Ishikawa Line train.Asanogawa Line train.Kaga-Ichinomiya Station.
The Hokuriku Railroad (北陸鉄道, Hokuriku Tetsudō) is a transportation company in Kanazawa, Japan. The company or its lines are commonly known as Hokutetsu (北鉄). The company was founded in 1943, when all the private railway and bus operators in Ishikawa Prefecture were merged into one. Some of its lines, however, have their roots from horse car lines in the 19th century. Hokutetsu once had an extensive railway network in the prefecture with 13 heavy rail lines and 1 tram line, but only 2 heavy rail lines still survive today. Now the company primary functions as a bus operator. It also operates as the agency of All Nippon Airways in Kanazawa area.
Its lines accept ICa, a smart card ticketing system. However, railway lines only accept commuter passes, and do not support the standard prepaid fare functionality.
A highway bus of Hokuriku Railroad bound for Shibuya and Hachioji
Together with its subsidiaries, the Hokutetsu group dominates the bus lines in Ishikawa Prefecture. Hokuriku Railroad itself operates local buses inside Kanazawa City, which is the most important public transportation in the area. The company also operates highway buses linking the city and other parts of Japan, including Tokyo, Sendai, Niigata, Nagoya, Ōsaka, and Toyama.
