The Kobe Municipal Transportation Bureau took over the Hokushin Kyūkō Line (北神急行線, between Tanigami <谷上> and Shin-Kōbe <新神戸> Stations) that was operated by the private company Hokushin Kyūkō Railway from the Hankyu Railway Group, and started business as the Kobe Subway Hokushin Line (神戸市営地下鉄北神線) on June 1, 2020. As before, the trains will continue to run from Tanigami Station to Seishin-chūō Station on the Seishin-Yamate Line.

This is the first case in Japan that a private railway has been municipalized. Fares have been reduced across all lines, for example, the normal fare from Tanigami Station to Sannomiya Station was revised from 550 yen to 280 yen, which is about half the price.