Japan Press Weekly

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2022 December 14 - 20 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

JCP talks with rural municipal head in Aomori regarding party proposal for nationwide railway network

Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Representatives Takahashi Chizuko on December 14 held talks with the mayor of Imabetsu Town, located along the JR East Tsugaru line in snowy Aomori Prefecture, regarding the JCP proposal for ways to maintain the nationwide railway network.

The Tsugaru line is one of the money-losing lines so designated by the line operator JR East although it plays a vital role in daily lives of Imabetsu townspeople, especially commuters and school students. Hit by a heavy rainfall in August, the railway suffered serious damage, including embankment collapses. Even now, there is a section in which train operations are suspended.

In the talks, Imabetsu Mayor Abe Yoshiharu pointed out that JR East said that the work to repair the damage costs 600 million yen and that municipalities along the Tsugaru railway need to consider shouldering the repair cost. He said, “I want the JR East to carry out the repair work on the Tsugaru line at its expense.”

Takahashi said, “It is unacceptable for railway companies to take advantage of natural disasters to abandon local train lines. The JCP in its proposal demands that as a critical public transport infrastructure, the national government be responsible for maintaining the nationwide rail network.”