 Murata's scheme was approved in 1888, and he formed the Hokuyūsha (Northern Property Company) to manage the railroad contracts.For the next fifteen years, the Hokuyūsha paid the Horonai Railroad 5000 yen every year in return for using their trains and rails, and took on the responsibility of maintenance and all other fees; this revived the railroad's revenues.The route from Horonaibuto (today Mikasa Station) to Ikushunbetsu began operations in 1886, and though coal prices dropped soon afterwards, this contract and the ensuing relationship between the Railroad and Murata's ventures helped recoup all the costs of the initial construction.