Hokuhoku Line

The Hokuhoku Line (ほくほく線, Hokuhoku-sen) is a Japanese railway line in Niigata Prefecture that runs from Muikamachi in Minamiuonuma City to Saigata in Jōetsu City. It is the sole railway line operated by third-sector railway company Hokuetsu Express (北越急行, Hokuetsu Kyūkō). Construction of the line first began in 1968 by the Japanese National Railways (JNR), and was initially referred to as the Hokuetsu-Kita Line (北越北線, Hokuetsu-kita-sen). However, the construction of the line was plagued by numerous delays, and was finally completed on 22 March 1997, including the 10,472 m (6.5 mi) Akakura Tunnel, the longest on a non-JR line.