The Sanriku Railway which reconstructed with the Kuwait Crude-Oil Fund

The trains funded by the Kuwait Crude-Oil Fund

In Iwate Prefecture of the Sanriku area, there is Sanriku Railway. It has the Kita-Riasu Line which connects between Miyako city and Kuji city, and the Minami-Riasu Line which connects between Ofunato city and Kamaishi city. The Great East Japan Earthquake also caused enormous damage to the Sanriku Railway. The trains and railway garages were devastated, so the train lines were severed. People were in deep grief beyond words, not only the railway but also the lives of the employees of the railway, their families, and relatives were lost. Some co-workers were forced to live in shelters. Anxiety had spread out to the employees as to whether they could recover all or not.
However, our intent to open the whole lines of the railway has come true on April 6th, 2014 which is 3 years after the earthquake. The Crude-Oid Fund from the Kuwait government to the Japanese government made possible the new train production. When the oil had transfered to the fund for reconstruction, and after receiving the fund from Japanese government Iwate Prefecture shared the fund with the Sanriku Railway, because of that we saw the possibility of recovery and it gave us hope. It was not only for the Sanriku Railway but also it was a gleam of hope for the future of the people who live along the lines. Even though the railway workers themselves were victims of the disaster, they worked hard for the restoration as a mission because they believed the restoration of the railways would lead to the recovery of the regon.
In March 23, 2019, the north and the south line will be connected together and become the longest third-sector railway in the country. In the same way, saving the life of train service, employees who work very hard will save life of the regeon to support the economy. We still have a task in our management. Nevertheless, the Sanriku railway continues to run on Sanriku coast even today, with the thoughts of the people there, with appriciation to all of you.

Contact: Sanriku Railway Co., Ltd. 4, Sakae-cho, Miyako City, Iwate Prefecture

Website: SANRIKU RAILWAY
https://www.sanrikutetsudou.com/en/