Corporate Name
Hokuetsu Express Co., Ltd.
Date established
August 30, 1984
Shareholders
Niigata Prefecture
Joetsu City, Tokamachi City, Yuzawa Town, Minami Uonuma City, Tsunan Town, Daishi Bank, Ltd., Hokuetsu Bank, Ltd., Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc., Taiko Bank, Ltd., Niigata Kotsu Co., Ltd., Echigo Kotsu Co., Ltd., Kubiki Jidosha Co., Ltd., etc.
Operations
Local train: Many of the local trains run directly to Echigo Yuzawa on the Joetsu Line and Naoetsu on the JR Shinetsu Line. Rapid-transit trains run on the Hokuhoku Line.

September 1931: The founder of Matsudai Automobile Co., Ltd. started the movement to build a railroad between Kubiki and Uonuma.
May 1962: The railroad line was incorporated in the prospective railroad lines formulated by the Railroad Building Act.
August 1968:Construction was started between Muikamachi and Tokamachi.
March 1973:Construction was started between Tokamachi and Saigata.
December 1980:Construction was interrupted when the budget was frozen.
August 1984: Hokuetsu Express Co., Ltd. was established.
November 1984: The local transportation lines were specified and announced.
February 1985: The local railroad operation license was granted. The construction application was authorized.
March 1985: Construction was resumed by the Japan Railway Construction Public Corporation.
March 1997: Operation was started. The super-express train "Hakutaka" reached a top speed of 140 km/h.
July 1997: Cumulative number of passengers on "Hakutaka" reached 1 million.
December 1998: Maximum speed of "Hakutaka" increased to 150 km/h.
July 2001: Cumulative number of passengers on "Hakutaka" reached 10 million.
March 2002: Maximum speed of "Hakutaka" increased to 160 km/h.
March 2015: The "Hakutaka" super-express train service was discontinued.