Railway Nationalization Act
{{Refimprove|date=December 2009}}
{{Infobox legislation
| short_title = Railway Nationalization Act
鉄道国有法
| image = Go-shichi no kiri crest 2.svg
| caption =
| citation =
| territorial_extent = Empire of Japan
| enacted_by = National Diet of Japan
| date_passed = 1906
| date_repealed =
| summary =
| status = repealed
| related_legislation = Railway Construction Act
}}
The {{Nihongo|Railway Nationalization Act|鉄道国有法|Tetsudō Kokuyū-hō|Act No. 17 of 1906}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.digital.archives.go.jp/DAS/meta/Detail_F0000000000000020593|title=Digital Archive, National Archives of Japan|accessdate=August 3, 2014}} was a law enacted by the Diet of Japan that brought many of Japan's private railway lines under national control. The 22nd Diet passed the bill on March 27, 1906{{Cite web|url=http://teikokugikai-i.ndl.go.jp/SENTAKU/syugiin/022/0060/0221006002310327.html|title=第二十二囘帝國議會衆議院議事速記錄第二十三號|trans-title=Record of the House of Representatives at the 22nd Imperial Diet, No. 23|date=March 28, 1906|publisher=Printing Bureau|page=461|accessdate=August 9, 2014}} and Emperor Meiji signed on March 30, 1906. The promulgation of the act on the Official Gazette occurred the next day.{{Cite web|url=http://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/2950163/1|title=官報|trans-title=Official Gazette|volume=6823|page=1|date=March 31, 1906|accessdate=August 10, 2014}} The Act was repealed by Article 110 of the Act for Enforcement of Japanese National Railways Reform Act Etc. (Act No. 93 of 1986{{Cite web|url=http://www.shugiin.go.jp/internet/itdb_housei.nsf/html/houritsu/10719861204093.htm|title=法律第九十三号（昭六一・一二・四）|publisher=The House of Representatives|accessdate=August 3, 2014}}).
The original bill which passed the House of Representatives on March 16, 1906 listed 32 private railways to be nationalized, but the House of Peers amended the bill removing 15 companies from the list on March 27, 1906 and the House of Representatives accepted this amendment the same day.{{Cite book|url=http://kindai.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/2127166/459|title=日本鉄道史 中篇|author=Ministry of Railways|page=822|year=1921}}
Between 1906 and 1907, {{Convert|2812|mi}} of track were purchased from 17 private railway companies. The national railway network grew to about {{Convert|4400|mi}} of track, and private railways were relegated to providing local and regional services.
| class=wikitable |
| +Railways nationalized |
| rowspan=2|Date
!rowspan=2|Railway !colspan=2|Length |
|---|
| mi
!km |
| align=right valign=top rowspan=2|October 1, 1906
|Hokkaido Colliery and Railway |{{Convert|204.5|mi|km|disp=table}} |
| Kōbu Railway
|{{Convert|27.8|mi|km|disp=table}} |
| align=right valign=top rowspan=2|November 1, 1906
|{{Convert|860.8|mi|km|disp=table}} |
| Ganetsu Railway
|{{Convert|49.5|mi|km|disp=table}} |
| align=right valign=top rowspan=2|December 1, 1906
|{{Convert|414.9|mi|km|disp=table}} |
| Nishinari Railway
|{{Convert|4.6|mi|km|disp=table}} |
| align=right valign=top rowspan=2|July 1, 1907
|{{Convert|442.8|mi|km|disp=table}} |
| Hokkaidō Railway
|{{Convert|159.0|mi|km|disp=table}} |
| align=right valign=top rowspan=3|August 1, 1907
|{{Convert|22.2|mi|km|disp=table}} |
| Hankaku Railway
|{{Convert|70.3|mi|km|disp=table}} |
| Hokuetsu Railway
|{{Convert|85.8|mi|km|disp=table}} |
| align=right valign=top rowspan=4|September 1, 1907
|{{Convert|73.2|mi|km|disp=table}} |
| Bōsō Railway
|{{Convert|39.4|mi|km|disp=table}} |
| Nanao Railway
|{{Convert|34.4|mi|km|disp=table}} |
| Tokushima Railway
|{{Convert|21.5|mi|km|disp=table}} |
| align=right valign=top rowspan=2|October 1, 1907
|{{Convert|275.2|mi|km|disp=table}} |
| Sangū Railway
|{{Convert|26.1|mi|km|disp=table}} |