The , also referred to as , is one of the constituent companies of Japan Railways Group (JR Group). It operates intercity rail services in Kyushu

Kyushu

is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....

, Japan and the JR Kyushu Jet Ferry Beetle hydrofoil service across the Tsushima Strait

Tsushima Strait

is the eastern channel of the Korea Strait, which lies between Korea and Japan, connecting the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea.The Tsushima Strait is the broader eastern channel to the east and southeast of Tsushima Island, with the Japanese islands of Honshū to the east and northeast, and...

 between Fukuoka

Fukuoka, Fukuoka

is the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture and is situated on the northern shore of the island of Kyushu in Japan.Voted number 14 in a 2010 poll of the World's Most Livable Cities, Fukuoka is praised for its green spaces in a metropolitan setting. It is the most populous city in Kyushu, followed by...

 and Busan

Busan

Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...

, South Korea

South Korea

The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

.

When Japan Railways was divided in 1987, Kyushu Railway Company was in deficit under recession of Japanese steel industry and competition from highways and air flights. Yet the company then diversified its business, especially in developing and commercializing its properties (such as train stations).

JR Kyushu's headquarters are in Hakata-ku, Fukuoka

Hakata-ku, Fukuoka

is one of the seven wards of Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. It is best known as the location of Fukuoka's main train station, Hakata Station.-Geography:...

.

The company introduced SUGOCA

SUGOCA

is a Japanese rechargeable contactless smart card ticketing system for public transport in Fukuoka Prefecture and environs. The Kyūshū Railway Company introduced the system on 1 March 2009...

, a smart card

Smart card

A smart card, chip card, or integrated circuit card , is any pocket-sized card with embedded integrated circuits. A smart card or microprocessor cards contain volatile memory and microprocessor components. The card is made of plastic, generally polyvinyl chloride, but sometimes acrylonitrile...

 ticketing system, from March 1, 2009.

Main lines

• Kagoshima Main Line
  Kagoshima Main Line
  The is a major railway line operated by the Kyushu Railway Company between Mojikō in Kitakyūshū, and Kagoshima Station in Kagoshima City, at the southern end of Kyushu...
  
  
• Nagasaki Main Line
• Kyūdai Main Line
  Kyudai Main Line
  is a railway line in Kyūshū. It originates at Kurume Station, Kurume in Fukuoka Prefecture and ends at Ōita Station, Ōita in Ōita Prefecture. It is also known as the Yufu Kōgen Line....
  
  : Nicknamed Yufu Kōgen Line
• Hōhi Main Line
  Hohi Main Line
  frame|tight|Hōhi Main LineThe is a railway line on Kyūshū, in southern Japan. Part of the Kyushu Railway Company system, it connects the west coast and the east coast of the island...
  
  : Nicknamed Aso Kōgen Line
• Nippō Main Line
  Nippo Main Line
  frame|Nippō Main LineThe is a railway line in Kyūshū, in southern Japan. Part of the Kyushu Railway Company system, it follows the east coast of the island. The line originates at Kokura Station in Kokura, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka...
  
  
• Chikuhō Main Line
  Chikuho Main Line
  The is a railway line in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. Part of Kyushu Railway Company , it runs from Wakamatsu Station in Kitakyūshū to Haruda Station in Chikushino.-Line data:*Company: JR Kyushu*Distance: Wakamatsu–Haruda 66.1 km...
  
  : Divided to three segments with different nicknames, namely Haruda Line, Fukuhoku Yutaka Line, and Wakamatsu Line.

Other lines

• Chikuhi Line
  Chikuhi Line
  The is a railway line in Japan running from Meinohama Station in Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture to Karatsu Station in Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture, and from Yamamoto Station in Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture to Imari Station in Imari City, Saga Prefecture....
  
  
• Fukuhoku Yutaka Line
  Fukuhoku Yutaka Line
  The is the collective name for four sections of railway lines operated by Kyushu Railway Company in Fukuoka Prefecture, Kyūshū, Japan. It runs between Kurosaki Station and Hakata station .The sections called Fukuhoku Yutaka Line are:...
  
  : A nickname for the route formed by portions of Kagoshima Main Line, Chikuhō Main Line, and the whole part of Sasaguri Line.
• Gotōji Line
  Gotoji Line
  The is a Japanese railway line located in Fukuoka Prefecture connecting Tagawa-Gotōji Station in the city of Tagawa and Shin-Iizuka Station in the city of Iizuka...
  
  
• Hisatsu Line
• Hitahikosan Line
  Hitahikosan Line
  frame|Hitahikosan LineThe is a rail line in Japan. Part of JR Kyushu, it runs from Jōno Station in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture to Yoake Station in Hita, Ōita Prefecture.-Line data:*Company: JR Kyushu*Distance : 68.7km*Gauge: 1067mm*Stations: 23...
  
  
• Ibusuki Makurazaki Line
• Kashii Line
  Kashii Line
  is a railway line in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. Part of the JR Kyushu, it runs from Saitozaki Station in Fukuoka to Umi Station in Umi.-Line data:*Company: Kyushu Railway Company*Distance: Saitozaki - Umi　25.4km*Gauge: 1067mm*Stations: 16*Tracks: Single...
  
  
• Karatsu Line
  Karatsu Line
  The is a regional railway line in Saga Prefecture, Japan running from Kubota Station in Saga to Nishi-Karatsu Station in Karatsu. It was originally constructed to carry coal from the Karatsu coal field to the Port of Karatsu.-Route data:*Operators and distances...
  
  
• Kitto Line
  Kitto Line
  The is a railway line on Kyūshū, Japan. It originates in Yoshimatsu Station in Yūsui, Kagoshima Prefecture and ends at Miyakonojō Station in Miyakonojō, Miyazaki Prefecture...
  
  
• Misumi Line
  Misumi Line
  is a railway line in Japan, operated by the Kyushu Railway Company . It runs from Uto Station in Uto, Kumamoto Prefecture to Misumi Station in Uki, Kumamoto Prefecture.From 1 September 2011, the line will be known as the .-Station list:...
  
  
• Miyazaki Kūkō Line
  Miyazaki Kuko Line
  is a railway line in Japan. Part of the JR Kyushu, it connects Tayoshi Station in Miyazaki, Miyazaki Prefecture with Miyazaki Airport. Trains continue to Minami-Miyazaki Station and Miyazaki Station in the city center and further on the Nippō Main Line....
  
  
• Nichinan Line
  Nichinan Line
  The is a railway line on Kyūshū, running from Minami-Miyazaki Station in Miyazaki, Miyazaki Prefecture to terminal of Shibushi Station in Shibushi, Kagoshima Prefecture.-The line's data:*Operator：JR Kyūshū*Distance ：88.9 km*Gauge：1067 mm...
  
  
• Ōmura Line
  Omura Line
  is a railway line in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. Part of the JR Kyushu, it runs from Haiki Station in Sasebo to Isahaya Station in Isahaya.-Track data:*Company: Kyushu Railway Company*Distance: 47.6km*Gauge: 1067mm*Stations: 13*Tracks: Single...
  
  
• Sasaguri Line
  Sasaguri Line
  is a rail line in Japan. Part of the JR Kyushu, it runs from Keisen Station in Keisen, Fukuoka Prefecture to Yoshizuka Station in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture.-Track data:*Company: JR Kyushu*Distance: 25.1 km*Gauge: 1067 mm*Stations: 11*Tracks: Single...
  
  
• Sasebo Line
  Sasebo Line
  The is a railway line in Japan running from Hizen-Yamaguchi Station in Kōhoku, Saga Prefecture to Sasebo Station in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture. It is part of the route connecting Sasebo with Saga and Fukuoka...
  
  

Limited express train services

• Ariake
  Ariake (train)
  The is a limited express train service in Japan operated by JR Kyushu which runs from Hakata to Kumamoto.-External links:*...
  
  (Hakata
  Hakata Station
  Hakata Station , located in Hakata-ku, is the main railway terminal of the city of Fukuoka, Japan. It is the largest and busiest station on Kyūshū, and is a gateway to other cities in Kyūshū for travellers from Honshū. The Sanyō Shinkansen from Osaka ends at this station...
  
   - Kumamoto
  Kumamoto Station
  is the central railway station in the city of Kumamoto, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. It is operated by Kyushu Railway Company .In front of the station is a tram stop of the tram operated by Kumamoto City Transportation Bureau named Kumamoto-Ekimae Station.- Lines :Kumamoto is an intermediate station...
  
  )
• Aso Boy
  Aso Boy
  The is a limited express train service in Kyushu, Japan, operated by Kyushu Railway Company , which runs between and via .-Rolling stock:...
  
  (Kumamoto - Miyaji
  Miyaji Station
  is a railway station on the Hohi Main Line operated by JR Kyushu in Aso, Kumamoto, Japan.-Environs:*Aso City Hall*National Route 57*Aso Shrine*Sensuikyō Gorge...
  
  )
• Hayato no Kaze
  Hayato no Kaze
  The is a limited express service in Japan which runs between Kagoshima-Chūō Station and Yoshimatsu Station via the Kagoshima Main Line, Nippō Main Line, and Hisatsu Line. It is operated by Kyushu Railway Company .-Schedule:...
  
  (Kagoshima-Chūō - Yoshimatsu
  Yoshimatsu Station
  is a train station of JR Kyushu Hisatsu Line and Kitto Line in Yūsui, Aira District, Kagoshima, Japan.The station opened in 1903.- Adjacent stations :- Nearby places :*Yoshimatsu Post office*Yūsui Town Hall Yoshimatsu Branch*National Route 268...
  
  )
• Huis Ten Bosch
  Huis Ten Bosch (train)
  The is a limited express train service operated by Kyushu Railway Company in Japan. It runs between Hakata Station in Fukuoka, Fukuoka and Huis Ten Bosch Station, the station for the Huis Ten Bosch theme park in Sasebo, Nagasaki.-References:...
  
  (Hakata - Huis Ten Bosch
  Huis Ten Bosch Station
  is a railway station in Haenosaki-chō, Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, in Japan. This station is operated by JR Kyushu and is on the Ōmura Line.This station serves Huis Ten Bosch, a theme park.-Environs:*Huis Ten Bosch...
  
  )
• Ibusuki no Tamatebako
  Ibusuki no Tamatebako
  The is a limited express service operated by Kyushu Railway Company in Japan since March 2011. It operates between Kagoshima-Chūō Station and Ibusuki Station via the Ibusuki Makurazaki Line.-Rolling stock:...
  
  (Kagoshima-Chūō - Ibusuki
  Ibusuki Station
  is a train station located in Ibusuki, Kagoshima, Japan.The station opened in 1934.- JR :- Adjacent stations :-Nearby places:*Ibusuki City Hall*Ibusuki Onsen...
  
  )
• Kaiō (Hakata - Nōgata
  Nōgata Station
  is a railway station on the Chikuho Main Line operated by JR Kyushu and Heisei Chikuho Railway Ita Line in Nōgata, Fukuoka, Japan....
  
  )
• Kamome
  Kamome
  is a limited express train operated by JR Kyushu in Japan. It operates between Hakata and Nagasaki on the Kagoshima Main Line and the Nagasaki Main Line. Kamome means seagull in Japanese.-History:...
  
  (Hakata - )
• Kirameki (Mojikō
  Mojiko Station
  in Moji ward, Kitakyūshū, Japan is the oldest station on the Kagoshima Main Line in Kyūshū and the terminus for those going to and from Honshū by boat...
  
   - Hakata)
• Kirishima
  Kirishima (train)
  The is a limited express train service in Japan operated by JR Kyushu which runs between Kagoshima-Chūō and Miyazaki....
  
  (Miyazaki
  Miyazaki Station
  is a JR Kyushu railway station located in Miyazaki, Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan.The central station of the prefectural capital is served by the Nippō Main Line connecting Fukuoka Prefecture and Kagoshima Prefecture...
  
   - Kagoshima-Chūō
  Kagoshima-Chuo Station
  is the main railway station in Kagoshima, Japan. It is the southern terminus of the Kyūshū Shinkansen and is located on the Kagoshima Main Line, and Ibusuki-Makurazaki Line...
  
  )
• Kumagawa (Kumamoto - Hitoyoshi)
• Midori
  Midori (train)
  The is a limited express train service in Japan operated by JR Kyushu which runs between Hakata and Sasebo.-Rolling stock:Services currently use 783 series EMUs. From 1976 to 2000, all trains were formed of 485 series EMUs.-History:...
  
  (Hakata - Sasebo
  Sasebo Station
  is the major railway station in the city of Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, in Japan. The Sasebo Line of the Kyushu Railway Company and the Nishi-Kyūshū Line of the Matsuura Railway provide local and regional service and connections to the extensive JR network...
  
  )
• Nichirin/Nichirin Seagaia (Kokura
  Kokura Station
  in Kokura Kita ward is the main railway station in Kitakyushu, Japan. It is part of the JR Kyushu network and the Sanyo Shinkansen stops here. It is the second largest station in Kyūshū with 120,000 users daily...
  
   - Miyazaki Kūkō
  Miyazaki Kuko Station
  is a JR Kyushu railway station located in Miyazaki, Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan.The station is the terminus of the Miyazaki Kūkō Line.-External links:*...
  
  )
• Sonic
  Sonic (train)
  is the name used by Kyushu Railway Company for the limited express train service operating between Hakata and Ōita via Kokura and Beppu along the Kagoshima Main Line and Nippō Main Line in Kyūshū, Japan...
  
  (Hakata - Ōita
  Oita Station
  is a JR Kyushu railway station located in Ōita, Ōita Prefecture, Japan.The station opened on November 1, 1911.-Limited Express Trains:* Sonic * Nichirin * Yufuin-no-mori, Yufu...
  
  )
• Trans-Kyushu Limited Express (Hitoyoshi
  Hitoyoshi Station
  is a train station of JR Kyushu Hisatsu Line and Kumagawa Railroad Yunomae Line in Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto, Japan.The name of the Yunomae Line station is officially , which was renamed from Hitoyoshi Station on April 1, 2009.- Lines :*Kyushu Railway Company...
  
   - Oita)
• Yufu/Yufu DX/Yufuin-no-mori (Hakata - Oita
  Oita Station
  is a JR Kyushu railway station located in Ōita, Ōita Prefecture, Japan.The station opened on November 1, 1911.-Limited Express Trains:* Sonic * Nichirin * Yufuin-no-mori, Yufu...
  
  )

See also

• Kyūshū Railway
  Kyushu Railway
  was a company that built and operated railways in Kyushu, one of four main islands of Japan. Most of its lines came under the control of Japanese Government Railways following nationalization in 1907, and many are now operated by Kyushu Railway Company.-Outline:...
  
  - a predecessor of JR Kyushu

External links

• http://www.jrkyushu.co.jp/ (Japanese)
• http://www.jrkyushu.co.jp/english/ (English)
• http://www.jrbeetle.co.jp/english/ JR Kyushu Jet Ferry (English)