Japan Railway Journal

Season 3, Episode 1

Episode Title: Turning Problems Into Opportunities: The Tsugaru Railway's Strategy

Air Date: 2017-01-12

Overview:

Tsugaru Railway is a local private railway that runs for 20.7km in Aomori Prefecture, in northern Japan. Its "Stove Train" is now a popular tourist attraction in winter, but 10 years ago the company narrowly escaped crisis when ridership began to significantly decrease due to local depopulation and the shift to motorization. See how an outsider CEO saved the company by gathering funds and came up with unique ideas and turned problems into opportunities. Then see Iwakura High School - a school that teaches railway related curriculums.