The Heisei Chikuho Railway Co. Ltd. (平成筑豊鉄道株式会社) is a third-sector operator of four railway lines in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The railway's nickname is Heichiku.

Principal investors

Fukuoka Prefecture holds 27.5% of the stock in the railway. The cities of Tagawa, Nōgata, and Yukuhashi hold 14.8%, 6.6%, and 6.6% each.

Lines

The Mojikō Retro Kankō Line is classified as a "specific purpose railway business" (特定目的鉄道事業) under the Railway Business Act of Japan as it does not purport to transport daily passengers or freight. Heisei Chikuhō Railway operates trains as Category 2 operator (as defined in the Act, see "Rail transport in Japan" for details) on the track owned by the city of Kitakyūshū as Category 3 operator.

Rolling stock

, the railway operates a fleet of 12 single-car 400 series diesel railcars (numbered 401 to 412) and one 500 series diesel railcar (numbered 501). In 2016, the railway purchased former KiHa 2000 series diesel rail car KiHa 2004 from the Hitachinaka Seaside Railway in Ibaraki Prefecture, which was withdrawn from service in December 2015. In 2019, the Coto Coto Train started as a new touristic service in the Fukuoka Prefecture.

Former rolling stock

The former 300 series DMU cars operated by the railway were withdrawn December 2010. Car 303 was shipped to Myanmar, and car 304 is retained in operating condition for use on special driving days by members of the general public.

History

The company was founded on April 26, 1989. On October 1, 1989 it assumed the operations of its three lines, which were formerly part of the JR Kyushu network. On April 26, 2009 the company started the operation of the Mojikō Retro Kankō Line, a short railway for tourists in Moji-ku, Kitakyūshū.