{"id":176424,"date":"2026-03-10T11:49:07","date_gmt":"2026-03-10T02:49:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/?post_type=news&#038;p=176424&#038;lang=en"},"modified":"2026-03-10T11:49:07","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T02:49:07","slug":"jr-kyushu-tests-ways-to-revive-ibusuki-makurazaki-line","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/en\/news\/jr-kyushu-tests-ways-to-revive-ibusuki-makurazaki-line\/","title":{"rendered":"JR Kyushu Tests Ways to Revive Ibusuki\u2013Makurazaki Line"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>JR Kyushu and local governments are testing new initiatives to revitalize the Ibusuki\u2013Makurazaki Line in Kagoshima Prefecture, where declining ridership has left part of the route operating at a loss. The trials include \u201ccycle trains\u201d that allow passengers to bring bicycles on board and mixed passenger\u2013cargo services transporting local products. In late January, four special cycle trains ran between Ibusuki and Makurazaki, carrying about 50 riders who cycled around scenic areas such as Mt. Kaimondake. In February, a bagel shop in Ibusuki also used the railway to deliver 60 items to Kiire Station for sale at a community facility. JR Kyushu and local partners are also promoting tourism events such as a themed \u201cdashi-wari shochu train\u201d to attract visitors and encourage new uses of the rural railway. <strong>Source:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.asahi.com\/articles\/ASV2Q42KFV2QTLTB006M.html\" target=\"_blank\">Asahi Shimbun<\/a> \/ <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nikkei.com\/article\/DGXZQOJC179SE0X10C26A2000000\/\" target=\"_blank\">Nikkei <\/a><\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/fnn_ibusuki-makurazaki-line_2026_WEB.jpeg?resize=1400%2C1050&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"1400\" height=\"1050\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-176425\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/fnn_ibusuki-makurazaki-line_2026_WEB.jpeg?w=1400&amp;ssl=1 1400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/fnn_ibusuki-makurazaki-line_2026_WEB.jpeg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/fnn_ibusuki-makurazaki-line_2026_WEB.jpeg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/fnn_ibusuki-makurazaki-line_2026_WEB.jpeg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/>Photo: Fukuoka Now<\/p>\n<p>Stay informed with the latest Fukuoka &#038; Kyushu news and events in English. Sign up for our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/en\/mailmagazine\/\">free weekly newsletter<\/a> today and never miss a beat. Opt out anytime, your privacy is our priority. Get the inside scoop with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/en\/mailmagazine\/\">The Now<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Summaries based on public content, errors may occur during translation. Images credited independently. Send feedback using <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/en\/contact\/\">this <strong>form<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>JR Kyushu and local governments are testing new initiatives to revitalize the Ibusuki\u2013Makurazaki Line in Kagoshima Prefecture, where&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30292,"featured_media":176425,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","tags":[],"class_list":["post-176424","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","location-ibusuki","location-kagoshima-prefecture","location-makurazaki","news-category-business","news-category-general","en-US"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/176424","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30292"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=176424"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/176425"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=176424"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fukuoka-now.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=176424"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}