The Sanriku Railway (Sanriku Tetsudo) is a railway company in Iwate prefecture, Japan, nicknamed “Santetsu”. The company was founded in 1981 as the first “third sector” (half public, half private) railway line in the country, excluding special cases such as freight rails in seaports.

Santetsu suffered extensive damage in the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011. The cost of complete recovery has been reported to be about 120 million U.S. dollars.

The company says, “full recovery is our goal”. Please support Sanriku Railway.

The Sanriku Railway
North Rias line: Miyako-Kuji (71.0 km, 15 stations)
South Rias line: Sakari-Kamaishi (36.6 km, 10 stations)
Non-electrified lines

President: Masahiko Mochizuki

Train Driver Won't Let Tsunami Derail His Professionalism
By RUMI HOSOMI / Staff Writer - Asahi Japan Watch

Understandably, Sanriku Railway Co. driver Minoru Yasumiishi stepped on the pedal to sound the train horn a bit longer than usual when a train he was driving went through the 3,907-meter Kuwadai Tunnel in Ofunato in late June.

Despite being haunted by a close call in the Great East Japan Earthquake, Yasumiishi has vowed to be on the first train after services are fully resumed on the line.

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