Sanyo Electric Railway Main Line

Main Line
Sumaura-koen Station, seeing east
Operation
Operator(s)	Sanyo Electric Railway Co., Ltd.
Technical
Line length	54.7 km
Track gauge	1435 mm
Electrification	1500 V DC

Sanyo Electric Railway Main Line

Legend JR-W: Sanyo Main (JR Kobe) Line Daikai Dentetsu Hyōgotil 1968 JR-W: Sanyo Main (JR Kobe) Line Daikai-dōritil 1952 Nagatatil 1968 Kōsoku Nagata Hanshin Railway: Kobe Kosoku Line 0.0 Nishidai Nishidai depot Kobe Municipal Subway: Seishin-Yamate Line 1.0 Itayado 1.8 Higashi-Suma Higashi-Suma depot 2.6 Tsukimiyama 3.3 Sumadera JR-W: Sanyo Main Line 3.7 Sanyo SumaSuma Ichinotanitil 1946 Atsumorizukatil 1948 Sakaihama 5.1 Sumaura-kōen Sumaura Ropeway Higashi-Shioyatil 1932 6.8 Sanyo ShioyaShioya 7.8 Takinochaya 8.6 Higashi-Tarumi 9.6 Sanyo TarumiTarumi Goshikiyamatil 1951 10.7 Kasumigaoka Utashikiyamatil 1964 11.5 Maiko-kōenMaiko 12.4 Nishi-Maiko Asagiri 14.3 Ōkuradani Akashi Kōjomaetil 1948 14.9 Hitomarumae Yūenchimaetil 1946 15.7 Sanyo AkashiAkashi Akashitil 1939 JR-W: Sanyo Main Line 16.9 Nishi-Shimmachi 18.4 Hayashisaki-Matsuekaigan 20.4 Fujie 21.8 Nakayagi 23.5 Eigashima 24.9 Nishi-Eigashima 25.6 Sanyo Uozumi 27.3 Higashi-Futami Higashi-Futami depot 28.6 Nishi-Futami 29.9 Harimachō Befu Railway: Noguchi Line 32.2 BefuBefuguchi 34.1 Hamanomiya JNR: Takasago Line Onoe 35.5 Onoenomatsu Kako River 37.3 TakasagoTakasago-kitaguchi JNR: Takasago Line 38.5 Arai 39.7 Iho 41.3 Sanyo Sone 42.8 Ōshio 44.2 Matogata 46.2 Yaka 47.6 Shirahamanomiya 49.0 Mega Shikamakō r)JR-W: Bantan Line "Shikamakō Line" 50.9 ShikamaShikama (JNR) Aboshi Line Shikama depot 52.3 KameyamaKameyama (JNR) 53.4 TegaraTegarayama JR-W: Sanyo Shinkansen Himeji JR-W: Sanyo Main Line JR-W: Bantan Line/Kishin Line Dashōgun Himeji City Monorail 54.7 Sanyo Himeji

The Main Line (本線, Honsen) of Sanyo Electric Railway is a railway line stretching from Kobe west to Himeji via Akashi, Kakogawa and other municipalities in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. The line runs parallel to West Japan Railway Company (JR West) Sanyo Main Line, with closest sections between Sanyo Suma and Sanyo Akashi stations, and competes with the JR line for its entire stretch.

Description

• Gauge: 1435mm
• Track: double
• Electrification: 1500V DC
• Length: 54.7 km
• Stations: 43 (including both ends)

History

East of Akashi (from Kobe) was opened in 1910 onwards by Hyōgo Electric Tramway (兵庫電気軌道, Hyōgo Denki Kidō), west of Akashi (to Himeji) was built and operated by Kōbe Himeji Electric Railway (神戸姫路電気鉄道, Kōbe Himeji Denki Tetsudō). A then Japanese major electricity Ujigawa Electric (宇治川電気, Ujigawa Denki) absorbed both in 1927, but different origin of the lines had had difficulties of direct operation. After spin off of Ujigawa Electricity, Sanyo Electric Railway had modified the line and cars for unified operation.

In place of through operation to Kobe Rapid Railway in 1968, the road track from Dentetsu Hyōgo (電鉄兵庫), then the start of the line, to Nisidai was abandoned. Until 1998 through services up to Hankyu Railway's Kobe Main Line Rokkō and Hanshin Electric Railway's Main Line Ōishi both by Sanyo's stock, and down to Sumaura-kōen by Hankyū and Hanshin, both from their terminals in Umeda, Osaka had been operated. Direct operation to and from Hankyū was stopped then, and Limited Express service between Hanshin Umeda and Sanyo Himeji by both operator's stock was introduced.

Operation

Nishidai is nominal as the start of the line, thus all trains of Sanyo start or end beyond, in Kobe Rapid Railway, or further Hanshin stations, namely Sannomiya stations on Hankyū's Kobe Main Line and on Hanshin's Main Line for Locals, Umeda terminal of Hanshin in Osaka.

The line accepts trains of Hanshin via Kobe Rapid, down (west) to Sumaura-kōen. In the Sanyo Main Line, all Hanshin trains stop all stations on their way, though in Hanshin's Main Line some are operated as Locals and some as Limited Express.

Rapid service

Abbreviations are tentative for this article.

All day operation:

Hanshin-Sanyō Limited Express (直通特急, Chokutsū Tokkyū) (HS)

Umeda of Hanshin - Sanyo Himeji. Jointly operated by Hanshin Electric Railway and Sanyo, this train makes limited stops on both the Hanshin's Main Line and the Sanyo's Main Line.

Local (普通, Futsū) (Lo)

Hankyu Sannomiya or Hanshin Sannomiya or Sanyo Suma - Sanyo Himeji, makes every stop on the Sanyo Railway Main Line and the Kobe Kosoku Line. At night, down (westbound) trains start at Kōsoku Kobe and up (eastbound) trains terminate at Shinkaichi.

Hanshin trains (HT)

Hanshin's Limited Express trains from Umeda stop at all stations in the line to Sumaura-kōen.

Morning and night only:

Sanyo Limited Express (山陽特急, Sanyōtokkyū) (sy)

Mainly operated between Higashi-Futami and Sanyo Himeji, there is a westbound train from Kosoku Kobe for Sanyo Himeji in the early morning. The same stops as the Hanshin-Sanyo Limited Express (HS) but does not go east beyond Kosoku kobe.

S Limited Express (S特急, S Tokkyū) (sl)

Hanshin Sannomiya - Sanyo Himeji, more stops than HS, sy. Operates up (eastbound) in the mornings from Shikama, Takasago or Higashi-Futami to Sanyo Suma or Hanshin Sannomiya, and down (westbound) late nights from Sannomiya to Sanyo Himeji.

Stations

Abbreviations of rapid service trains, see above section. Lower cases show limited hour/service.

Station	Distance (km)	Stop	Connection	Location
Hankyu Railway Kōbe Kōsoku Line
Sannomiya, Hankyu	5.7	Lo	Hankyu Railway: Kobe Main Line Kobe New Transit: Port Island Line Kobe Municipal Subway Seishin-Yamate Line (Sannomiya) Kaigan Line (Sannomiya-Hanadokeimae) West Japan Railway Company (JR West): Tōkaidō Main Line (JR Kobe Line) (Sannomiya (JR West))	Chūō-ku, Kobe	Hyōgo Prefecture
Hanakuma	4.4	Lo
Kōsoku Kobe	3.5	Lo	Hanshin Railway Kōbe Kōsoku Line (for Motomachi) JR West: Tokaido Main Line, Sanyo Main Line (JR Kobe Line) (Kobe) Kobe Municipal Subway: Kaigan Line (Harborland)
Shinkaichi	2.9	Lo	Hanshin Railway Kōbe Kōsoku Line (for Nishidai) Kobe Electric Railway Kōbe Kōsoku Line	Hyōgo-ku, Kōbe
Hanshin Electric Railway Kōbe Kōsoku Line
Motomachi, Hanshin	5.0	Lo HT sl    HS	Hanshin Electric Railway: Main Line JR West: Tōkaidō Main Line (JR Kobe Line)	Chūō-ku, Kobe	Hyōgo Prefecture
Nishi-Motomachi	4.2	Lo HT       hs
Kōsoku Kobe	3.5	Lo HT sl sy HS	Hankyu Railway Kōbe Kōsoku Line (for Hankyu Sannomiya) JR West: Tokaido Main Line, Sanyo Main Line (JR Kobe Line) (Kobe) Kobe Municipal Subway: Kaigan Line (Harborland)
Shinkaichi	2.9	Lo HT sl sy HS	Kobe Electric Railway Kōbe Kōsoku Line	Hyōgo-ku, Kōbe
Daikai	1.9	Lo HT sl sy hs
Kōsoku Nagata	0.9	Lo HT sl sy HS	Kobe Municipal Subway: Seishin-Yamate Line (Nagata)	Nagata-ku, Kōbe
Main Line
Nishidai	0.0	Lo HT sl    hs		Nagata-ku, Kōbe	Hyōgo Prefecture
Itayado	1.0	Lo HT sl sy HS	Kobe Municipal Subway Seishin-Yamate Line	Suma-ku, Kōbe
Higashi-Suma	1.8	Lo HT       hs
Tsukimiyama	2.6	Lo HT sl sy HS
Sumadera	3.3	Lo HT       hs
Sanyo Suma	3.7	Lo HT sl sy HS	JR West: Sanyo Main Line (Suma)
Sumaura-kōen	5.1	Lo HT
Sanyo Shioya	6.8	Lo	JR West: Sanyo Main Line (Shioya)	Tarumi-ku, Kōbe
Takinochaya	7.8	Lo    sl    hs
Higashi-Tarumi	8.6	Lo
Sanyo Tarumi	9.6	Lo    sl sy HS	JR West: Sanyo Main Line (Tarumi)
Kasumigaoka	10.7	Lo    sl
Maiko-kōen	11.5	Lo       sy HS	JR West: Sanyo Main Line (Maiko)
Nishi-Maiko	12.4	Lo
Ōkuradani	14.3	Lo		Akashi
Hitomarumae	14.9	Lo
Sanyo Akashi	15.7	Lo    sl sy HS	JR West: Sanyo Main Line (JR Kobe Line) (Akashi)
Nishi-Shimmachi	16.9	Lo
Hayashisaki-Matsuekaigan	18.4	Lo
Fujie	20.4	Lo    sl
Nakayagi	21.8	Lo
Eigashima	23.5	Lo
Nishi-Eigashima	24.9	Lo
Sanyo Uozumi	25.6	Lo
Higashi-Futami	27.3	Lo    sl sy HS
Nishi-Futami	28.6	Lo    sl
Harimachō	29.9	Lo    sl		Harima, Kako District
Befu	32.2	Lo    sl		Kakogawa
Hamanomiya	34.1	Lo    sl
Onoenomatsu	35.5	Lo    sl
Takasago	37.3	Lo    sl sy HS		Takasago
Arai	38.5	Lo    sl s* hs
Iho	39.7	Lo    sl
Sanyo Sone	41.3	Lo    sl
Ōshio	42.8	Lo    sl sy HS		Himeji
Matogata	44.2	Lo    sl
Yaka	46.2	Lo    sl
Shirahamanomiya	47.6	Lo    sl s* hs
Mega	49.0	Lo    sl
Shikama	50.9	Lo    sl sy HS	Sanyo: Aboshi Line
Kameyama	52.3	Lo    sl
Tegara	53.4	Lo    sl
Sanyo Himeji	54.7	Lo    sl sy HS	JR West (Himeji) Sanyo Shinkansen Sanyo Main Line Bantan Line Kishin Line