began operating on November 1, 1978 under the nickname "106 Express Bus" " 106 Limited Express Bus" has appeared.

``faster than trains and more comfortable than private cars'' , inspired by the improvement of National Route 106 to make it easier to drive due to the development of society after the war.

The latest sightseeing buses are equipped with reclining seats, air-conditioning and heating, and are equipped with in-car TVs.Coupled with fares that are comparable to those of trains, the buses will steal passengers from the JR Yamada Line with their comfort and convenience.

There are also two express buses that run from Miyako to Yamada.

Railways vs. buses, the history of their competition

The ``106 express bus'' was not only comfortable, but also provided services such as connecting to the Blue Train and night trains departing from Morioka Station, and when there were many passengers, the number of vehicles was increased to guarantee boarding. .

In addition, similar services will continue to be offered even after the Tohoku Shinkansen and wrapped buses are tied up with restaurants, etc., and the number of users will increase due to their convenience.

On April 1, 2021, reconstruction support road section of the Miyako-Morioka Crossing Road opened, reducing the travel time by approximately 40 minutes, and the ``106 Express Bus'' journey between Morioka and Miyako takes approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes. It was shortened to .

This is slightly shorter than the approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes for the JR Yamada Line local train, and 1 hour and 40 minutes for the ``106 Limited Express Bus,'' making it an important means of public transportation that connects Morioka and Miyako in a shorter time.

As of May 2024, there are 7 limited express round trips and 5 express round trips every day (7 limited express round trips and 3 express round trips on Saturdays and holidays), and the number of buses overwhelmingly exceeds the Yamada Line, and the fate of the Yamada Line is uncertain. People say it's a light in front of the wind.

What is a demonstration experiment to explore the possibility of coexistence?

In this demonstration experiment, will be able to ride a bus with a valid JR ticket (commuter tickets and coupon tickets are also accepted, excluding discount tickets such as Seishun 18 Kippu) between Morioka and Miyako. is.

As each fare type remains the same, as of May 2024, JR fares are 1,980 yen, while bus fares are 2,000 to 2,200 yen, so if you buy a JR ticket, you can save up to 220 yen.

Also, since the JR Morioka-Miyako section is over 101km, it is possible to get off the bus, and this also applies to buses.If you show your ticket to the driver at the bus stop in the shared area, you can get off and get on the bus, but the Morioka-Miyako section It is not possible to get off or get on the bus at the bus stop between (Zakai).

Also, if you use a bus ticket to ride a JR train and board a bus mid-way, the bus route fare will be applied.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of railways and buses in demonstration experiments?

The flyers distributed at Morioka Station and other places include a timetable that includes both the Yamada Line and the 106 Limited Express/Express Bus, and the number of buses has been increased at no cost to either company.

Increasing the number of flights would improve convenience for passengers, which would be a great benefit in attracting more passengers who travel by private car, but this demonstration experiment only targets JR tickets.

As a result, there is a view that Iwate Prefecture Kita Bus may actually experience a decline in revenue.

However, in recent years, the number of bus passengers has been decreasing due to the completion of roads that have shortened bus travel times, and Iwate Prefectural Kita Bus is no exception to the driver shortage caused by the 2024 problem.

There is no denying the possibility that the number of flights will be reduced in the future due to a shortage of drivers, and some believe that if the Yamada Line, which has increased profits, increases its flights, they will be able to compensate for each other.

Information

• JR East official website
• JR East News (About implementation of demonstration experiment aimed at improving convenience on Yamada Line)
• Iwate Prefecture Kita Bus official website
• About getting on and off the 106 limited express/express bus with a JR Yamada Line ticket (Iwate Prefectural Kita Bus official website)

summary

A coexistence demonstration experiment of trains and buses running on almost the same route, which is rare even in the country, has begun.

The JR Yamada Line, which is known as the ``Yokozuna of the East'' among railway fans who love local lines, is facing a severe loss of passengers and is facing a crisis of survival. This may pave the way for coexistence with buses.

JR's loss-making lines are being abolished one after another across Japan, and there is a saying that ``regions that lose their railways decline.''

Iwate Prefecture, which has abolished many local lines in the past, still has many lines in the red, including the Yamada Line, and if this statement is true, abolishing them could further reduce the prefecture's population.

I sincerely hope that this demonstration experiment will yield positive results in order to protect the Yamada Line.

In the next article, I will introduce an article about my participation in a demonstration experiment aimed at coexistence and co-prosperity between local trains and route buses between Morioka and Miyako.

How about convenience? We will provide you with more realistic information on whether it is possible to coexist and prosper.