The Hokuriku Railroad (北陸鉄道, Hokuriku Tetsudō) is a transportation company in Kanazawa, Japan. The company or its lines are commonly known as Hokutetsu (北鉄). The company was founded in 1943, when all the private railway and bus operators in Ishikawa Prefecture were merged into one. Some of its lines, however, have their roots from horse car lines in the 19th century. Hokutetsu once had an extensive railway network in the prefecture with 13 heavy rail lines and 1 tram line, but only 2 heavy rail lines still survive today. Now the company primary functions as a bus operator. It also operates as the agency of All Nippon Airways in Kanazawa area.