Hakodate Transportation Bureau

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Type 9600 tramcar, known as Rakkuru-gō.

Hakodate Haikara-gō is a vintage tramcar debuted in 1910, still operated for tourists.

The Hakodate Transportation Bureau (函館市交通局, Hakodate-shi Kōtsūkyoku^?) is a public transportation authority of Hakodate, Japan. The bureau only operates tram lines. It once operated bus lines as well, but went out from the division later in 2003.

Kikan Horsecar Railway (亀函馬車鉄道, Kikan Basha Tetsudō^?), a private horsecar operator, opened Hakodate's first tram line in 1897. It became an electrified tram network later in 1913. After the operators changed for a few times, in 1943, Hakodate City Government took the lines under its control.

[edit] Hakodate City Tram

There once were 6 lines with 12 routes, spanning the total distance of 17.9 km. However, with a declining ridership, they closed the parts of the network in 1978, 1992, and 1993. The current network is consisted of 4 lines with 2 routes, the total distance 10.9 km. The tram lines accept Ikasu Card, a magnetic prepaid card.

Lines: Officially, there are four lines.
- Main Line (本線): Hakodate-Dock-mae — Jūjigai — Hakodate-Ekimae
- Yunokawa Line (湯の川線): Matsukazechō — Yunokawa
- Hōrai-Yachigashira Line (宝来・谷地頭線): Jūjigai — Yachigashira
- Ōmori Line (大森線): Hakodate-Ekimae — Matsukazechō
Routes: There are two routes regularly in service by using the lines above.

■ Route 2 (2系統): Yunokawa — Matsukazechō — Hakodate-Ekimae — Jūjigai — Yachigashira

■ Route 5 (5系統): Yunokawa — Matsukazechō — Hakodate-Ekimae — Jūjigai — Hakodate-Dock-mae

Tramcars come once per 10 minutes on each route, or once per 5 minutes in the section between Yunokawa and Jūjigai, where 2 routes run on the same lines. Cars come once per 20 minutes (10 minutes in the above section) after 7 p.m..