{{Short description|Railway company in Fukushima, Japan}} {{Infobox company | name = Abukuma Express Co., Ltd. | native_name = 阿武隈急行株式会社 | native_name_lang = ja | logo = Abukyu logo.svg | logo_upright = 0.4 | image = Abukuma-kyuko-AB900-1,2.jpg | image_caption = AB900 series train on the Abukuma Express Line at Tsukinoki Station | type = Third sector | industry = Rail transport | foundation = {{Start date and age|1984|04|05|df=y}} | founder = | defunct = | location_city = Date, Fukushima | location_country = Japan | location = | locations = | area_served = Northern Fukushima and southwest Miyagi prefectures | key_people = | services = Abukuma Express Line | revenue = | operating_income = | net_income = | aum = | assets = | equity = | owner = | num_employees = | parent = | divisions = | subsid = | homepage = {{URL|abukyu.co.jp}} | footnotes = | intl = }}

{{nihongo|'''Abukuma Express Co., Ltd.'''|阿武隈急行株式会社|Abukuma Kyūkō Kabushiki-gaisha|lead=yes}} is a third-sector railway company headquartered in Date, Fukushima, Japan. Its sole service is the Abukuma Express Line.

==History== Abukuma Express was founded on 5 April 1984 as a third-sector railway operator to take over operations of Japanese National Railways' Marumori Line, which ran {{convert|17.4|km}} between Marumori Station and Tsukinoki Station.<ref name="terada2002"/> An application for a railway operating license covering the full route between Fukushima and Marumori was submitted on 24 December 1984. The license was granted on 27 February 1985, followed by approval of construction works on 2 March 1985, allowing electrification of the existing section and the resumption of construction on previously unfinished segments.

The Marumori Line was provisionally reopened as the Abukuma Express Line on 1 July 1986, following its transfer from Japanese National Railways to Abukuma Express, with services initially operated as a non-electrified line between Tsukinoki and Marumori.<ref name="terada2002">{{cite book |last=Terada |first=Hirokazu |title=データブック日本の私鉄 |trans-title=Databook: Japan's Private Railways |publisher=Neko Publishing |date=July 2002 |location=Japan |page=19 |isbn=978-4-87366-874-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RH3FXwAACAAJ}}</ref>

The line was extended south to Fukushima Station on 1 July 1988, completing the full route between Fukushima and Marumori and the entire line was electrified using {{20 kV 50 Hz}} overhead supply.

Operations were suspended across the entire line following damage from the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 2011, with services gradually restored in stages and full operations resuming on 16 May 2011. All services were again suspended on 12 October 2019 due to damage caused by Typhoon Hagibis; partial service resumed later that month, and full operations between Fukushima and Tsukinoki were restored on 31 October 2020. Another suspension occurred following the 2022 Fukushima earthquake on 16 March 2022, with services progressively reinstated and full operations resuming on 27 June 2022.

==Operations== {{main|Abukuma Express Line}}

Abukuma Express operates the Abukuma Express Line, which runs {{convert|54.9|km}} from Fukushima Station in the south to Tsukinoki Station in the north.

==Rolling stock==

===Current vehicles=== *{{Interlanguage link|Abukuma Kyuko 8100 series|lt=8100 series|ja|阿武隈急行8100系電車}} — two-car electric multiple units introduced in 1988 consisting of AM8100 and AT8100 cars. {{As of|2024|7}}, two sets were in service.<ref name="excite21022019">{{cite web |url=https://www.excite.co.jp/news/article/Trafficnews_83733/ |title=阿武隈急行の新型車両AB900系電車が完成 JR貨物の「金太郎」にけん引されて福島へ |trans-title=Abukuma Kyuko' new vehicle, the AB900 series train, is completed. Towed by JR Freight “Kintaro” to Fukushima |language=Japanese |date=21 February 2019 |website=excite.co.jp |publisher=Excite Japan Co., Ltd. |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190811105138/https://www.excite.co.jp/news/article/Trafficnews_83733/ |archivedate=11 August 2019 |access-date=12 August 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> *AB900 series — two-car electric multiple units introduced in July 2019 to replace the aging 8100 series, with plans to standardize the fleet on this model.<ref name="minyu02072019">{{cite web |url=https://www.minyu-net.com/news/news/FM20190702-392512.php |title=『新型車両』始動！ＡＢ９００系 阿武隈急行、開業以来初導入 |trans-title="New vehicle" started! AB900 series Abukuma Kyuko, first introduced since its opening |language=Japanese |date=2 July 2019 |website=minyu-net.com |publisher=The Fukushima Minyu Shimbun |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190811095545/https://www.minyu-net.com/news/news/FM20190702-392512.php |archivedate=11 August 2019 |access-date=12 August 2019 |url-status=dead}}</ref> {{As of|2024|7}}, seven sets are in service. <gallery> File:Abukumakyuko-A8100.JPG|8100 series File:Abukuma-kyuko-AB900-1,2.jpg|AB900 series </gallery>

===Past vehicles=== *{{Interlanguage link|KiHa 22 series|lt=KiHa 22 series|ja|国鉄キハ20系気動車#キハ22形}} — Five diesel railcars borrowed from JNR for the provisional opening of the line in 1986. Following the full opening of the line in 1988 and the introduction of the 8100 series electric multiple units, these vehicles were returned to JR East, JNR’s successor. *{{Interlanguage link|417 series|lt=A417 series|ja|国鉄417系電車#A417系電車}} — A single three-car {{Interlanguage link|417 series|ja|国鉄417系電車}} train acquired from JR East used between 30 October 2008 and 26 March 2016. It was used primarily on selected weekday morning and evening services.<ref name="mynavi24052016">{{cite web |last=Yasuhiro |first=Sasaki |url=https://news.mynavi.jp/article/20160524-a396/ |title=阿武隈急行A417系5/28ラストラン! 臨時列車3本運行 - 引退記念きっぷも発売 |trans-title=Abukuma Kyuko A417 series 5/28 Last Run! 3 temporary trains-retirement ticket released |language=Japanese |date=24 May 2016 |website=news.mynavi.jp |publisher=Mynavi Corporation |access-date=12 August 2019 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190812063811/https://news.mynavi.jp/article/20160524-a396/ |archivedate=12 August 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> <gallery> File:Abukuma Kyuko A417 in Tomino.jpg|A417 series </gallery>

==Ownership== The shareholders of Abukuma Express are primarily the local and prefectural governments along its route. Its only private-sector shareholder is Fukushima Transportation, which holds a 20% stake and shares a platform with Abukuma Express at Fukushima Station.

{| class="wikitable" !Shareholder !Number of shares !Percentage of shares |- |Fukushima Prefecture |8,400 |28.0% |- |Miyagi Prefecture |7,680 |25.6% |- |Fukushima Transportation |6,000 |20.0% |- |Fukushima City |1,836 |6.1% |- |Date |1,568 |5.2% |- |Kakuda |1,504 |5.0% |- |Marumori |1,062 |3.6% |- |Sendai |398 |1.3% |- |Shibata |221 |0.7% |- |Natori |221 |0.7% |- |Iwanuma |221 |0.7% |- |Shiroishi |150 |0.5% |- |Nine unnamed shareholders |739 |2.5% |}

==See also== *List of railway companies in Japan

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category}} * {{official website|http://www.abukyu.co.jp/}} for Abukuma Kyuko

Category:Railway companies of Japan Category:Abukuma Express Line Category:Companies based in Fukushima Prefecture Category:Date, Fukushima Category:1984 establishments in Japan Category:Japanese third-sector railway lines