Repeated Delays in Opening and the Background to Date: Originally, the Kurobe-Unazuki Canyon Route was scheduled to open to the public on June 30, 2024, with sales of travel packages set to begin in late January of that year. However, rockfalls caused by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, which struck just before the scheduled opening, damaged the “Kanetsuri Bridge” on the Kurobe Gorge Railway—which was already operating passenger services—cutting off access to Keyakidaira Station, the starting point of the new route. As a result, the opening has been postponed multiple times. The detailed timeline is as follows. January 2024: The Noto Peninsula Earthquake struck. Due to rockfall damage to the Kanetsuri Bridge, the public opening was initially postponed from the planned June start to October. May 2024: A detailed on-site survey conducted after the snow melted revealed that damage to the slopes of Mt. Higashi-Kanetsuri and other areas was more severe than anticipated. Since restoration would take time, plans to open the area to the public within fiscal year 2024 were abandoned. December 2024: It was determined that fundamental rockfall prevention measures were necessary in the area around Mt. Higashi-Kanetsuri. Plans to open the area in 2025 were also shelved, and it was decided to postpone the opening until 2026 or later. Subsequently, difficult restoration work continued, with slope collapses—believed to be caused by avalanches—confirmed as early as the spring of 2025. However, since May 2026, Kansai Electric Power and the Kurobe Gorge Railway have been carrying out full-scale restoration work, and if progress continues smoothly, the entire line between Unazuki and Keyakidaira is expected to reopen sometime in 2026 (around October). JTB’s Toyama Branch and others have begun developing travel packages.
© Source travel watch