noun
Ministry of Railways line
Historical term for a railway line operated by the pre-war Ministry of Railways (鉄道省). Not used for modern JR lines.
See also: 鉄道省
戦前、東京の省線は多くの通勤客を運んでいた。
Before the war, the Ministry of Railways lines in Tokyo carried many commuters.
noun
Ministry of Railways electric train
Historical abbreviation of 省線電車, referring specifically to electric trains run by the Ministry of Railways, especially in urban areas.
省線電車は、のちに国電と呼ばれるようになった。
The Ministry of Railways electric trains later came to be called 国電 (National Railways trains).