The is a line of Kobe Municipal Subway connecting Tanigami in Kita-ku, Kobe and Shin-Kobe in Chūō-ku, Kobe. The line has only these two stations. Formerly operated by the third-sector Hokushin Kyuko Railway (a subsidiary of Hankyu railway), in 2020 the company was absorbed by the Kobe Municipal Transportation Bureau, and the Hokushin Line became part of the subway network. Operations All trains of the line operate through to the Seishin-Yamate Line beyond Shin-Kobe Station. Stations History The Hokushin Line opened on 2 April 1988, including the 7,179m Hokushin Tunnel. The line was built by , a private railway company in Kobe, Japan. It was headquartered in Kita-ku, Kobe. Investors in the company included Hankyu Railway and Kobe Electric Railway, and it was a subsidiary of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings. On 4 March 2020, the Kobe Municipal Transportation Bureau announced that it would acquire Hokushin Kyuko Railway Co., Ltd. due to financial issues that had been incurred by Hokushin Kyuko; the transaction was completed on 31 May, after which operation of the Hokushin Line was transferred to the transportation bureau. References External links (Hokushin Kyuko Electric Railway) Transport in Kobe Railway companies of Japan Companies based in Kobe Railway companies established in 1979 Railway companies disestablished in 2020 1979 establishments in Japan 2020 disestablishments in Japan Hankyu Hanshin Holdings