San'yō Main Line

This article is about Japan Railways network line. For the Main Line of Sanyo Electric Railway, see Sanyo Electric Railway Main Line.
Sanyō Main Line

321 series and 223-1000 series EMUs on a 4-track section in Kobe
Overview
Native name 山陽本線
Type Heavy rail, commuter rail
System Urban Network
(Kōbe - Kamigōri, Hyōgo - Wadamisaki)
Hiroshima City Network
(Shiraichi - Minami-Iwakuni)
Locale Kansai, Chugoku, Kyushu regions
Termini Kōbe, Hyōgo
Moji, Wadamisaki
Stations 124
Operation
Opened 1872
Owner JR West
JR Kyushu
Operator(s) JR West
JR Kyushu
JR Freight
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 - Shimonoseki, Hyōgo - Wadamisaki)
20 kV AC 60 Hz overhead catenary
(Shimonoseki - Moji)
Operating speed 130 km/h (81 mph)
(Kōbe - Okayama)
120 km/h (75 mph)
(Okayama - Shimonoseki)
85 km/h (55 mph)
(Shimonoseki - Moji, Hyōgo - Wadamisaki)

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

Stations

From Kobe to Himeji (JR Kobe Line)

See the JR Kobe Line article for the list.

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)
Station name Japanese Total distance (km) Ra SR SL Transfers Location
JR West
Himeji 姫路 54.8 + + Bantan Line, Kishin Line, Sanyō Main Line (JR Kobe Line), Sanyō Shinkansen
Sanyo Railway Main Line (Sanyō Himeji)
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 + + Akō Line, Sanyō Shinkansen Aioi
Une 有年 83.1 + + Akō
Kamigōri 上郡 89.6 + + Chizu Express Chizu Line Kamigōri, Akō
Mitsuishi 三石 102.4 Bizen Okayama
Yoshinaga 吉永 109.5
Wake 和気 114.8 Wake, Wake
Kumayama 熊山 119.4 Akaiwa
Mantomi 万富 123.5 Higashi-ku, Okayama
Seto 瀬戸 128.0
Jōtō 上道 132.7
Higashi-Okayama 東岡山 136.1 Akō Line Naka-ku, Okayama
Takashima 高島 138.9
Nishigawara 西川原 140.8
Okayama 岡山 143.4 + Kibi Line, Sanyō Shinkansen, Tsuyama Line, Uno Line (Seto-Ōhashi Line)
Okayama Electric Tramway Higashiyama Line and Okayama Electric Tramway Seikibashi Line (both at Okayama-Ekimae)
Kita-ku, Okayama
Nishi-Okayama Freight Terminal 西岡山(貨) 145.9 -
Kitanagase 北長瀬 146.8 -
Niwase 庭瀬 149.9 -
Nakashō 中庄 154.6 - Kurashiki
Kurashiki 倉敷 159.3 + Hakubi Line
Mizushima Main Line (Kurashikishi)
Nishiachi 西阿知 163.3 -
Shin-Kurashiki 新倉敷 168.6 + Sanyō Shinkansen
Konkō 金光 174.9 * Asakuchi
Kamogata 鴨方 178.4 *
Satoshō 里庄 182.4 * Satoshō, Asakuchi
Kasaoka 笠岡 187.1 + Kasaoka
Daimon 大門 194.2 - Fukuyama Hiroshima
Higashi-Fukuyama 東福山 197.5 -
Fukuyama 福山 201.7 + Fukuen Line, Sanyō Shinkansen
Bingo-Akasaka 備後赤坂 207.5
Matsunaga 松永 212.4
Higashi-Onomichi 東尾道 215.3 Onomichi
Onomichi 尾道 221.8
Itozaki 糸崎 230.9 Mihara

From Itozaki to Tokuyama (Hiroshima City Network)

Ra: Rapid Service
Station name Japanese Total distance (km) Ra Transfers Location
JR West
Itozaki 糸崎 230.9 Mihara Hiroshima
Mihara 三原 233.3 Kure Line, Sanyō Shinkansen
Hongō 本郷 242.8
Kōchi 河内 255.1 Higashihiroshima
Nyūno 入野 259.5
Shiraichi 白市 263.9
Nishitakaya 西高屋 268.3
Saijō 西条 272.9 +
Hachihommatsu 八本松 278.9 +
Seno 瀬野 289.5 - Skyrail Midorizaka Line (Midoriguchi) Aki-ku, Hiroshima
Nakanohigashi 中野東 292.4 -
Aki-Nakano 安芸中野 294.4 -
Kaitaichi 海田市 298.3 + Kure Line Kaita, Aki
Mukainada 向洋 300.6 - Fuchū, Aki
Tenjingawa 天神川 302.4 - Minami-ku, Hiroshima
Hiroshima Freight Terminal 広島貨物ターミナル 303.1 -
Hiroshima 広島 304.7 + Route 1, 2, 5, 6; Hiroden Main Line
Geibi Line, Sanyō Shinkansen
Shin-Hakushima 新白島 306.5 + Hiroshima Rapid Transit Astram Line; Sanyō Main Line; Kabe Line Nishi-ku, Hiroshima
Yokogawa 横川 307.7 + Route 7 and 8; Hiroden Yokogawa Line
Kabe Line
Nishi-Hiroshima 西広島 310.2 + Route 2 and 3; Main Line and Hiroden Miyajima Line (Hiroden-nishi-hiroshima)
Shin-Inokuchi 新井口 314.4 + Route 2; Miyajima Line (Shōkō Center-iriguchi)
Itsukaichi 五日市 316.8 + Route 2; Miyajima Line (Hiroden-itsukaichi) Saeki-ku, Hiroshima
Hatsukaichi 廿日市 320.2 - Route 2; Miyajima Line (Hiroden-hatsukaichi) Hatsukaichi
Miyauchi-Kushido 宮内串戸 321.8 + Route 2; Miyajima Line (Miyauchi)
Ajina 阿品 324.8 - Route 2; Miyajima Line (Hiroden-ajina)
Miyajimaguchi 宮島口 326.5 + Route 2; Miyajima Line (Hiroden-miyajima-guchi)
JR Miyajima Ferry
Maezora 前空 328.3 -
Ōnoura 大野浦 331.4 -
Kuba 玖波 336.4 - Ōtake
Ōtake 大竹 340.8 +
Waki 和木 342.3 - Waki, Kuga Yamaguchi
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
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 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

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 Mine Line, Sanyō Shinkansen
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

See the Wadamisaki Line article.

Rolling stock

JR West 117 series EMU
JR Kyushu 415 series EMU
Freight train with Class EF67 bank engine

JR West

Limited Express

Local Trains

New 2- and 3-car 227 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

History

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 the 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.

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.

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.

The Sanyō Main Line parallels the Inland Sea but some parts could be shortened by tunnels. In 1934, the Gantoku Line between Iwakuni and Tokuyama (today Shūnan, Yamaguchi) 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.

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

Former connecting lines

Iwakuni Electric Railway train
A Nagato Railway train

See also

References

This article incorporates material from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Category:Sanyō Main Line.
  1. "JR西日本、広島地区に227系近郊形直流電車を投入" [JR West to introduce 227 series DC suburban trains in Hiroshima area]. The Page (in Japanese). Japan: Wordleaf Corporation. 19 June 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
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