San'yō Main Line

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources:  –  ·  ·  · scholar · JSTOR (June 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

San'yō Main Line
JNR 115-3000 in Setouchi yellow livery crossing the Yoshii River Bridge.
Overview
Other name(s)	JR Kobe Line (Kobe – Himeji)
Native name	山陽本線
Owner	JR West JR Kyushu
Locale	Kansai, Chugoku, Kyushu regions
Termini	Kōbe, Hyōgo Moji, Wadamisaki
Stations	124
Service
Type	Heavy rail, commuter rail
System	Urban Network (Kōbe – Kamigōri, Hyōgo – Wadamisaki) Hiroshima City Network (Shiraichi – Minami-Iwakuni)
Operator(s)	JR West JR Kyushu JR Freight
History
Opened	1872
Technical
Line length	537.1 km (333.7 mi) 528.1 km (328.1 mi) (Kōbe – Shimonoseki) 6.3 km (3.9 mi) (Shimonoseki – Moji) 2.7 km (1.7 mi) (Hyōgo – Wadamisaki)
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification	1,500 V DC overhead catenary (Kōbe – Kanmon Tunnel, Hyōgo – Wadamisaki) 20 kV AC 60 Hz overhead catenary (inside Moji station only)
Operating speed	130 km/h (81 mph) (Kōbe – Okayama) 120 km/h (75 mph) (Okayama – Shimonoseki) 85 km/h (53 mph) (Shimonoseki – Moji, Hyōgo – Wadamisaki)

The San'yō Main Line (山陽本線, San'yō-honsen) is a major railway line owned by JR Group companies in western Japan, connecting Kōbe Station and Moji Station, largely paralleling the coast of the Inland Sea, in other words, the southern coast of western Honshu. The San'yō Shinkansen line largely parallels its route. The name Sanyō derived from the ancient region and highway San'yōdō, the road on the sunny (south) side of the mountains.

The Sanyō Main Line is operated by the two JR companies West Japan Railway Company (JR West) and Kyushu Railway Company (JR Kyushu). The Wadamisaki Line, a short section of line in the length of 2.7 km between Hyōgo and Wadamisaki stations in Kobe is technically part of the Sanyō Main Line. A short section connecting Kitakyushu Freight Terminal also forms part of the Sanyō Main Line.

Basic data[]

• Operators, distances: 537.1 km / 333.7 mi.
  • West Japan Railway Company (Category-1, Services and tracks)
    • From Kobe to Shimonoseki: 528.1 km / 328.1 mi.
    • From Hyōgo to Wadamisaki: 2.7 km / 1.7 mi.
  • Kyushu Railway Company (Category-1, Services and tracks)
    • From Shimonoseki to Moji: 6.3 km / 3.9 mi.
  • Japan Freight Railway Company (Category-2, Services)
    • From Kobe to Kitakyushu Freight Terminal: 534.4 km / 332.1 mi.
• Gauge: 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
• Stations:
  • Passenger stations: 124
  • Freight terminals: 5
• Track:
  • Quadruple-track line:
    • From Kobe to Nishi-Akashi: 22.8 km / 14.1 mi.
    • From Kaitaichi to Hiroshima: 6.4 km / 4.0 mi.
  • Double-track line:
    • From Nishi-Akashi to Kaitaichi: 275.5 km / 171.2 mi.
    • From Hiroshima to Moji: 208.0 km / 129.2 mi.
  • Single-track line:
    • From Hyōgo to Wadamisaki
• Electric supply: Whole the line (1,500 V DC. Excluding inside Moji Station and Kitakyūshū Freight Terminal, which is 20,000 V AC, 60 Hz.)
• Railway signalling:
  • From Kobe to Moji: Automatic
  • From Hyōgo to Wadamisaki: Special Automatic (Track Circuit Detection); a simplified automatic system.
• Maximum speed at service:
  • From Kobe to Himeji: 130 km/h (81 mph)
  • From Himeji to Okayama: Tilting trains 130 km/h (81 mph), others 120 km/h (75 mph)
  • From Okayama to Shimonoseki: 120 km/h (75 mph)
  • From Shimonoseki to Moji: 85 km/h (53 mph)
  • From Hyōgo to Wadamisaki: 85 km/h (53 mph)
• CTC centers:
  • From Kobe to Kamigōri: Shin-Ōsaka Operation Control Center
  • From Kamigōri to Itozaki: Okayama Transportation Control Room
  • From Itozaki to Shimonoseki: Hiroshima Operation Control Center
  • From Shimonoseki to Moji: Hakata Operation Control Center
• CTC system:
  • From Kobe to Kamigōri: Safety Urban Network Traffic System (SUNTRAS)

Stations[]

From Kobe to Himeji (JR Kobe Line)[]

From Himeji to Itozaki[]

Ra: Rapid (快速, Kaisoku)

SR: Special Rapid (新快速, Shin-Kaisoku)

SL: Rapid Sun Liner (快速サンライナー, Kaisoku Sanrainā)

• All trains stop at stations signed "+". Some trains stop at "*". No trains (other than local) stop at "-".
• Rapid trains coming from Osaka/Kobe area become local trains from Akashi and westward.
• Rapid Sun Liner becomes a local train except between Okayama and Fukuyama.
• Rapid trains from Hiroshima City Network stop at all the stations in this section. They become local trains from Okayama and eastward.

No.	Station name	Japanese	Total distance (km)	Ra	SR	SL	Transfers	Location
JR West
	Himeji	姫路	54.8	+	+		San'yō Shinkansen Sanyo Main Line (JR Kobe Line) ( A85 ) Bantan Line Kishin Line Sanyo Railway Main Line (SY 43: Sanyo Himeji Station)	Himeji	Hyōgo
	Agaho	英賀保	59.4	+	+
	Harima-Katsuhara	はりま勝原	62.2	+	+
	Aboshi	網干	65.1	+	+
	Tatsuno	竜野	71	+	+			Tatsuno
	Aioi	相生	75.5	+	+		San'yō Shinkansen Akō Line	Aioi
	Une	有年	83.1	+	+			Akō
	Kamigōri	上郡	89.6	+	+		Chizu Express Chizu Line	Kamigōri, Akō
S11	Mitsuishi	三石	102.4					Bizen	Okayama
S10	Yoshinaga	吉永	109.5
S09	Wake	和気	114.8					Wake, Wake
S08	Kumayama	熊山	119.4					Akaiwa
S07	Mantomi	万富	123.5					Higashi-ku, Okayama
S06	Seto	瀬戸	128.0
S05	Jōtō	上道	132.7
S04	Higashi-Okayama	東岡山	136.1				Akō Line	Naka-ku, Okayama
S03	Takashima	高島	138.9
S02	Nishigawara	西川原	140.8
S01 W01	Okayama	岡山	143.4			+	San'yō Shinkansen Uno Line ( Seto-Ōhashi Line) Tsuyama Line Kibi Line(Momotaro Line) Okayama Electric Tramway (both at ) ; ■ ■	Kita-ku, Okayama
	Nishi-Okayama Freight Terminal	西岡山(貨)	145.9			–
W02	Kitanagase	北長瀬	146.8			–
W03	Niwase	庭瀬	149.9			–
W04	Nakashō	中庄	154.6			–		Kurashiki
W05	Kurashiki	倉敷	159.3			+	Hakubi Line Mizushima Main Line (Kurashikishi)
W06	Nishiachi	西阿知	163.3			–
W07	Shin-Kurashiki	新倉敷	168.6			+	Sanyō Shinkansen
W08	Konkō	金光	174.9			*		Asakuchi
W09	Kamogata	鴨方	178.4			*
W10	Satoshō	里庄	182.4			*		Satoshō, Asakuchi
W11	Kasaoka	笠岡	187.1			+		Kasaoka
W12	Daimon	大門	194.2			–		Fukuyama	Hiroshima
W13	Higashi-Fukuyama	東福山	197.5			–
W14 X14	Fukuyama	福山	201.7			+	Sanyō Shinkansen Fukuen Line
X15	Bingo-Akasaka	備後赤坂	207.5
X16	Matsunaga	松永	212.4
X17	Higashi-Onomichi	東尾道	215.3					Onomichi
X18	Onomichi	尾道	221.8
X19 G17	Itozaki	糸崎	230.9					Mihara

From Itozaki to Tokuyama (Hiroshima City Network)[]

Ra: Rapid Service

• All trains stop at stations signed "+". No trains (other than local) stop at "-".
• Rapid Service runs from suburbs to Hiroshima on morning.

No.	Station name	Japanese	Total distance (km)	Ra	Transfers	Location
JR West
X19 G17	Itozaki	糸崎	230.9			Mihara	Hiroshima
X20 G16	Mihara	三原	233.3		Sanyō Shinkansen Kure Line
G15	Hongō	本郷	242.8
G14	Kōchi	河内	255.1			Higashihiroshima
G13	Nyūno	入野	259.5
G12	Shiraichi	白市	263.9
G11	Nishitakaya	西高屋	268.3
G10	Saijō	西条	272.9	+
G09	Jike	寺家	275.2	+
G08	Hachihommatsu	八本松	278.9	+
G07	Seno	瀬野	289.5	–	Skyrail Midorizaka Line ()	Aki-ku, Hiroshima
G06	Nakanohigashi	中野東	292.4	–
G05	Aki-Nakano	安芸中野	294.4	–
G04	Kaitaichi	海田市	298.3	+	Kure Line	Kaita, Aki
G03	Mukainada	向洋	300.6	–		Fuchū, Aki
G02	Tenjingawa	天神川	302.4	–		Minami-ku, Hiroshima
	Hiroshima Freight Terminal	広島貨物ターミナル	303.1	–
G01 R01	Hiroshima	広島	304.7	+	San'yō Shinkansen Geibi Line Hiroden Main Line; ■ Route 1, ■ 2, ■ 5, ■ 6;
R02	Shin-Hakushima	新白島	306.5	+	Kabe Line Hiroshima Rapid Transit Astram Line	Nishi-ku, Hiroshima
R03	Yokogawa	横川	307.7	+	■ Route 7 and ■ 8; Hiroden Yokogawa Line Kabe Line
R04	Nishi-Hiroshima	西広島	310.2	+	■ Route 2 and ■ 3; Main Line and Hiroden Miyajima Line (Hiroden-nishi-hiroshima)
R05	Shin-Inokuchi	新井口	314.4	+	■ Route 2; Miyajima Line (Shōkō Center-iriguchi)
R06	Itsukaichi	五日市	316.8	+	■ Route 2; Miyajima Line (Hiroden-itsukaichi)	Saeki-ku, Hiroshima
R07	Hatsukaichi	廿日市	320.2	–	■ Route 2; Miyajima Line (Hiroden-hatsukaichi)	Hatsukaichi
R08	Miyauchi-Kushido	宮内串戸	321.8	+	■ Route 2; Miyajima Line (Miyauchi)
R09	Ajina	阿品	324.8	–	■ Route 2; Miyajima Line (Hiroden-ajina)
R10	Miyajimaguchi	宮島口	326.5	+	■ Route 2; Miyajima Line (Hiroden-miyajima-guchi) JR Miyajima Ferry
R11	Maezora	前空	328.3	–
R12	Ōnoura	大野浦	331.4	–
R13	Kuba	玖波	336.4	–		Ōtake
R14	Ōtake	大竹	340.8	+
R15	Waki	和木	342.3	–		Waki, Kuga	Yamaguchi
R16	Iwakuni	岩国	346.1	+	■ Gantoku Line	Iwakuni
	Minami-Iwakuni	南岩国	350.7
	Fujū	藤生	353.4
	Tsuzu	通津	358.6
	Yū	由宇	361.6
	Kōjiro	神代	366.8
	Ōbatake	大畠	371.9			Yanai
	Yanaiminato	柳井港	376.4
	Yanai	柳井	379.2
	Tabuse	田布施	385.4			Tabuse, Kumage
	Iwata	岩田	390.9			Hikari
	Shimata	島田	395.9
	Hikari	光	400.7
	Kudamatsu	下松	406.9			Kudamatsu
	Kushigahama	櫛ヶ浜	411.5		■ Gantoku Line	Shūnan
	Tokuyama	徳山	414.9		Sanyo Shinkansen

Tokuyama to Moji[]

• Hiroshima City Network Rapid trains stop at all the stations in this section.

Station name	Japanese	Total distance (km)	Transfers	Location
JR West
Tokuyama	徳山	414.9	Sanyo Shinkansen	Shūnan	Yamaguchi
Shinnan-yō	新南陽	421.9
Fukugawa	福川	425.7
Heta	戸田	425.7
Tonomi	富海	434.2		Hōfu
Hōfu Freight Terminal	防府(貨)	437.2
Hōfu	防府	441.4
Daidō	大道	449.2
Yotsutsuji	四辻	454.0		Yamaguchi
Shin-Yamaguchi	新山口	459.2	Sanyō Shinkansen ■ Ube Line ■ Yamaguchi Line
Kagawa	嘉川	463.2
Hon-Yura	本由良	467.7
Kotō	厚東	478.0		Ube
Ube	宇部	484.5	■ Ube Line
Onoda	小野田	488.0	■ Onoda Line	Sanyōonoda
Asa	厚狭	494.3	Sanyō Shinkansen ■ Mine Line
Habu	埴生	502.6
Ozuki	小月	508.8		Shimonoseki
Chōfu	長府	515.0
Shin-Shimonoseki	新下関	520.9	Sanyō Shinkansen
Hatabu	幡生	524.6	■ Sanin Main Line
Shimonoseki	下関	528.1
JR Kyushu
Shimonoseki	下関			Shimonoseki	Yamaguchi
Moji	門司	534.4	Kagoshima Main Line	Moji-ku, Kitakyushu	Fukuoka

Wadamisaki Line[]

Rolling stock[]

JR West 117 series EMU

JR Kyushu 415 series EMU

Freight train with Class EF67 bank engine

JR West[]

Limited Express[]

• 285 series EMUs (Sunrise Izumo/Sunrise Seto service)
• 381 series EMUs (Yakumo service)
• KiHa 187 series DMUs (Super Inaba service)
• Chizu Express HOT7000 series (Super Hakuto service)

Local trains[]

• 103 series EMUs
• 105 series EMUs
• 113 series EMUs
• 115 series EMUs
• 117 series EMUs
• 123 series EMUs
• 207 series EMUs
• 213 series EMUs
• 221 series EMUs
• 223-1000/2000/6000 series EMUs
• 225-0/100 series EMUs
• 321 series EMUs

New 2- and 3-car 227-0 series electric trains are scheduled to be introduced in the Hiroshima area on the Sanyo Main Line during fiscal 2014, replacing older 115 series trains.^[1]

JR Kyushu[]

• 415 series EMUs

History[]

This section does not cite any sources. Please help by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

The entire line between Kobe Station and Shimonoseki Station was originally opened by the private Sanyō Railway company. The section between Hyōgo Station (in Kobe) and Akashi Station (in Akashi, Hyōgo) opened first in 1888. In 1889 the line was extended to the east to Kobe Station (as a dual track section) and Tatsuno Station (in Tatsuno, Hyōgo Prefecture) to the west. The Sanyō Railway was progressively extended to the west, reaching Okayama and then Fukuyama in 1891, Hiroshima in 1894 and in 1901 it reached Bakan (now Shimonoseki) Station. Under the Railway Nationalization Act of 1906 it was purchased by the Japanese government and renamed Sanyō Main Line.

Duplication[]

The Hyogo – Himeji section was duplicated in 1899, and the Hiroshima – Kaitaichi section in 1903. After the line was nationalised, further duplications occurred between Kamigori – Yoshinaga in 1910/11, Hatabu – Shimonoseki in 1915 and Himeji – Agaho in 1917. Work to duplicate the remainder of the line commenced in 1921, and opened in stages until completed in 1930, with the exception of the section between Iwakuni and Kushigahama, where construction of a new direct line had commenced. This direct line, which bypassed the coastal section via Yanai involved significant tunnelling, and unexpected geological instability delayed completion of the line until 1934, and then as a single track. Although the new line became the Sanyo Main Line at that time, in 1944 the original coastal alignment was duplicated and returned to the formal Sanyo Main Line, with the former bypass line becoming the Gantoku Line.

Electrification[]

The Kobe – Akashi section was electrified in 1934, extended to Himeji in 1958, Hiroshima in 1962 and (except for the Wadamisaki Line, which was electrified in 2001) the entire line was electrified in 1964, to coincide with the opening of the Tōkaidō Shinkansen between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka the same year.

Deviation/extension[]

The Sanyō Main Line approximately parallels the Inland Sea but some sections could be shortened by tunnels. In 1934, the Gantoku Line between Iwakuni and Tokuyama was opened and replaced the former line which traverses Yanai adjacent to the Inland Sea. In 1944, this new alignment was replaced again by the previous coastal alignment because the coastal line was upgraded to dual tracks.

The Sanyō Main Line was connected to Kyushu by ferry from Shimonoseki and Shimonosekiko Station (Port Shimonoseki). In 1942, the Kanmon Tunnel under the Kanmon Straits was completed and the Sanyō Main Line was extended to Moji Station. A second tunnel duplicating the section opened in 1944.

Service variations[]

Prior to the opening of the Sanyo Shinkansen, many expresses operated on the Sanyō Main Line and it serves as a major transport corridor through Western Honshu and connecting to Kyushu. The Shinkansen was extended as the Sanyō Shinkansen line, first to Okayama Station in 1972, and then to Hakata Station in 1975. On both occasions, many express services on the Sanyo Main Line were withdrawn, and since 1972, the line has been mainly used by local and freight services. CTC signalling was commissioned between Mihara and Shimonoseki in 1984.

Service disruptions[]

The section between Kobe and Nishi Akashi was severely damaged by the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake, and took ten weeks to repair.

The 2018 Japan floods resulted in the Okayama – Shimonoseki section closing on 6 July 2018.^[2] The majority of services were restored between 8 July – 18 July, but the Yanai – Tokuyama section remains out of service.

Former connecting lines[]

Iwakuni Electric Railway train

A Nagato Railway train

• Hyogo station – A 5km lne to the Hyogo Port operated between 1911 and 1984.

• Tsuchiyama station – A 4km line to Befu-Ko operated between 1923 and 1984. It is connected to the Sanyo Electric Railway Main Line at Befu.

• Kakogawa station – The Banshu Railway Co. opened an 8km line to Takasago-Minato in 1913/14. The line was nationalised in 1943, and closed in 1984.

• Himeji station – The Bantan Railway Co. built a 16km line east to Shikama-Kou (near Kakogawa), opened in 1895 and closed in 1986.

• Aboshi station –

The Tatsuno Electric Railway Co. opened a 17km 1435mm gauge line electrified at 600 VDC from Shingu-Cho to Aboshiko between 1909 and 1915 which connected at this station. The line closed in 1934.

A 6km line to Hamadako operated between 1943 and 1989.

• Une station – The Ako Railway operated a 13 km 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) gauge line to Banshu-Ako on the Ako Line between 1921 and 1951.

• Wake station – The Dowa Mining Co. opened a 34 km line between Nishi-Katakamito on the Ako Line and Yanahara, to haul iron sulphide ore, between 1923 and 1931. Passenger services commenced in 1931, freight services ceased in 1988 and the line closed in 1991.

• Takashima station – The Saidaiji Railway Company operated a 915mm gauge line between its namesake town and Korakuen between 1911 and 1962.

• Kasaoka station – The Ikasa Railway Co. operated a 19km 762mm gauge line to Ihara between 1913 and 1971. It had a 6km branch from Kitagawa to Yakage that operated between 1921 and 1967. At Ihara it connected to the company's line to Kannabe on the Fukuen Line.

• Fukuyama station – The Tomo Light Railway Co. operated a 13km 762mm gauge line to its namesake town between 1913/14 and 1954.

• Onomichi station – The Hiroshima Prefectural Government opened a 17 km line electrified at 600 VDC to Shoharachi in 1925/26. It closed between 1957 and 1964.

• Hiroshima station –

The Sanyo Railway Co. was commissioned by the Japanese Army to build a 6km line to Ujina Port following the outbreak of the First Sino-Japanese War in 1894. In 1897 the company leased the line from the Army and commenced a passenger service, and when the company was nationalised in 1906, ownership of the line transferred from the Army to JGR. The Army leased the line in 1915 for use during WW1 and subsequent hostilities in China, and passenger services were suspended between 1919 and 1930. The line was not damaged by the atomic bomb attack, but was damaged by Typhoon Marurazaki which hit the area 6 weeks later. Passenger service ceased in 1972, and the line closed in 1986.

The Kirin Brewery operated a 2km line to its complex between 1937 and 1986.

• Iwakuni station – The Iwakuni Electric Railway Co. opened a 6km line to Shinmachi, electrified at 600 VDC, between 1909 and 1912. The line closed in 1929 when the parallel Gantoku Line opened.

• Hofu station – A 19km line to Hori operated 1919/20 to 1964.

• Shin-Yamaguchi station – The Dainippon Railway Co. opened a 13km line from Ogori (as Shin-Yamaguchi was called until 2003) to Yamaguchi in 1908, which closed in 1913 when the JGR opened its parallel line.

• Ube station – The Funaki Railway Co. opened a 6km 762mm gauge line in 1916. The line was converted to 1067mm gauge in 1922, and extended 12km to Kibe in 1926. The last 8km closed in 1944, and the balance of the line in 1961.

• Ozuki station – The Nagato Railway Co. opened an 18km line to Nishi-Cho in 1918. JGR assumed control of the line as a wartime measure in 1942, a situation that continued until 1949. The line closed in 1956.

• Hatabu station – The Choshu Railway Co. opened a 27km line from Higashi-Mozeki to Kogushi in 1914. A proposed extension to Nagato was not built due to funding constraints, but the line was electrified at 600 VDC in 1926. The company merged with the Sanyo Electric Railway in 1928, and the line closed in 1971.

See also[]

• JR Kobe Line

References[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sanyō Main Line.