Iwaizumi Line

The Iwaizumi Line (岩泉線, Iwaizumi-sen?) was a railway line in Japan, operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East) between Moichi Station in Miyako, Iwate and Iwaizumi Station in Iwaizumi, Iwate. There were four local services a day to Iwaizumi Station (one of which terminated at Iwate-Wainai Station), and four to Moichi Station or Miyako Station (one of which started from Iwate-Wainai Station); relatively infrequent by Japanese standards.

The operation of the line was suspended on July 31, 2010 when a train derailed due to a landslide, which occurred between Oshikado Station and Iwate-Ōkawa Station. Trains were substituted by bus services.

After investigating the accident and the condition of the line, JR East announced on March 30, 2012 that it was giving up on the idea of restoring the line. The company claimed that the cost expected to secure the safety of the line would be about 13 billion yen and that it could not afford to spend such an amount considering its very small public demand. According to the company, annual revenue of the line was 8.4 million yen in 2009. Local governments, including Iwate Prefecture, raised objection to the decision.