Wikipedia

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.

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 Seto 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.

San'yō Main Line
JNR 115-3000 in Setouchi yellow livery run near the Seto Inland Sea.
Overview
Other name(s)JR Kobe Line (Kobe – Himeji)
Native name山陽本線
Owner
LocaleKansai, Chugoku, Kyushu regions
Termini
Stations124
Service
TypeHeavy rail, commuter rail
System
  • Urban Network
    (Kōbe – Kamigōri, Hyōgo – Wadamisaki)
  • Hiroshima City Network
    (Shiraichi – Minami-Iwakuni)
Operator(s)
History
Opened1872
Technical
Line length
  • 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 gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Electrification
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 Sanyō Main Line is operated by two JR companies:

The Wadamisaki Line, a short section of line in the length of 2.7 km (1.7 mi) between Hyōgo and Wadamisaki stations in Kobe is a branch of the Sanyō Main Line. A short section connecting Kitakyushu Freight Terminal also forms part of the Sanyō Main Line.

Basic data

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  • Operators, distances: 537.1 km (333.7 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 (14.2 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
  • Electrification: Entire 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 [ja]); 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 [ja])

Stations

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From Kobe to Himeji (JR Kobe Line)

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See also: JR Kobe Line

●: Trains stop at all times
｜: Trains pass at all times
▲: Eastbound trains pass in the morning
○: Weekday mornings only

Official line name No. Station Japanese Distance (km) Stop Transfers Location
Between stations from Osaka Local Rapid Special Rapid Ward, City Prefecture
Through service to/from the JR Kyoto Line
Tokaido Main Line  A63  Kobe 神戸 1.7 33.1 ● ● ●
Chuo-ku, Kobe Hyōgo
San'yō Main Line
 A64  Hyōgo 兵庫 1.8 34.9 ● ● |      Wadamisaki Line (San'yō Main Line) Hyogo-ku, Kobe
 A65  Shin-Nagata 新長田 2.3 37.2 ● | |
  • Kobe Municipal Subway:
  •   Seishin-Yamate Line (S09)
  •   Kaigan Line (K10)
 Nagata-ku, Kobe
 A66  Takatori 鷹取 1.0 38.2 ● | | Suma-ku, Kobe
 A67  Suma-Kaihinkōen 須磨海浜公園 0.9 39.1 ● | |
 A68  Suma 須磨 1.3 40.4 ● ▲ |   Sanyo Railway Main Line (SY 06: Sanyo Suma Station)
 A69  Shioya 塩屋 2.0 43.3 ● | |   Sanyo Railway Main Line (SY 08: Sanyo Shioya Station) Tarumi-ku, Kobe
 A70  Tarumi 垂水 2.9 46.2 ● ▲ |   Sanyo Railway Main Line (SY 11: Sanyo Tarumi Station)
 A71  Maiko 舞子 2.0 48.2 ● ▲ |   Sanyo Railway Main Line (SY 13: Maiko-koen Station)
 A72  Asagiri 朝霧 1.9 50.1 ● | | Akashi
 A73  Akashi 明石 2.4 52.5 ● ● ●   Sanyo Railway Main Line (SY 17: Sanyo Akashi Station)
 A74  Nishi-Akashi 西明石 3.4 55.9 ● ● ●   San'yō Shinkansen
 A75  Okubo 大久保 2.8 58.7 ○ ● |
 A76  Uozumi 魚住 3.5 62.2 ○ ● |
 A77  Tsuchiyama 土山 3.1 65.3 ○ ● | Harima
 A78  Higashi-Kakogawa 東加古川 3.3 68.6 ○ ● | Kakogawa
 A79  Kakogawa 加古川 3.6 72.2 ○ ● ● I Kakogawa Line
 A80  Hoden 宝殿 3.3 75.5 ● | Takasago
 A81  Sone 曽根 4.0 79.5 ● |
 A82  Himeji Bessho ひめじ別所 2.0 81.5 ● | Himeji
 A83  Gochaku 御着 2.1 83.6 ● |
 A84  Higashi-Himeji 東姫路 2.4 86.0 ● |
 A85  Himeji 姫路 1.9 87.9 ● ●
Through service to/from the San'yō Main Line (below)

From Himeji to Itozaki

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  • All trains except Limited Express trains stop at all stations in this section.[1]
  • Rapid trains coming from Osaka/Kobe area become local trains after Akashi and Special Rapid trains stop at all stations west of Himeji, operating up to Kamigōri or through to the Akō Line.
No. Station name Japanese Total distance (km) Transfers Location
JR West
Himeji 姫路 54.8
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
A 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 N 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
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 V Hakubi Line
Mizushima Main Line (Kurashikishi)
 W06  Nishiachi 西阿知 163.3
 W07  Shin-Kurashiki 新倉敷 168.6   San'yō 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   San'yō Shinkansen
Z 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)

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A: Akiji liner rapid service (through to the Kure Line)
C: City liner rapid service (limited weekend service only)

●: All trains stop
｜: Trains pass at all times
○: All trains stop, limited service

No. Station name Japanese Total distance (km) A C Transfers Location
JR West
 X19 
 G17 		 Itozaki 糸崎 230.9 Mihara Hiroshima
 X20 
 G16 		 Mihara 三原 233.3   San'yō Shinkansen
Y 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 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 ● Y 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 ● ●
 R02  Shin-Hakushima 新白島 306.5 ○ ｜ B Kabe Line
  Astram Line (Hiroshima Rapid Transit)		 Nishi-ku, Hiroshima
 R03  Yokogawa 横川 307.7 ○ ● B Kabe Line
  Hiroden Streetcar Route 7
  Hiroden Streetcar Route 8
Hiroden Yokogawa Line
 R04  Nishi-Hiroshima 西広島 310.2 ○ ｜   Route 2
  Route 3
Main Line and Hiroden Miyajima Line (Hiroden-nishi-hiroshima)
 R05  Shin-Inokuchi 新井口 314.4 ○ ｜   Route 2
Hiroden Miyajima Line (Shoko 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   San'yō Shinkansen

Tokuyama to Moji

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  • All trains stop at all stations in this section
Station name Japanese Total distance (km) Transfers Location
JR West
Tokuyama 徳山 414.9   San'yō 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
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   San'yō 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   San'yō Shinkansen
Hatabu 幡生 524.6      San'in Main Line
Shimonoseki 下関 528.1
JR Kyushu
Shimonoseki 下関 Shimonoseki Yamaguchi
Moji 門司 534.4 JA Kagoshima Main Line Moji-ku, Kitakyushu Fukuoka

Rolling stock

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JR West 113 series EMU
 
JR West 223 series EMU
 
Freight train with Class EF210 locomotive

JR West

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Limited Express

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Local trains

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JR Kyushu

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History

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Prior to the opening of the San'yō Shinkansen, many expresses operated on the Sanyō Main Line as it served as a major transport corridor through Western Honshu and connecting to Kyushu. The Shinkansen was extended as the San'yō 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

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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 of that year, but the Yanai – Tokuyama section remained out of service until 9 September of that year.[3]

Former connecting lines

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Iwakuni Electric Railway train
 
A Nagato Railway train
  • Hyogo station – A 5 km lne to the Hyogo Port operated between 1911 and 1984.
  • Tsuchiyama station – A 4 km 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 8 km (5.0 mi) line to Takasago-Minato in 1913/1914. The line was nationalised in 1943, and closed in 1984.
  • Himeji station – The Bantan Railway Co. built a 16 km (9.9 mi) line east to Shikama-Kou (near Kakogawa), opened in 1895 and closed in 1986.
  • Aboshi station –

The Tatsuno Electric Railway Co. opened a 17 km (11 mi) 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) 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 6 km line to Hamadako operated between 1943 and 1989.

  • Une station – The Ako Railway operated a 13 km (8.1 mi) 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 (21 mi) 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 915 mm (3 ft) gauge line between its namesake town and Korakuen between 1911 and 1962.
  • Kasaoka station – The Ikasa Railway Co. operated a 19 km (12 mi) 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) gauge line to Ihara between 1913 and 1971. It had a 6 km 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 13 km (8.1 mi) 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) gauge line to its namesake town between 1913/1914 and 1954.
  • Onomichi station – The Hiroshima Prefectural Government opened a 17 km (11 mi) line electrified at 600 V DC to Shoharachi in 1925/1926. It closed between 1957 and 1964.
  • Seno Station – The 1.3 km (0.81 mi) Skyrail Midorizaka Line monorail connected Midori-Chūō Station with Seno (Skyrail's Midoriguchi Station) from 1998 to 2024.
  • Hiroshima station – The Sanyo Railway Co. was commissioned by the Japanese Army to build a 6 km (3.7 mi) 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 2 km (1.2 mi) line to its complex between 1937 and 1986.

  • Iwakuni station – The Iwakuni Electric Railway Co. opened a 6 km line to Shinmachi, electrified at 600 V DC, between 1909 and 1912. The line closed in 1929 when the parallel Gantoku Line opened.
  • Hofu station – A 19 km (12 mi) line to Hori operated 1919/1920 to 1964.
  • Shin-Yamaguchi station – The Dainippon Railway Co. opened a 13 km (8.1 mi) 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 6 km (3.7 mi) 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) gauge line in 1916. The line was converted to 1067mm gauge in 1922, and extended 12 km (7.5 mi) to Kibe in 1926. The last 8 km (5.0 mi) closed in 1944, and the rest of the line in 1961.
  • Ozuki station – The Nagato Railway Co. opened an 18 km (11 mi) 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 opened a 27 km (17 mi) line from Higashi-Shimonoseki to Kogushi via Hatabu in 1914. A proposed extension to Nagato was not built due to funding constraints. The part from Hatabu to Kogushi was nationalised in 1925, with the Hatabu station being moved to its present location in 1928, and the line becoming a part of the San'in Main Line in 1933. The remaining 2.2 km (1.4 mi) Choshu Railway line from Hatabu to Higashi-Shimonoseki was electrified at 600 V DC in 1926. The company merged with the Sanyo Electric Railway (today Sanden Kotsu, not to be confused with the eponymous company operating in the Hyōgo Prefecture) in 1928, and the line was extended to Karato in 1932 in order to connect it to the Sanyo Electric Chōfu to Hikoshima-Guchi line. The line was closed in 1971.

See also

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References

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sanyō Main Line.
  1. ^ "Spring 2022 timetable revision (Japanese)" (PDF). JR West. 2021-12-17.
  2. ^ "10 rail sections out of service for over a month in flood-hit region：The Asahi Shimbun".
  3. ^ "9月9日（日）「JR山陽本線再開」下松駅-柳井駅、ダイヤは災害前の通常時刻 【お知らせ】". Hikari.Fun (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-06-26.
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