JR Hokkaido Senmō Main Line, Abashiri to Kushiro

[Sacto1985]

YouTube member ato5kgyasetaito just posted a very interesting winter zenmen tenbou video of a trip on the JR Hokkaido Senmō Main Line from Abashiri to Kurshiro Stations:

 

 

Filmed from a JR Hokkaido KiHa 54 DMU, one very unusual aspect is train announcements are in both Japanese and English. And you can see the amount of snow drop as we go from Abashiri to Kushiro.

[miyakoji]

Too bad about the crew bag in the way of the view , but good video anyway.  Also too bad about JRH's apparent financial situation; I hope these lines will still be open in a few years.

[SuRoNeFu 25-501]

JR Hokkaido kept to went into bad financial states due to many of its lines are running through the uninhabited regions. Even I'm not sure if Senmo Line would be kept in use or meeting the same fate that happens with Nayoro Line, Horonai Line, Shihoro Line, Yumo Line, etc, since these lines were closed due to the "red-letter" (赤字) aka "unprofitable" status...

[Sacto1985]

I think the Senmō Main Line will be kept open due to the serious lack of means of any land transportation in eastern Hokkaido to start with. I believe many of the lines JR Hokkaido closed in the 1980's and 1990's were related to coal-mining operations, which was very active on the island up until the 1970's. 

[SuRoNeFu 25-501]

I think the Senmō Main Line will be kept open due to the serious lack of means of any land transportation in eastern Hokkaido to start with. I believe many of the lines JR Hokkaido closed in the 1980's and 1990's were related to coal-mining operations, which was very active on the island up until the 1970's. 

Hopefully they would not close this line...

[Suica]

Ah, Hokkaido during winter, how nice. Great video!

Those snow covered tracks at the beginning of the video make it look as if they're going down a sled run. :P English announcements on such a line certainly are unusual.

 

I think getting on some small KiHa on a line, not frequently used by tourists, is one of the best ways to discover Japan.

Unfortunately I didn't have time to do that when I was in Hokkaido. But riding the Koumi line and the Ooarai Kashima line were great experiences.