On December 22, Japan Freight Railway Company (JR Freight) announced that it will discontinue the 1.8km section of the Ou Line between Tsuchizaki and Akita Port (commonly known as the "Akita Port Line"), which is a Class 1 railway line, effective July 1, 2026.
<Abolished section>
Akita Port Station served as a connecting station, handling freight transport mainly consisting of chemicals and paper products to and from the Akita Rinkai Railway line. However, regular freight train operations ended in March 2021, and the Akita Rinkai Railway ceased its railway operations in April 2022.
Since August 2017, East Japan Railway Company (JR Freight) has been operating passenger trains to transport passengers from cruise ships calling at Akita Port. However, with passenger train operations scheduled to end in fiscal year 2025 and no continued demand expected to justify freight train operations, JR Freight has submitted a notification to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to discontinue its Class 8 railway business on the Akita Port Line.
■ Overview of the "Akita Port Line"
Line name: Ou Line
Route: Tsuchizaki Station (starting point) to Akita Port Station (ending point)
Intermediate stations: None
Distance: 1.8 km
Railway business type: Type 1 railway business
