It's not all lost by any means, of course. Many 3rd sector railways have innovated to halt or reverse their ridership decline, by means of intergrating tourism activities (tourism trains, sanriku railway), some sort of schtick (cat stationmaster, wakayama electric railway), or rallying some sort of local pride in their community to support themselves (i.e. students cleaning up the stations, tracks, as community service as the railway is too poor to hire regular staff).

But it remains to be seen if these innovations are sustainable in the long run.

Oh, if you're wondering, this car is Orange-chan of Hisatsu-Orange Railway in Kumamoto, Kyushu.

Hisatsu-Orange Railway took over most of the Kagoshima main line that ran parallell to the Kyushu shinkansen given to them by JR Kyushu, and have been facing many difficulties in its operations.

In fact, they're asking for help to pay their inspection fees this year (goes to show just how much help the Department of Transportation is providing) by seeking donations and selling memberhsip cards. Won't you help? I plan to buy something from them when I visit Kumamoto later next month.

http://www.hs-orange.com/

Of course, they've smartened up and took up the same innivations that proved successful elsewhere in the form of unique and special liveries and interiors targeting tourism (as seen here, makes me DAWWWWWW). In fact, they've also had the Galexy Express 999 guy (who has something to do with the area, I would assume) come by and do a design for them a while ago.

Orange-chan is only a rapid for the moment, they are hoping to have a limited express going by the time the kyushu shinkansen kagoshima route is complete and the entire kagoshima main line is spun off.

Shame no answers, Im interested in this op. They seem pretty cool. babump

so are these things the equivalent of a regional railway?

Where are they located?

>can't afford to run EMUs
I'd understand that if they wanted to save money by no longer having to maintain the wires. But in your pics, they're still there, how is that cheaper?

also, calling a train -chan, that's nice.

>>197640

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>>197640

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ぶりっとちゃん

>>197875
The overhead electric lines are used by JR Freight trains (and sleepers pre-2009) that also run on the line, Hisatsu-Orange runs diesel cars.