was a company engaged in coal mining

Coal mining

The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...

, railway operation and shipping in Hokkaidō

Hokkaido

, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

.

The company was established in 1889 when the state-owned and Horonai Railway

Horonai Railway

The Horonai Railway was a Japanese government-managed railway which was among the first to be built in Hokkaidō. Established in 1869, it was sold off to the private sector twenty years later...

 were sold to the company. The company developed coal mines and transported coal to consumers by its own railways and a fleet of steamships.

The railway of the company was nationalized on October 1, 1906 under the Railway Nationalization Act

Railway Nationalization Act

The brought many of Japan's private railway lines under national control. The Diet of Japan promulgated the Act on March 31, 1906. The Act was repealed by Article 110 of the Japan National Railway Reform Act of 1988, which formed the modern Japan Railways Group....

. At this time the company was renamed , which continued mining until 1995 and is in business of coal importing as of 2009.

Muroran – Temiya

The Muroran–Iwamizawa section and the Iwamizawa–Otaru section are part of the Muroran Main Line

Muroran Main Line

The is a railway line in Hokkaidō operated by Hokkaido Railway Company , between Oshamambe Station in Oshamambe and Iwamizawa Station in Iwamizawa, running through the coast of Iburi Subprefecture...

 and the Hakodate Main Line

Hakodate Main Line

is a railway line between the cities of Hakodate and Asahikawa in Hokkaido, Japan. It is one of the trunk lines operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company ....

 respectively today. The remaining Otaru–Temiya section became the Temiya Line

Temiya Line

The Temiya Line was a local freight narrow gauge railroad in Otaru, Hokkaidō, Japan, connecting Minami-Otaru Station and Temiya Station...

, which was closed in 1985.

Built in	Station		Mile	Connections	Note
1892		室蘭	0.0		Muroran Port
		御崎	2.2
		輪西	2.9		Present-day Higashi-Muroran
		鷲別	5.6
		幌別	10.3
		登別	15.3
		敷生	20.4		Present-day Takeura
		白老	27.0
		錦多峰	34.3		Present-day Nishikioka
		苫小牧	40.1
		沼ノ端	45.9
		遠浅	51.4
		早来	54.8
		安平	58.3
		追分	62.5	To Yūbari
		三川	67.5
		由仁	72.3
		栗山	75.4
		清真布	80.5		Present-day Kurisawa
		志文	83.0
		岩見沢	86.5	To Utashinai, Ikushunbetsu
1882
		幌向	92.9
		江別	98.7
		野幌	100.6
		厚別	105.4
		白石	108.2
		札幌	111.7
1880
		琴似	114.2
		軽川	118.4		Present-day Teine
		銭函	123.1
		張碓	126.3		Station closed in 2006
		朝里	128.6
		小樽	131.9	Hokkaidō Railway to	Present-day Minami-Otaru
		手宮	133.6		Otaru Port. Station closed in 1985

Iwamizawa – Utashinai

The Iwamizawa–Sunagawa section is the part of the Hakodate Main Line

Hakodate Main Line

is a railway line between the cities of Hakodate and Asahikawa in Hokkaido, Japan. It is one of the trunk lines operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company ....

 today. The remaining part became the Utashinai Line, which was closed in 1988.

Built in	Station		Mile	Connections	Note
1881		岩見沢	0.0	To Muroran, Temiya, Ikushunbetsu
		峰延	5.1
		美唄	10.4
		奈井江	17.0
		砂川	21.9	To Asahigawa via Japanese Government Railways
		神威	29.2		Station closed in 1988
		歌志内	30.8		Sorachi Mine. Station closed in 1988

Iwamizawa – Ikushunbetsu

This section later became a part of the Horonai Line, which was closed in 1987.

Built in	Station		Mile	Connections	Note
1882		岩見沢	0.0	To Otaru, Muroran, Utashinai
		幌内太	6.7	To Horonai	Later renamed Mikasa, station closed in 1987
1888
		幾春別	11.2		Ikushunbetsu Mine. Station closed in 1987

Horonaibuto – Horonai

This section later became a part of the Horonai Line, which was closed in 1987.

Built in	Station		Mile	Connections	Note
1882		幌内太	0.0	To Iwamizawa, Ikushunbetsu	Later renamed Mikasa, station closed in 1987
		幌内	1.7		Horonai Mine. Station closed in 1987

Oiwake – Yūbari

This section is a part of the Sekishō Line

Sekisho Line

The is a railway line in Japan operated by Hokkaido Railway Company . The main Sekishō Line runs between in Chitose and Shintoku Station in the town of Shintoku. A branch line runs from to...

 today.

Built in	Station		Mile	Connections	Note
1892		追分	0.0	To Otaru, Muroran
		川端	5.9
		滝ノ上	11.3
		紅葉山	15.7		Present-day Shin-Yūbari
		沼ノ沢	17.5
		清水沢	20.9
		鹿ノ谷	25.1
		夕張	27.2		Yūbari Mine

Sunagawa – Sorachigawa

The company leased this section to Japanese Government Railways. This section is a part of the Hakodate Main Line

Hakodate Main Line

is a railway line between the cities of Hakodate and Asahikawa in Hokkaido, Japan. It is one of the trunk lines operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company ....

today.

Built in	Station		Mile	Connections	Note
1892		砂川	0.0	To Iwamizawa, Utashinai
	Sorachigawa	空知川	3.0		Only a divisional point of railway asset.

External links

• Hokkaido Colliery & Steamship Co., Ltd.