Small pieces of the Minami-Aso Railway, which were badly damaged during the Kumamoto earthquakes in 2016, are being sold off to the public as part of an effort to restore the line. Despite sections of the railway resuming service a few months after the disaster, approximately 10 km of track along the line that runs from Minami-Aso to Takamori remain cut off. The number of people using the railway has significantly dropped since the earthquakes, which negatively affected local businesses in turn. The decrease in users is due in large part to the closure of Tateno Station which offers a link to the Hohi Main Line. A total of 200 pieces of the railway went on sale from Dec. 1. Each section is 10 cm in length, weighs 5.5 kg and comes with a special engraving. The pieces are mounted on local timber and cost ¥50,000 each. Information about how to apply to be a buyer is available on the Minami-Aso Railway homepage. Source: NHK, 12/1/2017
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