The Hokushin Line opened on 2 April 1988, including the Hokushin Tunnel. The line was built by , a private railway company in
Kobe, Japan. It was headquartered in Kita-ku, Kobe. Investors in the company included
Hankyu Railway and
Kobe Electric Railway, and it was a subsidiary of
Hankyu Hanshin Holdings. On 4 March 2020, the Kobe Municipal Transportation Bureau announced that it would acquire Hokushin Kyuko Railway Co., Ltd. due to the heavy debt burden that had been incurred by Hokushin Kyuko; the transaction was completed on 31 May, after which operation of the Hokushin Line was transferred to the transportation bureau. ==References==