Kitaca ( キタカ , Kitaka ) is a rechargeable contactless smart card ticketing system for public transport in Sapporo , Japan . Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido) introduced the system from October 25, 2008. Its name means "the ca rd of north ( 北 , kita ) ", while 北 is also the first character of Hokkaidō ( 北海道 ) . Like other electronic fare collection systems in Japan, the card uses RFID technology developed by Sony corporation known as FeliCa . The card has an official mascot of Ezo momonga ( Pteromys volans orii), a kind of flying squirrel found in Hokkaidō. The mascot is designed by Sora, an illustrator who lives in Sapporo.
19-585: Hakodate Station ( 函館駅 , Hakodate-eki ) is a railway station on the Hakodate Main Line in Hakodate, Hokkaido , Japan, operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido). Hakodate Station is the terminus of the Hakodate Main Line and the former Tsugaru-Kaikyō Line ; Hakodate Municipal Transit streetcars stop at the adjacent Hakodate Ekimae Station. In addition to local services,
38-547: A 20-car freight train derailed on the line near Yakumo after striking a two-meter piece of wood that obstructed the tracks. Although there were no injuries, the line was temporarily closed, impacting rail service to and from Hakodate Station. Kitaca As of March 2024, 69 stations in the Sapporo-Asahikawa area, as well as 6 stations in the Hakodate area including unmanned stations, accept Kitaca. Credit card function
57-596: Is a railway line connecting the cities of Hakodate and Asahikawa via Sapporo in Hokkaido , Japan . It is one of the trunk lines that is operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido). The Sawara Line, a 35 km (22 mi) loop line from Ōnuma to Mori opened in 1945, is included as part of the Hakodate Main Line. The Sapporo—Minami-Otaru section was the first railway line that opened in Hokkaido (including
76-427: Is also considered. North Pacific Bank, the largest local bank of Hokkaido, considers to include Kitaca's functions to its credit card Clover . A plan to introduce an Osaifu-Keitai compliant mobile payment system was cancelled due to the cost. In 2009, Kitaca became interchangeable with JR East 's Suica , including its use of electronic money functionality. Since late 2012, the card can also be used in lieu of
95-889: Is currently under construction and will be completed in fiscal 2031. The station has four platforms serving eight terminating tracks. Hakodate station first opened on 10 December 1902. The current station building was opened on 21 June 2003. Shinkansen services stop at Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station , approximately 18 km away from Hakodate Station since 26 March 2016, the day the Shinkansen station opened. "Relay" shuttle services ( Hakodate liner ) using three-car 733 series electric trains operate between Hakodate and Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station. 41°46′25″N 140°43′35″E / 41.773736°N 140.726398°E / 41.773736; 140.726398 Hakodate Main Line The Hakodate Main Line ( 函館本線 , Hakodate-honsen )
114-508: Is operated as a local line, with all express passenger and freight trains travelling via Ōnuma-Kōen. The Otaru – Sapporo – Takikawa section was electrified in 1968, and extended to Asahikawa the following year with the opening of the 4,523m Kamuikotan tunnel and associated deviation. The 3 km Hakodate – Goryōkaku section was electrified in conjunction with the Seikan Tunnel project in 1988. The 15 km Goryōkaku – Oshima-Ono section
133-601: Is the major connection between the Hokkaido Shinkansen and zairaisen (local line) services on the Hakodate Main Line, these services have been re-routed accordingly. Until the opening of the Hokkaido Shinkansen , the following sleeping car services operated; Kitaca support has implemented in 2024, for Hakodate to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto section. Muroran Main Line With effect of
152-521: The 224 km Hakodate - Shikaribetsu section, opened in 1902, with the remaining 28 km section to Otaru opening the following year. In 1905 a 1.6 km line was built from Otaru - Minami-Otaru to connect the Hokkaido Coal Co owned line to the Hakodate line, and the Government nationalised the Hokkaido Coal Co in 1906. Doubling of the line between Minami-Otaru and Iwamizawa opened 1909-11, and
171-684: The Minami-Otaru - Temiya Line to the Otaru Port). The line was extended as the first to connect to Hakodate, though today all Sapporo—Hakodate direct passenger and freight services travel via the Chitose and Muroran lines until rejoining the Hakodate line at Oshamambe Station . The Hokkaido Shinkansen route north of Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto approximately parallels the route of the Hakodate Main Line, with stations proposed to be built at Shin-Yakumo, Oshamambe, Kutchan, Shin-Otaru and Sapporo. On March 27, 2022,
190-488: The construction of a new alignment for northbound trains to avoid the 1 in 50 (2%) grades between Oshima-Ono and Ōnuma. Doubling of the 41 km section between Nodaoi and Oshamambe (excluding two gaps totalling 8 km) was undertaken in sections between 1965 and 1984, with the 13 km Mori - Ishikura section doubled between 1974 and 1979. Although the Sawara Line provides an alternative route between Ōnuma and Mori, it
209-556: The following long-distance trains serve Hakodate Station. The following services ended in March 2016 due to the Hokkaido Shinkansen 's opening: From Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station to Shin-Aomori Station , which takes a similar route of the Hakuchō\Super Hakuchō. All services go through to Tokyo station , which means the two former sleeper trains had to be discontinued due to the Hokkaido Shinkansen 's opening. An extension to Sapporo
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#1733085395724228-566: The line by the Japanese Government began with the 32 km Minami-Otaru - Sapporo section in 1880, with the 41 km Sapporo to Iwamizawa section opened in 1882 to provide a link from the significant coalmines near Iwamizawa to the Otaru Port. The line was sold to the Hokkaido Coal Co in 1889, which extended the line 35 km from Iwamizawa to Sunagawa in 1891, and a further 61 km to Asahikawa in 1898. The Japanese Government built
247-458: The mine closed in 1972. The MMC also operated a 2 km line from Chashinai Station to a coal mine 1952-67. - The Mitsui Mining Co. also opened the 7.3 km branch to Kamisunagawa in 1918. The line was nationalised in 1926, with passenger services introduced the same year. The line closed in 1994. - A 15 km branch to Utashinai, opened by the Hokkaido Coal Co. in 1891, nationalised in 1906 and closed in 1988. In August 2013, three cars of
266-432: The municipals along the line agreed to abolish the section between Oshamanbe—Otaru after the opening of the Hokkaido Shinkansen's extension to Sapporo in 2030. The entire section will be converted into a bus route. Until the opening of the Hokkaido Shinkansen , these services usually operated on the 1966 built Nanae to Ōnuma section, bypassing (then) Oshima-Ono and Niyama. Now that Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto (formerly Oshima-Ono)
285-648: The timetable revision implemented on 16 March 2024, during the daytime, Special Rapid Airport services (one per hour) extend to Otaru and all Rapid Airport and Rapid Niseko Liner services make all stops between Otaru Station and Teine Station. Kitaca is supported within Otaru-Iwamizawa section since 2006, and the rest section since 2024. Hakodate Main Line (Main Line) Hakodate Main Line (Main Line) Construction of
304-511: Was electrified in conjunction with the opening of the Hokkaido Shinkansen , with the latter station renamed Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto . - The 17 km Ōnuma-Kōen to Shikabe line opened in 1929, and had the misfortune to be affected by a volcanic eruption just six months later, which closed it for two months. It closed in 1945 when the Shikabe Station on the Sawara line opened, but as the new station
323-414: Was extended to Sunagawa 1924-26, to Takikawa in 1956 and to Asahikawa 1964-68. The Otaru - Minami-Otaru section was duplicated in 1965. The line from Hakodate was duplicated for 8 km to Kikyo 1941-44, with the 9 km Ishikura to Nodaoi section double-tracked in 1945. The 5 km Kikyo to Nanae section was double-tracked in 1962, and the doubling effectively extended 13 km to Ōnuma in 1966 with
342-405: Was rebuilt as part of the Sawara line, and the remaining 6.3 km closed when the parallel JR line opened. - The 3 km branch to Minami-Bibai opened in 1931 to service a coal mine, closing in 1973. Passenger services operated 1944-71. - The Mitsubishi Mining Co. ( MMC ) opened an 8 km line to Sumiyama mine in 1914, extending the line 3 km to Tokiwadai in 1924. The line closed when
361-418: Was some distance from the township, locals agitated for re-establishment of services to the original station. This occurred in 1948 when the last 11 km of the line from Choshiguchi was reopened by the local government, but competition from bus services resulted in the line being permanently closed in 1952. - A line was built from Mori 9.4 km south to Sunahara in 1928. The first 3.1 km of that line
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